The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-10-22
woMAN.s work.
now Female Labor Is Utilized by the DIFF.
ferent European Governments.

ferent European Governments.
Nature has endowed woman with
certain enrolling faculties which,
wherever used, prove to be advantage
ous in securing her independence. as
well as in strengthening her position
in the family and society. These quail
ties are her accuracy and her careful
ness in the fulfilment of any trust, her
ready submission to authority, her
patience and her adherence to moral
principle. To these we must add that
manual skill, combined with aesthetic
taste, so characteristic of woman.
And certainly quite as important are
her quickness Of.apprehension and the
ability to adapt herself to the circum-
stances surrounding her, even when
these are embarrassing and full of
privation.
These qualities enable her to com
pete successfully with the other sex in
lized by men; for instance, teaching
and Office work.
Some other professions, however,
such as the legal and the medical, to
a certain extent, are not adapted to the
delicate nature of woman. Her sensi-
tiYeness and the tendency to be in
f1uenced more by emotional and SUBJ
jective motives, than by reason alone,
disqualify her from forming a clear
and unprecedented opinion upon many
subjects within the scope of these two
professions. 1t can not, however, be
denied that in the treatment. of female
diseases women have achieved sue
cesses proving a certain capacity for
this vocation.
1t is in the civil service of European
states that they have been most sue
cessful during the last decade, The
liberal and progressive Government of
France has opened to woman the larg-
est sphere for usefulness. Women are
there employed in numerous branches
of the Government, especially in the
postal service and in the retail sale of
tobacco, a Government monopoly in
France. Many occupy clerkships in
the banks of Paris and thousands are
connected with the extensive railway
service of that country. OF the total
number of French railroad employees,
238, 302, not less than Is, O94 are women,
according to official statistics of the
year 1882. They have proved useful
not only as clerks, but also rs ticket
sellers and still more in replacing sig
nal-men along the track. The Eastern
railway of France employees 1900
women in the last mentioned capacity.
In the appointment of these the rela-
tives of deceased and living railway
officials are usually preferred. The
wages of all woman employees in France
are very low, and it is significant of
their mOdesty that they are willing to
begin with an annual income of 500
to 5000, the most fortunate clerks in
creasing their salary to $500, and a
few to $500 or $1,000, after many
years of hard labor.
The British Government employs
numerous women as telegraph opera
tors and clerks in the postal savings
banks. The former are admitted at
the age of fourteen. upon an examina-
ton, although relatives of officials and
professional men are first considered.
Their wages range from to 80 shil-
lings a week, and they are compelled
to work eight hours daily, night work,
however, being excluded. In Holland,
Belgium and Switzerland thousands OF
women are employed in the post-offce,
and in Italy, the unmarried also in the
telegraph department.
In Russia nearly the entire telegraph
service has been yielded to women,
and even the clerkships of many banks
have been entrusted to them. The
Russian Government is also contem
plating their employment in the rail
way service.
Many Government offices have beer
opened to women in Austria. There
/ the registry and classification of the
mail, as well as the sale of stamps, arr
conducted almost entirely by women
Their required age is eighteen year!
and wages begin with about 40 cents
/ day. But they are discharged on mar
/ riage. Numerous operators on tbs
1 telegraph lines are women, as well a
/ in the railroad offices, where clerzshipi
are increasingly filed with them. Thei
wages are very low, averaging abou
I 80 cents per day.
Germany is the country where tn,
/ least number of women are employed
/ in the civil service. The PrussiaI
Minister of Posts and Telegraph triet
the experiment of entrusting to then
the operation of the telegraph in 1874
bnt soon after came to the conclusion
that it was a failure, and subsequently
they were excluded from this branch
a very small number, however, werr
transferred to the postal department
On the whole there is little inclination
in Germany to admit women to thu
civil service, as plenty of men are will
ing to do this work for the lowest pos
| sible salaries.-RUd. Maria Schatbert
in Berlin BazGr.