Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/632

 6l8 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

10 cents. A third received 1 1 cents five years ago, only 7 cents last year, and now receives 8 cents. The last employs 6 people and makes about 800 pairs a week. His expenses are $45 per week and his profit about $18. A Jewish contractor on Maxwell street is making each week, with the help of 16 employes, 600 or 800 vests of medium grade at 25 cents each. Last year he received but 22 cents each and in 1896 only 18 cents, "and they were hard to get." His expenses for wages, express, etc., are $130 per week, leaving him $20 per week profit. Prices with him have risen instead of fallen.

A Bohemian coatmaker receives from $1.15 to $2.25 or $2.50 where some five years ago he received twice as much. For overcoats he receives from $1.25 to $1.50 where five years ago he received $2.25. One Bohemian, with the help of 9 employes, finishes 60 pairs of trousers per day at 30 cents per pair, making his daily gross income $18. His daily expenses are about as follows : machine work, $6 ; trimmings, $1.05 ; express, 60 cents; pressing, $1.50 ; finishing, $5.10 ; total, 14.25. At this rate he would make $3.75 per day, or $22.55 P er week. Nine years ago he was receiving 67 per cent, more per pair. In all branches of the trade, then, prices are considerably lower than five or ten years ago. Yet they are in most cases much better than three or four years ago, and the majority of the contractors seemed to feel that business was fairly prosper- ous.

It must be acknowledged that in Chicago at the present time conditions are not so bad as they might be. The wages in many cases are fair living wages. The hours as reported by the con- tractor are seldom more than ten, but it is doubtful if he can always be trusted. At any rate, the statements of some chil- dren from the Jewish Training School, whose fathers work in tailor shops, indicate that long hours are often demanded. It is only fair to tell of two exceptions : one child said her father was a custom tailor and worked from 8 in the morning until 6 at night, earning $10 a week ; another worked in a shop on Bunker street from 7 to 6, and made $8 a week. Both of these men were working a reasonable number of hours and receiving a tolerable