Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-17
ORIGIN OF THE SWEATSHOP

| in turn would divide the contract
into several lots and again sublet
each part, to another, usually the
proprietor of tailors' boarding
house, or the keeper of some saloon
which the tailors frequented. The
sub-contractor would give out the
work to the boarders, or patrons, to
do evenings and Sundays at a smaller
rate than they received for their
regular work.
It was called sweat" work because
the profit depended upon the small
price paid to the workmen, or, in
other words, the profits were "sweat"
from them. They, however, were
eager to earn the additional funds
to pay for their drinks or their board.
The possibilities of such system
became manifest and 1t finally found
! its way to New York. By having the
work done in the homes, factory ex-
pense was eliminated, and the manu-
facturer was enabled to underbid his
competitors But the competit ors
also adopted the same plan, so the
grinding reduction in the price of
| the work became the impelling ele-
inent in price cutting. Under the
sweatshop plan. it was possible to
| become manufacturer with q very
small amount of capital. In fact, a
man needed only to make up his sam
pies, open show room and make his
sales. He then takes the contracts to
the bank, or to a broker, borrows
sufficient money upon the expecta-
| ton to buy his material and turn out
the work. This he gives out to the
contractor who, ins turn, distributes
| 1t among homes, or, ''sweatshops."
The homes may be unsanitary, the
work done partially by children, but
it is done cheaply. The system grows,
and as the competition becomes
keener, the people being gradually
! keener. the people are gradually re-
/ quired to increase their speed, and
turn out more garments per day.
| 1t is this system that the labor
unions would abolish, for, under the
conditions that exist in these ''tene-
ment Shops" diseases are bred, and.
what is a more potent element, the
wages of the real factory workers are
kept so low that dissatisfaction leads
to frequent and disastrous strikes.
1t is strongly commended that the
New York sweatshops have a most
| direct relation to the poverty of the
city, and that their abolition, which
| is sought through legislation, will re-
suit In vastly better conditions
For the people whose expert knowl-
| edge is valuable will find employment
in the increased number of factories
The sweatshops, after all. are but in.
struments of profit-cutting competi.
ton which takes the money from the
| workers and gives it to the manu-.
| facturers and middlemen, whose only
work is to distribute the clothing tt
! the homes.
While the sweatshop has become
| one of the great contributing causes
/ of poverty 1t is not alone among the
perverted agencies of misery. Many
ask what would become of the poor
tenance upon their meagre pittances
Of the sweatshops were abolished
/ This question was recently discussed
] with Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes by the
! writer and her ready answer was
that the increased number of fac
tories would furnish employment to
the men, who would be able to sup
port their families. instead of being
1 supported by them, as is often the
case at present The children, who
now remain at home to help, or spend
/ their afternoons and nights contrib
uting their mite would have time
for study and recreation. Thus they
would be real children, not old men
and women, while still in their teens
Attention has often been called t.
the various organizations who ar,
working to educate and uplift tn,
people against whom the curtain O.
darkness and blight seems to hav,
! been drawn. Their efforts are not t,
be underestimated, for their increas
ing labor is the great element tina
has sternmed the tide and kept within
bounds the menaces which threaten
Arthur e. Warner In Fair play.