Page 193 - Mediterranea-ricerche storiche, n. 48, aprile 2020flip

To contain and control: work organization and poor government in the... 193

Female workers
1 President 96
1 Portera 72
4 Atoleras (who makes atole, 72
a corn beverage)
3 Laundress 48
2 Catechism instructors 48
2 Patio supervisors 48
2 Refectoleras (meals server) 48
1 Nurse 72
3 Nurse’s assistant 36
1 Cook 72
3 Cook’s assistant 36

Male workers Daily wage (in reales)
2 Carpenters 4
2 Masons 4
2 Peons 3
49 Total employed
Source: S.M. Arrom, Containing the poor. The Mexico City Poor House cit., p. 95.

Table 11 shows the number and salary of the inmates used for
activities within the Poor House. The total of 49 employed persons is
far below the average number of inmates that was around 651 units
in the period 1774-1803 . For this reason, the internal activities alone
56
were not enough to employ all and this resulted in an evident lack of
one of the fundamental pillars of the rehabilitative and control system
constituted by the Poor House. Shortly after the establishment of the
institute, the Junta of Hospicio de Pobres posed the problem of
increasing work activities trying to absorb a greater quantity of
inmates .
57

56 Agn, Historia, vol. 44, Estado del Real Hospicio de Pobres de Mexico en 31 de
diciembre de 1803.
57 Agn, Bandos, vol. 22, Prospecto de la nueva forma de gobierno político y económico
del Hospicio de Pobres de esta capital, 1806.

Mediterranea - ricerche storiche - Anno XVII - Aprile 2020
ISSN 1824-3010 (stampa) ISSN 1828-230X (online)