, 1890-09-04
Buniness Capacity of Women.

| buBinesS Capacity Oh w omen'
Marion Harland's article In the
North American Review Is criticised
by the Rev. ID. p. Livermore, In u
current article. He says, among
other good things:
Marion Harland, In support OF
her position, presents the following
frivolous illustrations: First, the
case of sales clerk Ia me toned,
which she states TALLY us
follows:
The saleslady who waits upon you
may be supercilious to the verge of
impertinence, slow aud inattentive;
she may hum tune while llstlessly
displaying the wares she is paid to
exhibit to advantage or carry on a
lively gossip with her mates, and all
In sight and hearing of the floor
walker, who would reprlmand n
male clerk for doing the same thing,
but who fears to rebuke the sales
lady.
Now this case OF the "saieslady"
proves nothing about the "inca-
pacity of business women" be-
cause the clerk in no proper sense
represents the business women of
the country any more than an in
competent porter of wholesale
establishment proves the incapacity
of the business firm. Does the in
efficiency of railroad conductor
prove the incapacity Of the presi-
dent and directors of the corpora
ton? The ''saleslady" In question
only proves that the man who en-
ployed her made mistake in Sc
Letting q saleswoman. 1t proves
quite as much, II not more, against
men than women. Does the male
'floor-walker" In the case before us
show any better capacity for busi-
ness than the "saleslady" Why
does not Marian Harland rebuke
him for neglect of duty as well as
the lady clerk? We do not say that
such instances can not be found;
what we claim Is that they are ex-
ceptional, and prove nothing con-
cerning woman's incapaclty for
business. Business men work for
their own interests, and they would
not retain in their employ such
offensive and discourteous clerks,
male or female, for any length Of
time.
1t may be said right here that
saieswomen as well as statesmen
often get weary, standing for hours
at the cou u ter, and may occasionally
be inattentive to customers, and
may for moment be out of patience
and be nervous and be irritable, as
sometimes almost everybody will be; ;
even good mothers will he with ir-
ritahie children; and perhaps Gus
toners may be tired and irritable
themselves, and speak sharply as
they ought not to the clerk, and so
develop the same spirit of discount
esy In the saleslady that they show
themselves. Did Marion Harland
never find male clerk disco urteous?
Has she only found discourtesy In
lady clerks?
Another proof of "woman's in
capacity for business" is presented
substantially as follows:
"They do not work as men do.
Men work by the job with concen-
trated energy; women work by the
day and watch the clock. The diff
ference is to be accounted for that
women look forward to marriage as
q definite means of support. With
an immense proportion of the sex
this exclamation more than covers
the ground"
This unsupported assertion of
Marion Harland can not be accepted
as a true statment of the case. On
every hand 1t is admitted that
women are moro faithful workers,
and in all factories and stores and
workshops, they show equal fidelity
with men. They work as many
hours and often for less wages, and
housewives work more hours than
men do. Do married women gener-
ally work by the day and watch the
clock, or, as q rule, do they not
work all the day and part Of the
night?