San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-03-16
WOMAN AND HOME.
FACTS CONCERNING THE WORKING
WOMEN IN GREAT CITIES.


and Decoration Story About Old Lace.
Something for Young wives-Suggestions
for the Housekeeper.
Carroll D. Wright, commissioner Of the de-
partment Of labor, submitted to the secretary
Of the interior his fourth annual report,
which deals exclusively with the subject of
"Working Women in Great Cities" The
facts In the report have, in the main, been
collected by women agents Of the department
The report shows that the working women in
the great cities are practically girls The
average age in all the cities comprehended is
% years and months. The general average
age at beginning work is shown to be Is years
and months. The average period during
which the women have been engaged in their
present occupations is shown to be four years
and nine months, and that Of the l7,427
women interviewed $40 are engaged in their
first trial at earning their own living OF
the whole number IA, 100 are native born. In
the foreign born Ireland is most largely rep
resented, and Germany is next, having IT'S
OF the native born L, 904 had foreign born
fathers, and IL, 400 foreign born mothers. a
great majority of the women are single, the
number being 1881. Only 745 are married
and LOSS widowed.
The report shows that of the II, 426 who re-
ported their health conditions at the time
they began work, 1880 were in good health,
$50 were in fair health, and 1873 in bad health.
The change in the health condition is illus
trated by the fact that l4,554 are now in
good health, 1855 are in fair health, and AS
are In bad health.
In home conditions, 1920 report them,
selves comfortable, while 1858 state that
their home conditions are poor, and poor
In this investigation, says the commissioner,
is poor indeed.
The average weekly earning, by cities, is
given as follows;
Atlanta, s4O5; Baltimore, S4lS; Boston,
1854; Brooklyn, $40; Buffalo, $427
Charleston, s.. %; Chicago, 1914; Cincinnati,
$3.50; Cleveland, $4G3; Indianapolis, S4G7
Louisville, $45l; Newark So 10; New Or
leans, S4.3l; New York, $3.50; Philadelphia
1874; Providence, $5.5l; Richmond, 1913
St. Louis, S. 10; St. Paul, S6O2; San Fran
cisco, S69l; San Jose, Sc. II; Savannah, S499
all cities 1924
A few of the leading industries and the
average yearly earnings Of women in each
are given as follows:
Artificial flowers, S27753; awning and
tents, S276.46; book binding, S27l.3l; boots
and shoes, $28660; candy, S2l3.59; carpets
s29S.53; cigar boxes, $267.96; cigar factory
1924 GO; cigarette factory, $2G6. IL; cloak fac
tory, $29l76; clothing factory, $248.36; cot
ton mills, 80; dress making, $27867 dry
goods stores, $3G8 81; jewelry factory
s285.20; laundry, $3l3.75; Mattress factory
$685. 50; mems furnishing goods factory
a8O2.24; millinery, $345.95; paper box fac
tory, s24047 plug tobacco factory, S235. e.
printing Office, $500. 0G; skirt factory, 500 40
smoking tobacco factory, $23S. II.
In the concluding part of the report the
commissioner says: "a quarter of a century
ago women were allowed to enter but few oc
equations Now there are hundreds of voca
tons in which they can find employment
The present report names 342 of them. ~
Washington Dispatch.