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Show A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SWEATSHOP In the Juno Woman's Homo Companion Com-panion a contributor writes about the grent work that the National Consumers' Consum-ers' League Is doing toward persuading persuad-ing the public not to buy goods manufactured manu-factured In sweatshops. Following Is nn oxtrnct from the article giving Borne account of the origin and development devel-opment of tho so-called sweatshop: "In the last twenty-five years, since thcro has been such a great tide of European immigration Into our largo cities, tenement districts have grown more and more crowded, and with the increasing congestion has come a proportionate pro-portionate Increase in rents. The man ufacturer, casting about for means of reducing the cost of production, found all about his factory women who unable un-able to go to work, were glad to take work in at home. Sometimes they earned only pin money and wero satis fled with low pay, thee old women nnd little children, widows and Invalids; Inval-ids; wero thankful to get even tho wretched wages which the manufacturer, manufact-urer, setting his rates at tho least demand de-mand of these throughout tho sweated sweat-ed Industries. "No law regulated the matter, ror of course the factory Inspector could not force his way Intf the home; no more could the gu:dlnn of tho child labor law; to bo sure, the health department authorities could take things into their hands In tho event of contagious diseases of a vljrient nature, provided they know of the cxlstcnco of tho cases. Many forms of contagion go undetected, or unregulated un-regulated even by tho most vigilant health authorities. "Slennwhllo tho sweating system grew apace, and each changing fash-Ion fash-Ion of women's apparel added a new Industry to tho list. It Is estimated that In New York City to-dhy there aro more than ono hundred tenement or sweatshop Industries. "Tho finished product is frequently a combination of hand work dono nt home and machine work done In the shop; thus a manufacturer may have h tly factory of his and employ-hnlf employ-hnlf n dozen girls to run power machines ma-chines and do the atlchlng during tho day; then, If you watch you will seo those six girls going homo In tho evening ev-ening carrying underwear for ribboning, ribbon-ing, or men's coats for felling and but tonhollng. Theso they distribute among tho neighbors, who work on them far Into tho night; In tho morning morn-ing the finished product Is ready to go back to the factory." |