526 TRANSACTIONS OP THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



The Chairman, in reference to the subject of the last meeting, 

 the sewing machine, said they were not to inquire into the inge- 

 nuity of the parties connected with the serving machines. He 

 hoped the social bearing, the operation, and the benefit it con- 

 ferred upon the public would be inquired into, and discussed as 

 fully as the importance of the subject demanded. 



The sewing machine has converted the sewing women into a 

 class of educated laborers. The best needle women are now 

 making good pay by doing work that the machines cannot do. 

 Whatever some people might say in regard to this subject, it has 

 proved a great benefit to women by rendering their employment 

 comparatively healthful, instead of shortening life as constant 

 hand sewing does. A gentleman of this city, who keeps a store 

 in this city for the purpose of selling sewing machines, has set 

 apart a room for the purpose of instructing women in the mode 

 of operating them. Another point of great importance is that, 

 while this machine changes the whole course of things as to sew- 

 ing, it does not change the general work, leaving the whole field 

 of housework in full operation. A most painful event in the life 

 of factory boys and girls is, that they never lay up anything for 

 the purpose of setting themselves up in life in case of their mar- 

 riage. On the one hand it is conceded that the occupation of the 

 sewing machine is a healthful one, for the reason that it occupies 

 the feet as well as the hands, and calls in all the best arrange- 

 ments for healthful occupation. Three-fifths of the work which 

 is done in the community is done on the sewing machine, giving 

 300,000 hands employment on the sewing machines, equal to the 

 work of 150,000 by hand. He (Mr. Mason) took occasion to call 

 the attention of a gentleman to the fact that the want of a good 

 economical gas burner was a loss of $1,000 a day to the city, but 

 was answered by him that it was not of much importance. 



Mr. Stetson stated that the subject of the single thread sewing 

 machine Avas dropped without the advocacy that it required. 

 He was in favor of the Wilcox & Gibbs' sewing machine. There 

 was a very wide spread impression that the single thread sewing 

 machine was impracticable because the work done by them was 

 liable to rip out, but this, he thought, in some instances, was 

 an advantage. The Wilcox & Gibbs' sewing machine makes a 

 twisted loop stich. 



The Chairman. — Does this machine require Mr. Howe's inven- 

 tion. 



