Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/641

 SOME PHASES OF SWEATING SYSTEM IN CHICAGO 627

made of the records of the Bureau of Associated Charities of Chicago for the months of January to July, 1900. Reports were not in from all the districts of the city ; in all, however, the reports of 1,918 cases were studied, or about one-third as many as were reported in 1899 in the whole city. The result may be regarded as fairly typical, but perhaps a little smaller in pro- portion than the average. The accompanying table summarizes the results of the investigation.

Out of the whole number of records studied, 974 were incom- plete or reported no occupation (probably had none), and 874 reported some other occupation, while only 70 were in any way connected with the garment trades. All but 29 of these were women who did plain sewing or were seamstresses or dress- makers. It is permissible to notice these, although, as their work is usually done in a private house for a particular person, they do not strictly belong to the garment trades. Taking all together, there were 10 dressmakers, 14 seamstresses, 19 plain sewers, 17 tailors or tailoresses, and 12 of miscellaneous occupa- tions. Eleven were Americans, 8 Jews, and 13 Germans, while the rest were of several other nationalities, or were not reported. The total number of persons in all the families was 253, and the average size of the family 3.61 persons. Seventeen were males and 53 were females. Nine were less than twenty-five years old and 8 were over fifty, while 30 were between these ages. Six- teen were single, 24 married, 18 widowed, and 12 deserted or divorced. The average wage was $4.32, rent $5.20, and number of rooms 3.3.* Twenty-three had no secondary occupation, 38 were housewives, and 9 had some other secondary occupation. Work was asked for in 18 cases, transportation in 14, and money, fuel, clothing, etc., in 39. The need was caused by sickness, death, or misfortune in 37 cases, by desertion in 12 cases, and by lack of work in 14.

Of the 29 tailors and other garment workers more than half were Jews and Germans. There were 9 tailors, 6 tailoresses, 5 pants-makers and finishers, and I of each of several other branches of the trade. The wages reported ranged from 75 cents to $5 per

1 The data here were so meager as to make the averages of little value.