The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-05-11
Female Printers,

Is the city Of New York, the journeymcn
printers have recently been engaged i'm a
strike fur wages, which has been promptly
met and resisted by the proprictors Of seve-
raj of the prominent daily papers. among
which the Times, Journal ofCommcrce, Cou-
rier & Enquirer, Evening iirror and Day
Book. In some of these, females have been
taken in and so far instructed in few days
IN setting type, that in a weeks time they
| could set fair paragraph. and have their
work contribute to the columns of those re-
| spcctive Journals where employed
This we are glad To see, and VIC know of
no good reason why females may not be
thus advantagcously employed with MS much
propricty IN Il composing room as in Book
blndcry, or many ether branches nf business
where they are glad To gain competency.
IL is urged that they would be thus exposed
to work on daily papers, night and day, and
be obliged to go To and fro, ut all hours of
the night, with various other hardships.-
This, however, is no valid objection. We
would not have the whole business deyolye
on females only, but rather urge that they
might assist in the lighter duties and at Ger
tain proper hours. While women do much
In the book binding, they are by no means
the only ookbinders-fir from Il, So with
printing. Thoy could be pleasantly and
proftably employed, and the occupation
would be becoming one. Nor is the cx-
pertinent a novel one. In Boston females
are very extensively engaged ut type. setting
and so in other places. We would be will,
ing to hazard the experiment ourselves, and
will afford an opportunity, at almost any
| time, to some two or threc suitable younp
girls to qualify thcnisclvesfo for thus sccuIinr
n reputable livelihood, if they should desir,
IT, We believe the practice will soon be-
come very general, and hope To see IL fairly
tried.-FishkW (N. " Standard
~ Many Of the New York papers have,
been for some TINA discussing the proprictv
OF Transferring I pant oftheir composition ,n
female hands, ana the Ncw York Sun. one
of The papers declining TO be dictated to hy
their printers, says that in the Boston Olive
Branch, females are employed in setting
type. Such Is the fac in our Office, and
several other weekly papers.
we have for sixteen years employed 1T
least half females, not only on account of
price or principally. but because they wcr,
more to be depended upon than many iour-
ncymcn. We always employ first rate
foreman. who is good proof reader. Him
we hire on n salary also, men to do heavy
work, and The others have been feinalcs-
They have never failed 10 do their work i'm
due season and well. Not single one has
ever left us willingly, except On marriage,
and no less than FIVE have been well married.
from our office, most OF whom In case OF
sickness Of hands or other contingency.
were ready occasionally to lend few days
or hours help, IL needed afterwards, though
the necessities Of none compelled il.
Dun rooms are we'll carpeted, and the
girls do not come in till Q or 10 o'clock in
the morning, retiring in good season, seldom
making over seven or eight hours day. =
Smart compositors can in that time earn
from six to eight dollars n week. We have
also one female clerk out Of the three wc
employ. Added to this, one desk has been
occupied by female editor as our assistant,
at salary Of $500 She had spent seven
hours day in the office, for five days in the
week, and we have offered her nearly SlIo0
to engage herself two years more for the
same services but her health Is so feeble
that she will probably have to decline the
onerous task Of reading and correcting man
uscriPt and examining exchanges, and will
be able only TO write editorials
Aswe observed, our room Ia carpetcd. and
we generally have in Il an organ and piano
forte, and have music at the meal houra.
when tho ladies feel like playing. Our sal.
cried men work from eight TO ten hours
for days work, and this has been our rule
Tor gTes. many years. rot alone 10 favor
the men, but because we find il profitable.
The man Is worth more year In and year ont
than he would be at q greater number OF
hours. But for the time man sells us his
time, We hold him TO work, and allow him
neither to make nor receive visits beyond
mere calls Our room Is on second iloor,
some a6 feet sqnaro, with high ceiling, and
some dozen large windows curtained. and
10 as quiet as a gentleman's parior. cx..
eept occasional friendly and business CONVEX.
sations at cur desk, and the Necessary busi-,
ness with tho clerks and customers At the
counter, and between editors and printers.
Kwomen must do business ont IF their
own houses, We know not pleasanser attn.
alton than such an Office as ours. We are
sure that ladies can be honorablv and profi.
tabiy employed in well regalaied printing
ofiices, both TO themselves and puhlishers.
and trust this field Of labor viii he Iarreiy
occupied by them. We speak only OF week.
ly papers, where there IL neitlef night, nor
other irregular work. but ~ shink the pro-
prietors Of daily pspers could 80 arrHnge
thei, Offices, as probably aad pIcasantly so
all parties 20 employ female apring tho
day, IL not In tho evening.