Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-01-02
Aauca5ter .Diltelligenrer.
FEMALE EMPLOYEES.

Hnu "A rev Capable Women Earn Large
%:iaries-UnpOpuiar Secretaries.
~. Inston Letter to the Hartford Courant.
TX secretary Boutwell, did more to en-
,''..Ia-e tho promotion Of women than any
o:-.cr cabinet officer has ever done. He
pa !sdy in charge of division in the
pnrcau Of internal revenue who still retains
hat position, and | think receives the
same salary as other chiefs of di-
vision. She is q delicate, frail looking
little woman, with will and energy ex-
cccdius physical strength. But she has fine
cX".utive ability, and will wear out, but
W., never grow rusty in the harness. In
promotions the secretary must rely on his
bureau officers for knowledge of the
eiiiceEcy of clerks. Some heads of
ouICaus are not in favor OF promoting
women. They cannot separate the
woman from the clerk, and think she re-
cciveS moro than she could earn Ontside.
This may be Just Us true Of the head as Uf
the subordinate. He may receive more
pay for his work than he could earn out
side but have yet to meet the bureau
officer who thinks his salary too great for
his services. Women are rarely ever per
in:tted to attempt the adjustment Of ac-
COUNTS, and yet this is sometimes offered
as a reason for not promoting them. Tie
real truth is, that they are not allowed to
DO such work. 1t is no more trouble to
teach an intelligent woman to do such
work than to teach an intelligent man.
Custom has made accounts almost the
exclusive work of men, and because at thc
iC"inning women were appointed as
copyists, and were not eligible 20 clerk
ships. But an act of Congress
made them eligible to clerkships, and
some of them possess the ability to adjust
accounts if they were allowed to do SO.
Sometimes q woman is ambitious, and
wcu!d be glad to earn q promotion by do
III" more difficult work. She has demands
npor her IS great as man, and would be
GLAD 10 work harder to earn moro money
10 a,t those dependent upon her She
may uo single woman, aiding il the sup.
port of parents Or sisters, perhaps both,
or possibly Il widow with children to sup
port. Il she is equally as efficient clerk
rs man, why should she not get the same
salary, il She can do and is willing to do
the same work ? i am not prejudiced, bat
think that stupidity is stupidity, whether
masculine or feminine. The only differ
cnco is that tho government pays ln0le
fer Il stupid mans poor work than for q
a stupid womau's work. for there arc
those VINO have to Ec "heipcd OUT on
accounts, even after several years cXp.r-
Icncc ard teaching, and q woman would
not make a greater failure if allowed to
Try the same wOrk!. But SO long as size is
not permitted to prove whether she can
nT cannot do it, it should not be used Is
~ argument against hcG promotion, lie
cause she does not adjust ;icconnts.
A good deal Of feminine Indignation
was aroused by tho appointment of SO
many men TO clerl;ships By the secretary
of the interior, who ignored the applca-
tions Of women. Whatever reason he
had for it, it is certain that very few
women were appointed. One alleged
"2aSOn was that the work vas OF such q
nature THAT women could not per
form it. Once upon time a
predecessor of the present secretary
appointed j larfe humber O; clerks
--tncn, ana i:oG a few of them s;tt ut
desks Hing ont blaok circulars rnr some
time. Women would have been glad TO
have done S,IlciI work cor the pay Of q
copyiSt, bmt tha clerks aisrHiutca received
NOS 'e'o thai 5! 800, :i;.d many $i,1GO per
innu,n Tie old ;tA.sc says, Turn
have t'und Circular, for women to tiil out,
''ii'' i'biuISU .,''ti'c ti tttc !tltjS WHO
had w'i.ted and hoped for months to get
places. dare H:.y il he had offered 800
icr yrar thrY w".,ieI have been glad of il,
al!d then tho Circular would have cost
hal: as much as they did under tho prede-
ccSfor WI" paid some men 81, 100 for such
work. Oi Tie secretary could have
promoted 4 few wcmen who have |
bccu i'll the interior department for |
a dozen years or more, and in this way
made places for now appointments. There |
are some curious facts abCut women. So |
many Of them S9om t. .a destined Ey |
fate for the same vocation ia lite-that OF |
themselves and frequently |,
c:hc!s also. this number gccnl3 10 increase :
$ public opinion makes Is moro aad more !
for women 10 work for I living. |