Story: Otago region

The sweating crusade, 1892

The sweating crusade, 1892

The working conditions of women workers in clothing factories in Dunedin and other centres attracted criticism in the late 1880s and early 1890s, when employers wanted to cut costs because business was slow. The Tailoresses’ Union was set up in response. This cartoon shows union secretary Harriet Morison crusading against ‘sweating’ – badly paid work in poor conditions.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: H-713-106
Cartoon by William Blomfield

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Malcolm McKinnon, 'Otago region - Workers until 1920', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/cartoon/22666/the-sweating-crusade-1892 (accessed 17 April 2024)

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, updated 1 May 2015