1. How do you justify the term "■ iddte
slave " when applied to the persons whose con-
dition you describe ?

2. "Climb three flights to an attic suite of
two rooms, and there one would find a mother
and five children " doubtless in very bad condi-

47



48 WHITE SLAVES

tion ; the mother trying to support them ; the
tenement doubtless very bad. Suppose we con-
demn the tenement, — pull it down, — then
these people would have ?io roof over their
heads. Is no roof better than some kmd of a
roof ? Suppose we refuse to trust her to make
pants ? Is no work bettee than some work ?

3. The mother earns her living, or part of it,
by making "pants." Pants made in this way
are sold at a very low price at retail, after being
subjected to the cost of distribution in the
customary way. There is great competition in
this business. That competition leads every
employer to pay the highest wages that can be
recovered from the sale of the pants, also allow-
ing the sweater's charge. If the cost of making
is advanced on this class of pants, they cannot
be sold at all ; then there would be no sweater,
and the woman would get no work. Is no work
better than so7ne work?

4. The sweater deals as a middleman with
the manufacturer and the worker. If he did
not deal with this kind of work, it would cost
the manufacturer more to reach the worker
than it does now; no sweater would be em-



LETTER OF CRITICISM 49

ployed if he did not earn what he makes ; then
the manufacturer, or clothier, could pay less for
making the pants, because he now pays all that
the trade will hear. If it cost him more to
reach the worker, he must pay less. Suppose
we abolish the sweater, or middleman, then he
would not distribute the work, and there would
be HO work. Is that better than some work ?

5. Suppose this woman had not come here
with her children and had stayed, perhaps, in
Italy or in Russia, instead of coming here. Is
some work here better than no work in Italy ?

6. 