Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-01
Work Of the Women.
Facts Chilled from Commission.
er Wright's Report.
THE STRUGGLE FOR DAILY BREAD,

| As 1t L. Prosecuted in Twenty-Five of Our
| Largest Cities-Their Industrial. Social
| and Moral Condition - Ambassador
Doesn't Go After All-Amendinx the
British Extradition Treaty to Beat tt
Progress on the Oklahoma Bill.
| WASHINGTON CRY, Feb. 1.-The fourth
annual report Of the commissioner of labor,
Carroll d. Wright, was given to the press
| yesterday. This completes series of reports
emanating from the bureau of labor. All
| future reports of the commissioner VIII come
from the department of labor which, under
the act of last June, takes the place of the
bureau of labor. This report relates entirely
| to the working women in the great cities of
| the Union Mr. Wright in his Introductory
chapter states that the object of the investi-
cation has been TO secure information relative
| to the condition of representative working
| women Occupations like those of teaching,
stenography, type-writing and telegraphy
have not, as a rule, been recognized in the In
vestigation, but those who work in great
cities shops upon light mechanical or manual
labor and in stores are the ones recognized
under the popular term of workingwomen.
The report comprehends S4e distinct indus
tries in twenty-five different cities-the larg-
est In the country.
The investigation is representative so far as
the number of women whose affairs enter into
1t Is to be considered The total number of
such is 17,427, being 8 TOT per cent. of the
whole number of women engaged In the class
of work coming under observation In these
cities. The facts presented In the report have
been obtained from all grades within the
range OF the investigation, and the work of
investigation has been carried into the lowest
and worst places in these cities; because, a.
stated by Mr.. Wright In his introduction, in
such places are to be found women who are
struggling for livelihood in most respectable
callings living In such places as matter OF
necessity, because they can not afford to live
otherwise; but the women who prefer the
slums, and who are not legitimately to be
classed with the workingwomen, are not in.
cluded in the investigation He promises that
in future report the condition and surround
ings of this latter class will be fully and care
fully considered.
The first chapter of the report is devoted
to the general condition of workingwomen
and 1t presents some very interesting state
ments concerning the home life, life condi-
tons, religion and morality of working
women in each and all of these TWENTY-FIVE
large cities. Another chapter is devoted 70
boardinShomes, and aids furnished in the
cities to workingwomen- This portion of the
report contains great deal of interesting In.
formation about what each city is doing 70
ameiorate the condition of its working
women. The concluding chapter of the re-
mort ' ana lvSa nf ha FOL la, inol IAd II,
the appendix.
Some of the salient facts clearly shown by
these tables, Mr.. Wright says, are that work.
ing women in our large cities are practically
girls; the average age, in all, is p years Z
months. The concentration is greatest at is,
there being 1869 of this age, out of the II, 427
interviewed; while i'll the range from Ii to p
years of age are found 6j per cent. of the
whole number of women included in the
tables. After p the number drops rapidly
and decreases regularly TO the end of the
table, there being only PSI over 4 years of
age. Mr.. Wright thinks this rapid decrease
in numbers employed after - years of age,
is due to the encouragement which employ
ment gives to marriage. The average age
at beginning work is 10 years 4 months, and
there Is not much variation from this average
in any of the cities considered.
or the II, 427 women interviewed, IA, 100 are
native born, 1887 single, 745 married, and
loss widowed; so he reaches the conclusion
that workingwomen of the country, as a rule,
are single women. fighting their fight until
other conditions shall release them from il, l
and not only supporting themselves, but Civ
ing their earnings largely TO support others at
home, and assisting in housework The home
surroundings and conditions of working
sntia frnFap y L.
study, as shown by statistics presented. Out
Of l7,427 women considered, 9,S13 not only
work at their regular occupations but assist
In homework at home; that is to say, very
large proportion of the workingwomen in ouI
great cities are under home influence A
small proportion-only 700 out OF Il, 427-live
at boarding houses, and only lS4 in lodging
houses, while 1916 live in private families
Tables presented, relating to home condition,
show that IL ,020 out of the II ,427 compre-
hended in the report, reported themselves
comfortable while 4, 693 state that their home
conditions are poor, and poor in this inves-
tgation Mr.. Wright says, means poor In.
deed
In the table Of earnings it is shown that 37s
out of IL, $50 the total number reporting
earnings earn less than $40 year; 2,37i
earn from $3.50 to $500, and 39S earn from
$3.50 to $500 year. The average weekly
earnings of these women in these % cities il
shown TO be as follows: Atlanta, s4.Oj; Balti-
more, 81 IS; Boston, S4.9l; Brooklyn, s. 70
Buffalo, S4.27; Charleston, 81 p, Chicago
S5.7S; Cincinnati, s4.59; Cleveland, S4.63; In.
dianapolis, 1857; Louisville, S4.51; Newark
s.. 10; New Orleans, s4.31; New York, 1858
Philadelphia, 1884; Providence, 1851; Rich
mond, S3.99; st. Louis, g.. 10; st. Paul, s. OF
San Francisco, 1891; San Jose, 50 Il; Savan
nah, S499 The average in all cities, 1924
This, Mr.. Wright says, would seem to in
dictate that the majority are in receipt of fair
wages, when the whole body of working
women Is considered; but 373 earn less than
800 year; quite a large NUMBER, PIP
earn from 800 to $50; that is the earnings
of these women distributed by weeks over
the whole year, do not amount to more than
81 or 50 per week There are great excep
lions" he adds, "but the figures tell sad
story and one is forced to ask how women
can live on such earnings"
As to the characters of working women
Commissioner Wright reaches the conclusion
after an analysis of statistical data on the
subject that it can not be said, 80 far as this
investigation shows, that the employees In
workshops are to be burdened with the
charge OF being the most prolific recruiting
ranks Of prosecution, and he asserts that the
working women Of the country are as honest
and as vtrtuous as any class of our citizens
The British Extradition Treaty.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 1.-The senate
H. DNrN nDE