The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-09-13
WHEEL1NG WEST MORNING. sEPTE1IER i3 1884

SI fts1' ~ t4t ~ 1sf ~
" !. WHEELING,
the greatest reluctance that many poe
people consent TO see their daughters 4
iuto II family every way desirable, ft
domestic service. '7.5 Sga5Tf gl
i CONDITION OF. woREiSGwoMES.
4 Since writing the above, and as nlie
with It, ! have had an opportunity oflooI
Ing over tho report recently made by til
Chief OF Statistics in Massachusetts in n
gard to the condition OF workingwomcn /
that State, MS condensed by the Bosto
Joulmaf II devotes good deal Of spac
to tho working girls OF Boston. II seem
that in round numbers there arc 1000
women and girls employed In that city Il
occupations other than domestic service
Tho personal history OF !, ,032 OF these girl
has been secured, and the facts brought /
light afford II basis for some general! con
clusions Ms regards the whole class. Their
arc representatives among them o! forty
lonr different apocations. According 4
the Journal, these personal histories brini
out many interesting facts. As, Il matte
OF interest, to your readers l will quot,
some OF them from that paper. In TIN
first place the facts show that even In nd
verse circumstances the family relation i
maintained, and that girls getting S. pc
week. putting their earnings with those o
y brother, Il iathcr or mother, supper
large families OF children, four, FIVE, Isl,
and even eight. Even when not Iivin.
with relatives, girls who arc sisters or rc4x
tlves are disposed to lodge together. Thu
surroundings oil these girls in. their holnes
arc varied--54S coming under the classiti
cation OF "go0d, very good, comfortable
and excellent" 1876 us moderately good
fairly good TO very neat" md only l20 us
unpleasant and poor" The remaining
i20 eases may be classed us having good
surroundings. Evidences OF hardship arc
reported, which OF themselves indicate
poor pay and bad management, but these
serve to bring out more clearly the assist
ance which working girls receive from
relatives and friends which enables them
to live in ordinary comfort. =
In rcgaru to the nativity of working
girls, it appears that OF the OBJ reported,
G03 are natives OF Massachusetts, JAG Of
other States OF tho Union, of which Maine
contributes more than half. British
America l37 and Europe lac. OF those
investigated or We're single, 20 married
and 10 widowed. The statistics in regard
to parents show TINT they are the children
Of foreign born citizens who arc furnish.
ing the female labor for Boston's indus.
tries. In regard to age itappears that 040
nre % years and under aad that 057 COM
mcnced their lie OF work ut % years and
under. The average age Mt which the
girls began work is 1851, the average
period they have worked is years, 5.22l
years being the average OF time they have
been engaged in their present occupation.
HOURS OF LABOR. y
In regard to hours Of labor it was found
that only 90 OF the l,o3o worked over ten
hours day and that only 50 worked
more than the legal 60 hours per week,
most OF these being engaged in trade. But
few OF the girls enjoyed vacations and the
greater part that do losc their time. This,
however, is counterbalunced BY the fact
thata large part OF the working women arc
idle during a more or less protractcd dull
season. OF the 1852 named, s75S lost an
averaro Of 1852 weeks because OF sickness
or slack business. ~ ~
Inc next topic treated is the physical
and sanitary condition Of the women.
The elaborate tables show that BY iar the
larger part Of the women retain their
health while at work. There arc criti-
cisms on the careleSsness OF employers in
regard to convenicnces and the comfort OF
workshops. but the reports received show
that rs rule women do not find fault with
the places .in-which they. are employed.
There are things desired, but on the whole
the Chief regards the condition Of this
branch OF the subject to be satisfactory.
Economic conditions are next taken IN.
Under this head the weekly. wages of wo-
men are given in every department OF in
dustry. The average weekly wages OF
Salcswomcn in Boston is s. rs, and OF girls
employed in manufactures and mechani-
cal industries, Sc %. The average weekly
wages paid to all occupations is So 03
against s. 60 in other parts OF Massachu-
sets and S6 90 in other States In Brit
lsh America the same class OF labor brings
St s., and in other foreign countries 50 81
per week. OF the ,032 girls reported, 02l
earn less than $40 per week and S3l less
than S. per week for The time actually
employed. OF the whole number report
ed, SSl receive no assistance. The highest
wages received bya working woman in
Boston is S2l 90, but only one receives
such wages. The average annual income
OF working women is 500 or. The ave.
rage annual expenditure is $26l 80. The
average expenditure for clothing was
S67 775.- Only l20 made any savings, the
average being s72 Is. rS5lfll :ifS6'Ais&
5s..:s5 .:.45s TIE MORAL CONDITION. 4 81,
The moral condition OF the working
girls is the last topic considered under this
head. The investigations OF the Bureau
prove that working women in Boston "are
as respectable, us moral and rs virtuous as
any class OF women In our comm,fnity."
The report cites pages OF expert expert.
ence on this subject in order TO disprove
q quite general assertion that the working
girls OF Boston are strect-walkers.
In conclusion the report calls attention
to the extended field for women's work,
and that while the wages in specific EN-.
ployments have decreased ior men they
have increased for women compared with
their previous wages. Girls can now earn
something where they could once earn
nothing. Increase ofwagcs is desirable,
but it can only be gained by economical
and industrial conditions, It suggests that
the tcn-liour system bescnforced; and that
employers could3do much to promote the
hcaitlr.and well-being Of their employees
by Eth6ughtfuilness! and, Kindness which
would resultin better service. The Chief
OF Statistics urges that parents teach their
children TO respect all honest labor, and
tl,atFthc honest working girl should be
welcomed to the. churches OF the city and
that she should be drawn into tie best
associations. He urges upon the char.
table the establishment yof homes for
working girls, particularly during tho pc.
RODS Of non-cinployment, and that those
who have wealth to distribute by will
cannot! find n better, field for Christian
hnpavnlnDcn {1o,, IN fnu n I;uv inct;t,,t;opr