Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-01-19
WORK FOR WOMEN.
Wages Paid In Chicago for So-Callcd Tn
skilled Female Labor.

skilled Female Labor.
| Investigation proves that unslyillcd fc-
male labor in Chicago is not poorly paid,
says the NeWS of that city. The humblcst
work performed by women for hire receives
fair compensation in each and every in
stance, and there is plenty Of work TO do
Under the head of unskilled female labor arc
laundry girls, Washerwomen, unprofcssiOn-
al nurses, scrubwomen, chambormaids,
Mattresses and domcstics.
There are perhaps 2,00Owomcn in Chicago
working in laundries. They work nine
hours each day and receive as compensation
not less than 50 week Since the intro
duction of steam laundry machinery their
labor is comparatively light, the only hard
ship endured being the heat in the summer.
There is no apprenticeship except one week
At tho beginning of the employment, and
any girl can earn full salary at the end of
he first week. There arc, however, small
girls who perform light work, such as
iampcnng linen BY sprinkling water on it,
and they do not receive more than 81 for
week s service.
Washcrwomcn who go out by the day to
wash Tor private families receive 81 for
days work and in many instances are given
their meals, Those who take in washing at
their homes are generally widows or DC
deserted wives who have small children
that need their attention. They fix their
own prices by the piece, and charge the
@al,c 20 steam laundvcs. Inquiry at sew
c1at female employment agencies showed
demand for this kind of service that could
not be supplied.
tnPf0fcssional nurses are paid $50
month rs minimum salary, aud this in
c!Elcs board and room. They are neat and
tidy girls who have intelligence enough to
make themselves useful around Sick
room, and many are often paid $50 a month
for their services, If they arc careful and
reliable, physicians will recommend them,
and they need mover want for employment
AT twelve o'clock every night the scrub.
women in the big hotols begin their work
They get down on their hands and knees
and with soap, water and stiff brush
scrub the marble floors, wiping them dry
with cloth as they 60 along. These
women are mostly Poles and Bohemians
Their pay ranges from S12 to 16 a month,
which includes board and room. There is an
army OF these women employed to scrub
the downtown Office buildings, and they
receive, in most instances, s. day.
The white-cappcd chambcrmaid, who al
ways looks so neat in her PLAIN calico dress.
receives an income Of 50 week, including
board and room. She needs no previous
experience if she is intelligent and is
capable of executing the orders of the house
keeper.
The waiter girls IN restaurants, boarding
houses and hotels get not less than s.
week, which always includes board and, OK
cept in restaurants, room. Many of them
receive a and IS u week, while the kitchen
girls and dish-washers get a q week with
board.
There has never been time in Chicago
when girls were not IN demand at good
wages to do general homework. There
seems always to be u scarcity of this kind
of domestic service, although the lowest
wages paid arc 81 $50 week and in many
cases IS is offered without securing help. A
very cstimable woman who keeps q female
employment office on Washington boulevard
said
lean offer a good explanation for the
scarcity of domestic servants. Girls refuse
to work where they arc misused. Even the
worm will turn If trampled upon, and in
my opinion the mistress of the house is
often to blame for the dissatisfaction of
servants, Their poodle dog is petted while
a sensitive girl has her life made miserable.
The fault is not in the girls, but in those
who hire Them