National Republican., 1883-06-09
women and work.

Tho question of woman's work is exciting
more interest than that of woman's rights.
The former has much more sympathy and
interest with men than the latter. Men arc
not indisposcd TO give all needful and proper
aids to women who desire to be self support
ing, and to enter into such works or business
as may lead them to either fortune or fame.
Great progress has been made by women in
adaptation to various kinds of work hereto
fore monopolzod by men, and the result has
shown that, in many departments of work
not heretofore occupied by women, they
have evidenced a progress and adaptability
which entities them to at least an equal
chance of competition the other sex. I'M
til recently woman's work was confined to
the nursery and the schoolroom.
The census reports of 1880 show great in
crease in tho sphere of woman's work. In
1860 there wcro 270,s97 women and girls
employed in manufactures in tho United
States. In 1880 the number thus employed
was 531 $50. Tho manufacture of artificial
feathers gives employment to 5000 women,
bookbinding 1000, shoe factories $4,000,
making mems clothing $4,000, making
womens clothing $4,000, making confection-
cry 1000, making twine 1,4OO, making cor
sets 1000, and making fireworks 217. Be-
sides these, 1900 are engaged in canning
vegetables and fruit, 1900 in maxi
ing hosiery, 2O7 in dressing skins,
1,i2O in making friction matches,
81 are model makers, and over hundred
pose for models. To these may be added 1856
photographers, Go pipe makers, 10 plumbers,
416 pocketbook makers, 2,2S1 elastic manu-
facturers, $4,000 shirt makers, 10000 tobacco
manufacturers 3 pump makers, IA refriger-
ator makers, and so on in smaller matters We
will not take into account the female doctors,
lawyers, preachers &c.
Hero in Washington the question is as to
tho capacity of women not only as copyists,
but as entitled from their abilities to promo
tions to higher grades in the depar tments
and to receive tho same pay for the same
work which men receive. We confess thai
We can SEQ no good reason why 8
woman, all other things being equal
should not receive the same equivalent
for her work which man receives
Tho civil service commission will have thi
subject before it, and it is one which deserves
and no doubt will receive, proper attention
Some members of congress in the past, will
a very limited knowledge of the capacity anr
duties of tho female clerks in the depart
ments, and perhaps with view in some case
to mako cheap capital at home, have spoken
of the female clerks hero as sybarites, anC
used other terms about them which arr
neither true nor courteous. Some of thes
congressman have urged as o reason why
women's services should be discontinued
that in the departments where they arc EN-
ployed tho public business is behind, If this
bo so it is not the fault of the clerks, eithe
male or female. So many of our members O
congress have been impressed with tho idei
of economy that appropriations to pay TO
needful clerical force have been withheld, AM
the forco in many of the departments ha
been so reduced that it has been impossible
with the limited number of clerks, to answe
tho requirements made on them. 1t will N
doubt be found by any candid inquirer tina
the work done in all of the departments b.
the female clerks is quite as satisfactory i
all respects as that done by men, and doubt
less the heads of the various departments ant
divisions, or at least great majority of them
will on inquiry sustain this statement. Thi
being true, is there any reason why woman
should not receive equal pay with man fc
, the same work?