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    -426 OPEN COUNCIL.

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    To The Editors Of The English Woman's Jo...

    Ladies , January The number interesting contains article an error on " which The Needlewomen is of some importance at _ISTew York , for , " it of makes your

    the condition of , those unfortunate persons appear to be not nearly so bad as is noticeable it not real The l yet y writer is characteristic . that remarks the wretched , " of We New say abject York according destitution since the to American common price enoug ideas paid , h for amongst those it is very who us

    , average nine an attended average shillings tlie does meeting a week not / imp [ in a meeting l m y any what cases of we needlewomen are the accustomed wages were ] was to below about consider this two ; a dollars still pitiable such , or

    depreciation Nine shillings of female a week lab would our . " indeed be affluence compared with the earnin _N gs the of many lish of our equivalent miserabl for y two paid dollars seamstresses in New ; York but unhapp . Two il American y this sum d is ollars not

    in gold Eng but or silver gold , and are silver worth are about not now eight current shillings in the and United eightpence States . of The our

    about money dollars one ; spoken -third of ; that there is are three in paper paper , dollars which are are equal at present to two depreciated golden ones by .

    wages and The two tenpence are dollars equal to Food therefore , not is nine , I stated believe shillings to be ch of e the our average money in New rat , but e York of about the than five seamstresses here shillings but *

    clothing and most . other , commodities , are aper dearer , so that the above sum , is a miserable The writer pittance of the to article live on has . not entered into the question of the cause of

    that the depreciation but for the of extraordinary woman ' s wages economical in New York fallacies , which put indeed forth b is y so persons obvious in ,

    hi cause gh , office isundoubtedl in the United the States civil , to war advert . Mr to . it J . mi S . ght Mill be has unnecessary shown how . This the y

    destruction , of wealth , and the consequent diminuti condition on of of the reproductive classes capital

    occasioned , by war acts in depressing the labouring , raised particularl b y loans when rather , as is than now the by taxation case in . the On United the other States hand , the the funds great are y

    labour demand and for the thus services prevents of men so great in the a fall army in diminishes the wages the of supp men ly as of would their

    been otherwise generall , take y a p rise lace in in the America nominal ; indeed rates , nearl , it of would y equal appear to the be that depreciation substituted there has for of

    that the currency of men . this But counteracting , save so far as cause the labour will not women apply can to their earnings , on . which the diminution , of reproductive ital must tell with its full effect .

    cap The loss of their the male labour relatives market in for the subsistence war must , moreover and thus , increase throw man the y women

    upon , oompetition It is stated for that emp the loyment selling . / prices of the articles made bthe seamstresses

    y b are the greatl depreciation y increased of . the This enhancement and partl would real be partl from y nominal the much , . occasioned increased

    the price y emp of loyers cotton . . If Still that there is currency the may case be , , a wages margin mig y which ht be , is raised giving by large the establish profits to - _NeedlewomanAssociation hereto

    ment of institutionssimilar to the ' s , undertake work in the , capacity of employer , and divide after the pay nett ing for material of the ,

    expensesinterest of capital , depreciation , & c _, proceeds goods selection made , of members among the these workers institutio . With ns mi judicious ht be converted management into self- and supporting careful g

    , co Without -operative deny concerns ing that . under certain circumstances succeed in , combinations loyers may ,,

    bmeans of strikes or threats of strikes preventing emp demand from y low -1 ering fear that wages from below causes the whicli rate justified I , have by not the now relation space of to supp elucidate ly and ,. ,,

    -426 Open Council.

    -426 OPEN COUNCIL .

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Feb. 1, 1864, page 426, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01021864/page/66/