The Portland daily press., 1867-11-09

POR1LAND.
Saturday Mining, November o, 1867.
Female Labor.

Is there any reason to be given, why an
equal amount of labor performed by fe-
males should not be as well rewarded as if it
were performed by men,. We all know that
oftentimes their skill, talent and t,il bring as
much to pass in many branches OF business or
trade as are accomplished by our sex, and yet,
as if a design existed somewhere to make
them dependent upon others, they are not al
lowed that reward to which in honest justice
they are entitled If you 90 to tailor to
have coat made, he will charge you eight dol
lars for the making done by one of his female
operatives, but let that sempstress set up work
on her own account and she must be content
with less than half that price, This is up-
reasonable and injurious towards the SEX .a
The same remark might receive similar il
lustrations as applied to other branches of
useful industry. Hire man to work in your
garden, and for ten hours OF easy service he
must have his nine shillings or more; hire a
good smart girl TO work hard from sunrise
till llbedtime, washing, ironing, baking, bring
ing IN wood, building fires, cooking, scrub
bng, waiting and tending upon all members
of the household, and sewing or knitting at
every minute not thus at work and If she is al
lowed nine shillings for whole aceek's SER
vice, she may think herself quite well used.
Ii you hire man to teach 40 chiliren in
your district school, he must have twice as
much as an equally competent woman can
command for the same time and service.
There is certainly wrong in this, some
where. There are women who are obliged to
depend upon their own skill and strength tor
a livelihood. Particularly in the case with
widowed ladies, left without fortune or the
means of supporting family of children de-
pendent upon them for subsistence and edu-
cation. Why should not their labor com
mand as much as if they happened to be fa-
theirs instead Of mothers with this terrible re-
sponsbility upon them? If female labor was
justly compensated, many OF them would be
saved from the necessity of throwing them
selves away upon husbands OF doubtful charac-
ter in the hope thereby of securing support
"A hope alas! too often delusive and vain.
But il we cannot reform an evil, we are at
least bound to alleviate it as far forth as posi-
BILE. II women are not to be treated with
justice, they have, at least, fair demands upon
the charity of our sex. Cold winter is com
ing. Many women amongst us who depend
upon themselves for their own support, and
perhaps also of dependent little ones, are
about entering upon the rigors of the APP
preaching season with a doubtful prospect of !
being able to sustain themselves and theirs |
with comfort If their labors are not sui. !
ficient to ea'n their own living, there is an |
imperious duty devolvipg upon the males that |
make the laws to see that they are suitably
provided for.
The best way to do this perhaps would be
to provide them honest and suitable employ
ment which will pay them for their labor as !
much as half what 1t is really worth. Those |
who cannot should remember their obliga- |
tions OF duty to the poor and needy, and |
without raising nice questions, repair to the |
scenes where charity is required, and prove |
themselves men and christians by visiting the |
fatherless and widows in their affliction.'