The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-08-19
THINGS GIRLS CAN DO.
IN Expert on Noman's Work Discusses
Different Trades.

of working women. In the interests of
the labor bureau which the society has
recently put in operation she has in
vestigated opportunities and wages in
a great variety of women's occupations.
She considers the question of the best
trade for girls very difficult one.
Generally speaking" she said to a
reporter for the New York Press, girls.
as l know them, give very little thought
to what they are to do for living. A
sister or friend, perhaps brother, is
employed somewhere, Il vacancy occurs,
and if one OF the girls of the family is
fifteen or sixteen she is only too anxi-
Gus 70 take place and give as little work
as she can for as much wages as the
employer chooses to give. She rarely
feels any responsibility about the work.
II never occurs to her that work that is
worth doing at all is worth doing well,
and as for refusing to take smaller
wages than somebody else can afford
she may be in other ways the most con-
scientious creature in the world, but
She has absolutely no scruples in this
sort of selfishness.
Probably the factory worker is bet
ter paid than the saleswoman or stem
ographer Girls employed in silk mills
receive the highest wages of any of the
factory workers. They will average
six dollars or seven dollars a week.
That's really u high average. Of course
they make very much more in busy
times, but there are many full weeks
when they make less. The work re-
quires considerable skill
THE occupation OF saleswoman has
very little to commend it to the girl
who las any choice at all in the matter.
There are, of course, Il few women
heads of departments who receive
twelve dollars to eighteen dollars q
week. But have in my mind very
ambitious little woman who IS employ
ed in a big city store. who has been
working six years for the firm, who is
recognized as faithful. trustworthy,
in every way satisfactory salcswoman,
and who receives six dollars Il week
Outside of the financial reason for not
adopting the occupation OF salcswoman,
there IS the question of health. No
matter how unhealthful the factory
girls occupation, the saleswoman's Is
worse. Women are untitled by nature
for constant standing.
"Stcnography and typewriting were
until a few years ago the most lucrative
things a woman could take up. But
to-day am sure | could hire whole
army of them from three dollars a week
up. some of them competent, too. The
average stenographer and typewriter
receives about five dollars a week, while
the girl who gets twelve dollars regards
herself as particular favorite of for
tune. Remarkably enough the great
in the wages OF this class of
wage-earners is due to 4 great extent
to the woman who is trying to build up
a little business of her own. She goes
around to the offices where work done
by stencgrapher or typewriter is
needed She offers to take the dicta-
ton and return the typewriter copy at
cheaper rates than the employer can
get it done by keeping a stenographer
in his office. If that docs not persuade
him to give her the work she proceeds
to underbid herself. and being bust
ness man he proceeds to let her do it
until she reaches rock bottom. l know
a woman who rather than let 4 job of
that sort go will take one dollar and a
half for work she ought 10 get five dol
lars for, and no amount of talk that
do seems to convince her that she is not
only doing herself an injustice but is
a whole army of workers as
we'll
''The best occupation a girl can adopt
is something new. If she can originate
a trade She can make n good living so
long as she can be alone in the field.
As her competitors increase, the occu-
patton is bound to be less and less desi-
rable from the financial side of the
question.
The next best thing is to get into a
field hitherto monopolized by men.
Piano tuning seems TO be one of these.
/ talked 4 few moments with a piano
the other day about it
He seemed to think it an occupation
for which womcn's delicacy of touch
peculiarly fitted them, and he offers to
teach Il few women. The prices paid
are high. The wages earned depend
upon the number of orders 4 tuner can
get. This occupation. Of course, would
require 4 quick ear and some knowledge
OF music. Women nave not entered the
or the silversmith's shop, both
OF which seem peculiarly suited to them.
Just at present the trained nurse
seems to DC particularly well or in
financial way. Il Is 4 fashionable fad
among rich women to- have an attack
OF nerves. and to have the doctor pre-
scribe a sojourn al a health resort and
q trained nurse.
The occupation of the nurse is not
get overcrowded There is demand
for them, and they receive from sixteen
TO twenty-five dollars week and board.
Those employed in hospitals receive
less, but they have 4 permanent posi-
ton. This occupatN.n is not open to
every girl, however. She must be
fitted for the wear and tear
of il. At Mount Sinai training school,
and presumably at other hospitals, they
have difficulty in filling out the classes
because the applicants are not up to the
physical standard.
'It seems to me, after ali, that the
women's trades of dress
making and millinery afford the great
est opportunities for a girl. There is
always this much to be said in their