The morning call., 1892-10-18
The CITY WORKING GIRLS.
Report as to Their Condition
Presented.
An Interview With the Special Agent Of the
Labor Commissioner Who Made the In
quiry-Interesting Facts.

Mrs. FrOna E. Waite, who some time aQo
was appointed special agent by the Labor
Bureau to inquire into the condition Of the
working girls and women in this city, has
made report TO Commissioner Waits. which
he will incorporate in his report to the
Governor.
Mrs. Waite in conversation with O re-
porter yesterday said:
''On the whole the working girls Of this
city are competent workers, honorable and
a credit to the city. The condition OF the
female workers is generally good, and in
comparison with those OF the East, very
good.
''D0mestics we will not consider, as there
Is a positive deaTth of competents in that
line. But we will take the trades girls
have good hours, and as general thing
have good quarters to work in. There are
seasons Of idleness, which reduce tie aver
age of the wages, but that Is the only seri-
Gus drawback to them. The substitution
of power in running machines makes
it very much easier for them, as
well as for other machine-workers In
the large factories. The wages of
shOeftters are SIS to SO week. Sewing
girls generally have good or bad conditions
TO work under In proportion as they are
competent. All employers agree that they
would rather pay girl Sl2 than IS week,
and where the wages ale insufficient il IS
generally due 10 the incompeiency of the
operative, either because she has chosen an
industry for which she is not suited or be-
cause she Is not suited to any. The sewing
girls. whether )n shoes, gloves. oyeralls or
other clothing, are better treated than
salesgirls, and if any of the girl workers de-
serve sympathy 1t is the salesgirs in the
smaller establishments. Dressmakers are
well paid and independent. The lowest pay
they receive is SO a week. Milliners are also
we'll paid and independent But the sales
girls have an occupation which does not
give them the leverage possessed by skilled
workers, and their wages are often very
poor and their hours long. About the only
abuses 10 which the working girls are sub
jected are suffered by the salesgirls The law
which provides that they shall be allowed
to sit during working hours is respected by
neatly all the storekeepers; but there are
few who, from inherent meanness, refuse
their employees the privilege, though they
conform with the law by placing seats be-
hind The counters. The girls are given to
understand that the use OF the seats Will
lead to their discharge, but we cannot prove
it. The law is consequently nulllhed. From
q sanitary view the girl workshops are sat-
isfactory. Some Of the cheaper printing
Offices are the worst in this respect. In
fact tie condition of many girls setting
type is little better than that of most Of the
salesgirls Same of these printing Offices
are In unwholesome quarters and poorly
ventilated. Their hours are not so long as
the salesgirls have and their wages are
somewhat better. but they work harder.
The condition Of the girl printers seems to
be good or bad in proportion to the moral
tone Of the publication or employer they
work for.
"There are few girls employed by Chi
nese manufacturers in the city. Their sur
roundings are unsatisfactory and some
rflo h1tf hay aro FOL fad
and well paid.
while one could wish that the working
girls had better lives, by comparison it
must be admitted that they do well here.
There are, on rough estimate, 10000
female operatives in the various Industries
in this city. Not more than 10 per cent of
this NUMBER are dependent on themselves;
the others live at home and have more or
less assistance. ] find that the girls who
are dependent on themselves or who have
others dependent on them are favored by
employers Nature also favoTs them.
They have no cold winters or hot summers,
as they have In the East They require
fewer clothes and less variety of them.
They do not need fires and food is cheaper.
Lodgings are higher here, but that is more
than counterbalanced by the other favorable
conditions.
THAT the struggle for existence is very
much less fierce here than it is in the East is
shown by the absence Of anything which
can be called sweat-shop system. The
nearest approach to it is in the tailor trade,
where young girls are employed, but | am
informed that there is less than formerly.
a great deal of work for stores and facto-
ries Is done by families at home. but this is
principally by the grown women. Many
women and girls have pride which pre-
vents them from working in factories. and
they do factory work at home. They are at
a disadvantage. as the factory team system,
which is in vogue here. and the power make
the work very rapid, and the home workers
have to compete against factory prices and
machinery with their meager facilities.
Pride is an expensive luxury, but they
must have it. We often have complaints
from girls; but we cannot get them to
testify, and find ii impossible to prove their
allegations. Their charges are often found
to be inspired by discharge or other griev-
ance. Many workwomen have bank ac-
counts. The lau0dresses In particular, are
savers. At least 20 per cent of them have
money in bank. Their condition is good.
1.-THE Chinese are becoming less competi-
tors OF the white workwoman. They con-
troll certain kinds of rough work. but in
underclothing and even shoes they cannot
manufacture for any one who is particular
as TO fit or finish. They are suffering from
Eastern competition as much as the white
manufacturers"