The daily Cairo bulletin., 1884-08-26
WOMAN GOSSIP.
England Suffering From a Surplus Of
the Fair Sex.
Why Margaret Haughery was Hon
orcd with a Monument.
ENGLAND'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, 900 TO 800, 900 women" Even
after that drastic operation there
would, says The Pail Mall Gazette, still
remain q surplus of nearly 500, 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 is 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 well as inI
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
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 at any
of these classes a girl has generally ac-
quired the principles of bookkeeping.
On entering a situation the payment
begins mostly at 10 shillings per week,
and raises TO 10 and 20 shiliings.
Higher salaries are paid to bookkeep-
ers with some knowledge of French,
German or shorthand, the maximum
payment being f100. Resident situ-
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 7. In trades, especially
with butchers, grocers, fshmongers,
etc., the hours are later, the bookkeep-
ing often being done after the rest of
the work is over. Bookkeepers en-
ployed in all the different branches of
the work have told me that the work
is easy, and that they are, without ex-
ception, treated with kindness and
consideration. The reason for prefer
ring women bookkeepers is given by
lady who has kept books for half GEN.
tury, in the fact that women are more
trustworthy than men, and that embez-
Elements have never to her knowledge
occurred where a 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 will
get on better" And with a cheerful
nod and bright smile the veteran
bookkeeper turns to her life's work
and begins to write.
As yet, however, the experiment of
employing men and women together as
clerks, as 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 it is so is indubitable. 1t
can hardly be more dangerous to be in
counting house together than to be
in shop, but the rule is very strict,
Take, for instance, one of the best
places of the kind, that of the Pruden-
tial Insurance company, in Holborn,
where lS0 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 a way as to prevent them from
meeting when coming or leaving; there
is separate entrance for each, and
the women's apartments are in q diff
ferent part of the building. If such
severe restrictions are necessary, tho
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.