Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-03-19
WOMEN AS PRINTERS.
How They Have succeeded in the Conn
:a5sS 81 5z4 posing Room. E95E

TOW TOW Ahey Have Succeede1 In the Com
|53#4 posing Room. -SS5: &.
From the Washingt on Star. s5=.
"Women are quite as good printers
as men," remarked one OF the female
compositors in the Government Print
ing Office to Star reporter who was
talking to her on this subject. II
don't say that they are better, but
they average as well. "A great many
have the idea that as type setting re-
qulres a certain dizziness OF manipula-
ton that women, having more facile
hands, become better compositors.
That has not been my experience.
have seen men and women at the ease,
and while the best female type settlers
might rank with the best male, yet
there would be all grades OF both.
Some women can never learn to be
proficient at the case any more than
some men can"
"Are there many female compost
tors?' asked the reporter.
"Not great NUMBER" was the re-
ply, "but l think they are increasing
each year. At one time we had a
union in New York City composed en-
tlrely OF females, but that is no longer
in existence. The women here belong
to the Typographical Union, as every
printer is compelled to that works in
the Government Printing office. Most
women learn their trade in a country
office; that is the way did. After
working for q time in that office |
came to this city, and that is the ex-
tent OF my experience with composing
rooms"
"What effect has the presence of
women in q composing roon?" in
CURED the reporter, as he called to
mind the average composing room.
"a very good effect, I should Judge"
was the response. 1T makes the men
more steady, and they pay more at
tention to their work and talk less. T
know that the editor OF a country
newspaper once told me that he al
ways made a. rule to have two ortnree
girls at work in his office in order to
keep down the rowdy element and
make his force more respectable The
girls are just as efficient, too, except
when it comes to the heavy part of
the work, such as lifting type from
the stone, etc. The only reason that
women do not become more of an in
huence among printers is because just
as they become capable and are de-
veloping into tirst-class printers, they
either marry the editor or one of the
printers, and retire from the case"
g re -
NUMBER" questioned the reporter.
IL have no statistics on the SUBJ
ject," was the reply, "but from what
l am able to learn [ should say that
they were slightly. The increase is
not great, however. For instance,
when | came into this office, seven or
eight years ago, there were only three
female printers, now the number has
increased to eleven. Not much OF an
Increase for such a long period you
may think, but such is the case"
lis there opposition among the
other printers to women compost
tors?" asked the reporter.
"Of course we have to meet with
some opposition, was the reply, "but
it is not very great. I suppose that
women have no more difficulty in get
ting a position in the Government
Printing Office than the men, but that
does not mean the difficulty is slight
by any means. There is no reason
why women should not be as useful in
a printing office as men if they would
stick to it, and their presence there
has done much to change the manners
md customs OF the composingroom."