New-York tribune., 1919-09-29
Factory Work in
Tenement Homes
Declared Vicious
Child Welfare Committee
of Women's City Club Ar
ranges Conference to
Plan lis Adjustment

Abolition Of fnctoy work in tenement
homes as source Of abuses even
greater than those developed by the
sweat shops is demanded in report
Of the child welfare committee of
the Women's City Club, which has been
approved by the organiza tion's board
Of directors. The clubs "Quarterly
Bulletin" just issued, announces in
this connection that series of four
conferences arc to be held soon, at
which all interests concerned will be
represented, to devise means Of carry
ing out the committees recommends
tions.
These conferences will be held under
the joint auspices Of the Women's City
Club and the Mems City Club, and the
delegates will include capitalists. labor
unlonlsts, manufacturers, physicians
and social welfare experts
summary Of the committees re-
port given in 1.-The Bulletin" states
that in the course of study involy-
ing 2,700 families engaged in home
work the committee found the vast.
majority OF workers earning less than
20 cents an hour, and that there was
free exploitation of child labor, with
conditions Of hours and pay aggra-
waited by unlimited competition.
Homes Are Unclcan
"Familics in which home work ia
being done are, Of course. the poorey.
among the city's population" says the
committees report. "Living quarters
are unclcan and crowded, the ncighbor-
hoods dirty and congested. The work
ing hours OF the women and children
are long and unregulated, and in most
cases the conditions under which work
is produced are unsanitary and un
hcalthtul. And il may here be said
that the work OF little children ;s
utilized in practically every home in
dhstry.
after q careful study of the fact
and figures obtained" the report con-
tinues, 1.-THE committee came to tho
conclusion that the only defender of
such an iniquitous form of industry is
the employer and contractor who has
been In the past and will be in the
future the first to protest against the
abolition of home work. His advan-
tages are many:
he saves all overhead charges. His
workers have unrestricted overtime.
There is no enforceable ace limit for
workers. He can secure plenty Of
workers in the rush season without
having to pay for them in the dull sea :
son. He is free from compliance with
any factory or sanitary regulations.
The apparent benefits to the worker
are these: Home work can be taken
up when other work is scarce 1t fur
nishes few Injuries that poor fam
ines could not otherwise afford to have.
1T IS an irregular form of employment
tor those who cannot work REGULARLY
1T gives little work to needy mothers
OF families, or to widows with children
whose home duties do not permit reg
ular outside work.
System Held Vicious
'lf the employer is correct in tina
reasons he gives for the continuation
OF home work then it is unthinLnhle
that such small remuneration should
be made to people whose need is so
great and whose sacrifice is so costly
II the argument is given that the in
come OF the home worker is supposed
to supplement the general family in
come, then it must be said that such
experimenting Of income as solution
OF the economic problem is unpro-
gressive, antlquated and positively dan
gerous TO the health and welfare Of
the entire community.
After careful consideration of thi.
phase OF industry, involving many thou.
sands OF workers, the committee came
70 the conclusion that home work corr
tauned so many features positively
in'mlcal to the health and safety Of
thousands of people. consumers as We'll
as workers. that nothing short Of ;ts
complete abolition could eliminate IFS
lNHnV ElrIOuS aSpactS