White Slaves; or, the Oppression of the Worthy PoorBanks, Louis Albert
History
White Slaves; or, the Oppression of the Worthy Poor
Banks, Louis Albert
Poor -- Massachusetts -- Boston; Sweatshops; Working class -- Massachusetts -- Boston
Who among our rich men will lead off in some grand crusade of this
sort? Another thing we want to do to Americanize these people, is to
furnish them employment under conditions consistent with health,
intelligence, and morality. Instead of the crowded sweat-shop, the
moral atmosphere of which is as filthy as the physical, we must have
factories conducted in the spirit of Christian civilization.
Let me tell you of a vision I had the other day as I sat meditating and
dreaming in my study chair. I dreamed I was walking down the streets of
an American city when I saw a large brick building which I might have
thought was a factory except that there were white curtains at every
window in the house. As I neared the door, I asked a passer-by what it
was, and he astonished me by saying, "This is the great Christian
factory." Being a little anxious to see what life in a really Christian
factory would be like, I went in on a tour of investigation. There were
several hundred employees in the factory, most of whom were young
women. To my astonishment, I found bath-tubs in this factory, with an
abundance of hot and cold water, linen towels, and toilet soap. Did one
ever hear of such luxuries in a factory of any sort? In the girls'
bath-room there were rugs under foot, the finishing was done in oak,
the trimmings were nickel-plated, the sanitary arrangements were
perfect, and everything was as bright and clean as it was possible to
make it. Each employee was allowed thirty minutes for a bath, and if
one was so fastidious as to need three-quarters of an hour, no comments
were made. The structure was commodious and convenient, substantially
built, and heated, lighted, and ventilated throughout according to the
most improved system. Even the cellar was attractive in its
completeness, from the steam-engine that operated the machinery of the
building, to the culinary department where those who desired could
purchase a noon-day lunch at actual cost of material. The cook in
charge of the kitchen devoted her entire time to the work. Every day,
tea, with milk and sugar, was supplied by the firm free of charge;
oaten meal was furnished three days in the week at the same rate.
Delicious soup was served at three cents a bowl. The entire floor was
carefully cemented; it was light, warm, and clean, and there were
tables and benches for those who lunched in the building. An hour was
allowed at noon, and while all were expected to be on hand promptly at
one o'clock, the girls living at a distance from the factory were
thoughtfully permitted to leave a few minutes before twelve o'clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account