Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-08-21
WOMAN GOSSIP.
England Suffering From Surplus OF
the Fair Sex.
Why Margaret Haughery was Hon.
ored with Monument
ENGLANp's SURPLUS WOMEN.

"Of all the benefits that could be
conferred upon England" said Lord
Shaftesbury, the other day, "none
would be so great as the emigration of
from 200, 600 to 800, 600 women" Even
after that drastic operation there
would. says The Pail Mall Gazette, still
remain surplus of nearly 800. 900 wo-
men over men in the United Kingdom.
This naturally leads to the encroach-
ment of women upon many fields of in
dustry hitherto monopolized by men.
Among others, they are daily making
their way as clerks and book-keepers.
The market for clerical labor IL over
stocked, but woman's work is cheaper
than mans, and she makes her way.
AS book-keepers in hotels, restaurants
and boarding-houses, as we'll rs in
many shops, women are preferred TO
male clerks. Properly to qualify her.
self for the post it Is necessary first
that girl should have sound middle
class education; and then that. after
leaving school. she should attend q
bookkeeping class, of which several
are held in different parts of London.
The classes are generally held after
the usual working hours, so as not to
interfere with other employment, and
the fees are low enough TO enable al
most any girl to attend. After an at
tendance for four or five months ut any
of these classes girl has generally ac-
quired the principles of bookkeeping.
On entering q situation the payment
begins mostly 1T 10 shillings per week,
and raises to ID and 20 shillings.
Higher salaries are paid to bookkeep-
ers with some knowledge Of French,
German or shorthand, the maximum
payment being f100. Resident stu
ations vary from the above in several
respects. The salary Is, of course.
lower. and as rule there are no fixed
hours. The Sundays have also partly
to be spent in the house. Situations
in business are therefore preferable.
In such the hours are on an average
from 8 till z. In trades, especially
with butchers, grocers, tishmongers,
ETC., the hours are later, the bookkeep-
ing often being done after the rest of
the work is over. Bookkeepers en-
ploycd in all the different branches of
the work have told me that the work
is easy, and that ihev are, withou, ex-
ception, treated with kindness and
consideration. The reason for prefer
ring women UOOkkeepers is given by 4
lady who has kept books for half ecu
fury, in the fact that women are more
trustworthy than men, and that embez-
Elements have never 10 her knowledge
occurred where woman kept the
books. besides. adds the old lady,
women work for less money than men.
However, they are much better paid
than they were years ago. Yes. yes;
bookkeepers are getting on, and VIII
get on better. and with cheerful
nod and bright smile the veteran
bookkeeper turns To- her lfe's work
and begins 10 write.
As yet. however, the experiment of
employing men and women together as
clerks, rs they are employed together
in shops, and in the telegraph service.
is regarded as rather hazardous one.
WHY this should be we do not exactly
know. but that il Is SO is indubitabie II
can hardly be more dangerous to be in
a counting house together than 10 be
in shop, hut the rule is very strict,
Take, for instance, one OF the best
places OF The kind, that OF The Pruden-
lial Insurance company, in Holborn.
where $50 female CLERKS are constantly
employed. There is no communication
between the clerks of the different SEX
es; the hours Of work are arranged in
such way as 20 prevent them from
meeting wher coming or leaving; there
is separate entrance for each. and
the women's apartments are in diff
ferent part OF the building. If such
severe restrictions are necessary, The
field of female industry will also be
much restricted. The experience of
the telegraph department is that they
are unnecessary, and that morality
gains rather than loses when men and
women work together.