Read this excerpt from a new york state commission investigating living and working conditions in tenement houses. another great evil of tenement house manufacturing was the fact that it made legally possible the work of little children in manufacturing pursuits at home, when the law rigidly excludes them from such occupations in the factories. children as young as five, six, and seven years of age were found doing work. one little girl, aged 7, testified that she worked until eight o’clock in the evening. what labor issue did the commission identify? fire and building safety codes were not being followed in factories. young children were doing manufacturing work in tenement houses. work done in tenements was more profitable than work done in factories. workers were not being allowed to organize unions or to hold meetings.