At the turn of the century child and female labour was an integral part of Toronto's industrial growth, especially in the garment trade. The reason was simple; women and children were exploitable. In 1882 the government established a commission to investigate "the working of mills and factories in the Dominion and the labour employed there-in." Their findings were devastating. The Royal Commission in 1889 notes that:
To arrive at the greatest profit for the smallest expenditure the mills and factories are filled with women and children to the practical exclusion of adult males. The reason for this is obvious. Women and children may be counted on to work for small wages, to submit to petty and exasperating exactions and to work uncomplainingly for long hours.
The passage of the Factory Act in 1886 brought to an end the employment of males under twelve and females under fourteen in Ontario. This however merely increased the number of women workers. In 1891 women formed 29% of the work force in industrial Toronto. Retailers could either buy directly from a manufacturer or set up their own factories. These factories were often referred to as "sweatshops" as women were cramped into small unventilated quarters, often without bathroom facilities, where they frequently worked sixty hours a week. Work was also contracted out to private contractors who had small shops, and they in turn gave the work to women to do at home. This resulted in lower wages and longer hours but proved advantageous to the retailers as the separation of workers prevented unionization and wage comparison.
Courtesy: T. Eaton Historical Photograph Collection
