New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-25

in the land OF their birth and are there
fore able TO remain Indifferent TO the re-
voting aspects of their work as they see
the glittering coins roll in when it is com
pleted. Whereas they buy it for 81 a
pound they sell it for IS or S. and the re
taller often multiplies that by ten.
The scene in the tenement rooms where
the bundles of hair are transformed from
gray ''crudity'' to braided and waving
switches OF black. brown and yellow is no
doubt one TO interest the investigator into
sociological conditions, but is hardly one
that would please my lady OF graces who
sits in her boudoir of a morning wearing
the rich waving curls in among her own
inadequate tresses. The hair is cOmhed.
separated. assorted as to lengths, boiled.
dyed curled. dried and made into braids.
all in the midst Of such dark and dreadful
rooms as only our tenements can offer to
tho poor and ignorant i'm this the clean
est country in the World as We like to
cali II.
Nearly all of the kinds of labor which
are carried on in the living rooms Of tene-
ment house jewellers in New York have
been regulated by statute and are sys-
tematically inspected. This trade, however,
owing to its newness has not yet been ex-
I
law. Therefore. the imagination may do its
worst in picturing the conditions, and can
not 90 far wrong.
Hair manufacturers maintain that the
processes through which their product must
pass from the time it leaves the head of
its original owner until ii is fastened upon
the head of its purchaser are such as TO
kill the most vigorous germs which may
haH info har lg,rl in
the careless handling of the finished arti-
Gle, which results I'm the mixing of the raw
hair with the prepared. is so great. how
ever. that the sterilizing effects OF the prep
araliOn are far from reliable.
SUI the wonder grows that the deiicately
refined little woman who Is revolted by the
slightest mention Of anythIng unclean viii
consent to weave in with her own hair
dead Chinsmens pigtails prepared by
sweat shop labor. as well as all sorts Of
cotton. wire and linen things resting on
her scalp 10 hold the hair out At wonder
fuI distances from her head. To he sure,
she has plenty Of historical precedent. Civ
ing examples Of hairdressing too. that far
outdo her in lack Of sense. the powdered
pompadour of 1902. the fantastical arrange
nent of 1879 and the high pompadour Of
by every woman who made any claim to
arisiocracy. But the average woman laughs
when she sees old prints showing these
half forgotten styles. and refuses TO believe
that there's anything ridiculous about her
own rats and puffs.
There's some reason for the hair. to be
sure. In the mOnstrous hats. You cannot
have a foot-wide brim Mapping about your
face so the simplest way 20 prevent it is
20 wear a mass Of hair d foot through to
hold IL up. But why wear the Rat? Well
you see when big hats were made the style
10y the manufacturers two years ago il
was found necessary 10 have larger boxes
Than had ever before been made In which
10 ship and deliver them. The box manu-
lacturef= refused To install the brand new
machinery necessary T0r ma king the boxes
until u tN0-y ear season lot big hats had
been guaranteed. The decree went forth.
aud they're sun IN style. stylish because
every one wears them aud every one wears
them because nothing else be bought.
Heaven forbid that. like the price of the
atre tickets which went Up during the