Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-01-23
uER DISADVANTAGES IN THE STRCG
GLE FOR EXISTENCE.

TO earn money here as in the old conn.
try; though to some extent it seems to
me that they have already better
chance of doing so. For instance,
while We count our female doctors on
the fingers Of one hand, I find several
with established regulations in every
one Of your principal cities, and Will,
a few female writer's in England are oc.
casional contributors to our daily and
weekly papers, l find them in New York
recognized members Of the staff
Gradually, however, even in conserva-
tive England, the old assertions are be.
ing abandoned-that woman's claim to
fair chances Of livelihood is a morbid
and an exaggerated one. aud that young
men struggle with equal dif6culties.-
People are beginning, though slowly,
to acknowledge that efforts made to
enable women to take larger share in
the industrial pursuits Of their male REL
atives are not made with a view Of re-.
moving them from their ''proper sphere"
and natural duties, but in order to
save them from positions into which
they are now actually thrown, to the
destruction Of their highest instincts
and their physical health aud develop.
ment. There has never been any dis
like 10 England to tho emple yment Of
women ia the lowest branches Of iadus-
trial callines; the objection il their H.
PRODUCTION into places Of responsibility
and trust. Until my friend the Earl Of
Shaitssbury brought the matter before
the Parliament, women were allowed TO
work ia mines in Stsffordshirs; they
prepare, to this very hour, the clay
which il to be converted into porcelain.
Only three months before left England
l spent day in our potteries, and there
were women and girls turning heavy
wheels and lifting heavy weights, their
physical strength being drawn upon
adj l;b;suns, but they we're carefully ex-
cluaed from the lighter branchss Of the
business they were freely used a.
beasts Of burden, but no encouragement
vas given them to undertake any skill
ed labor. And yet, BY the way, We are
told that women cannot serve in the
haberdashers' shops, because they are
too weak to lift the bales Of goods. In
Liverpool and Dublin women earn six-
pence a day by carrying Immense loads
Of sand; nearly $4,000 hawk fish, fruit
and hardware through the streets of
London, their average earnings varying
from so cents to 81 week.
Numbers throughout the country
weed, dig, and hoe potatoes, pick stones
out Of tho soil, spread the manure, reap
during harvest, and load the wagons il,
all weathcrs and seasons. Women are
to be found in the lowest and worst. paid
departments Of our chemical works,
glass houses, rope-works, paper mills
glue works, and nail factories, IS well
as in the brick fields and nur sery gar
dens. In hundreds of factories where
women sre employed there is work 60
ing Of less unsuitable kind than what
thoy are actually doing. l was ohct
going over factory Of THE description,
and. leaving a number Of WOMEN em.
loyed in work Of the coarsest sort,
emerged into clearer, quieter atmos
phere, to find men eng. gcd in wha,
seemed to me quite feminine branch
OF the manufacture. Is not this work
that women could do ?" asked.
"Ccrtainly," replied the foreman
but We apprentice to that"
''And would you apprentice girls p
l enquired.
"Wo have never done So" was the
reply:
This is the root of all mischief. NJ
skilled work can be done without 40.
! premiership. 1t is not customary ia
apprentice girls, so it is taken for
granted that they cannot do skilled
work. An English tactorywoman Ia.
bors under adverse influences. The
men Of her own rank are jealous Of her
competition with them. The ovcrsecr
and higher workmen are jealous lest in
any department she rise to their place
and it is the employers interest to keep
down her wages. But l still think
that these difficulties arise from want
of thought rather than want of heart. I
cannot persuade myself that men would
Cypress women through any selfish
fears; ut the same time / must admit
the determined opposition of tho rib.
! boz ~eavsrs, At Coventry, to The admie'