The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-10-03
WAGES OF MEN AND WOMEN.
Investigation of the Subject Had
in England.

Mr.. Sydney Webb read an elab-
crate paper before the recent meet.
ing of the British Association on
the differences in the wages paid to
men and women for similar work.
He said that the inferiority of
women's earnings as compared with
mems was notorious, but it was not
80 clear that this inferiority was
not connected with real interiority
of work, either in quantity, quality,
or not advantageousness to the en-
ployer. AS regards (a) manual
labor, statistics indicate that the
average earnings of women in man,
ufacturing industries are from one
third to two-thirds those of men.
But it is difficult to find many cases
in which men and women are en-
gagged upon precisely similar work
in the same place and at the same
epoch. Thus, in the tailoring trade
it is practically impossible to dis
cover any such instance. A simi-
lar difficulty has been experienced
in discovering crucial instances in
the boot and shoe trade, paper max
ing, cigar making, and all the Bir-
mingham industries.
The clearest case is that Of the
Lancashire cotton weavers, where
men and women perform the same
work, in the same shed, under prac-
tically the same legal restrictions.
Here the women, who are as strong
ly organized in trade unions as the
men, have for at least two genera
tons received the same piece-work
rates as the men and skilled hands
earn as much per week. Statistics
are given showing that this equality
prevails in the weaving of other
fabrics, both in France and in Eng
land but not in other branches OF
the textile industries. On the other
hand, women compositors (who are
not trade unionists) habitually re-
ceive in Edinburgh, and Paris, as
we'll as in London, not only lower
time wages than men, but also dis
tinctly lower piece work rates fol
work Of exactly equal quality
| Facts given as to other occupations
of women, where no organizations
of workers exist, show general in
feriority of women's S wages. Where
custom prevails, as in agricultural
hirings by time, women, like boys
get less than men. Butin compel
tive agriculture hirings by the
piece, as in turnip hoeing or har
vesting women and boys receive
equal piece work rates with the men
With regard to (b) routine menta
work, the statistics quoted with re
gard to typewriters, clerks in th'
postoffice, and a large insurance
company, telegraphists, and teach
ers, both in elementary and II
secondary schools, show that wo
man habitually receive less thar
men for work Of equivalent grade
| Statistics of sickness in the post
office show that women are away
from their work more days thar
men. The salaries ofwomen teach
ers in the United States are les'
than those of men, but the differ
ence is greatest where women hav'
least independence, and it disap
pears altogetherin Wyoming, wher
women have the suffrage, and tn
i School Law enacts that no distinc
ton of wages according to sex shal
be made. In the case of (c) an
| (d) artistic and intellectual work
few facts OF economic signi6canc
can be cleaned, but the cases O
women singers and novelists eho'
). that women of especial skill obtai
their full trent of ability" Tn
only general conclusion that can b
drawn appears to be that the infe
riority of earningsEis nearly alway
connected with inferiority of WORK
As rule the competition betwee
men and women is a competltio
! for kinds of work and women ear
) less not only because they produc
less, but also because what the
produce is usually valued in tt
market at a lower rate. This seem
, due mainly to (a) custom, (b) pu'
lie. opinion, (c) women's lowe
standard of life, and (d) failure
combine for their own protection
The remedies seem to lie in the d
rection of education, both of publ
opinion and of women.-Lonoo
Times Report.