, 1892-03-01
THE OTHER SIDE OF 1T.
A Correspondent Speaks of Servants
Wages as a Factor in High LIVING.

To the Editor OF The Leader.
CHEYENNE, Feb. 2S.-From an edi-
torial in the Commonwealth of Feb. 81
headed How Can we Reduce the Cost
of Living in Cheyenne" l quote the fol-
lowing: but even in the luxuries of
life, such a servant girls wages and the
price of a ticket for opera house enter
tainments, we are held up"
In concluding this editorial from which
1 quote the writer saws, 1.-THE board Of
trade can do no better service to the
people of this city than to investigate
these problems and see If a reform can
not be secured" Let us investigates
one who knows. l will state that a girl
has to be a good one to command $40 a
month. There are more girls working for
$lS and under than over that amount in
Cheyenne today. This is especially true
ever, we will take 500 as the average
wages per month for servant girls in the
city. 1t is evident the writer thinks SER
wants wages are too high and would like
to see them lowered. To use his own
words he is being held up when he pays
a poor servant girl &c cents a day, or 500
a month for about twelve hours work a
day. How many tickets to the opera
would he invest in on the princely salary
of 500 a month"; But, Judging from the
tone of his article, he belongs to a class
that believes opera house entertainments
are given only to those that can afford the
luxury of a servant. This is one of the
problems the editor of the Commonwealth
calls the attention OF the CHEYENNE board
of trade to and asks If a reform cannot be
secured. Well, | am not surprised at all
to see the Commonwealth giUen away, as
a paper that recommends the reducing of
servants wages is not worthy of a list of
paying subscribers. Were he to assume
the role of a servant girl just one month
(which likely would be a more fitting vo.
cation than editing a paper) he would
soon learn hat the life of a domestic SER
want is anything but a pleasant one.
After clothing herself and paying ex-
penses out of her wages many a Door
working girl has to help support younger
brothers or sisters or perhaps an aged
father or mother. and this poor knight of
the pen claims he is being held up in
paying what | consider the present low
rate of wages to a girl who administers to
the wants of himself and family. |
wonder how a Chinaman would suit our
able writer. However, the 'overpaid'
servants of Cheyenne need not be alarmed
at the retrenchment policy suggested to
the board of trade by the Commonwealth.
The board of trade IS composed of men
who are intent only upon building up,
not tearing down, which a reduction
would surely lead to. Cheap labor means
cheap living. The business men OF Chey-
enne fare better when wages arc good-no
one will dispute this.
Wyoming is looked to by women all
over the country as a state where both
sexes are equal, and where the constitu-
ton of the state gives to both sexes equal
rights at the ballot box. The apparent
inconsistency Of the editor of a paper
published in the capital OF the state is
hard to be accounted for.
By kindly giving space to this article in
your valuable paper you will greatly
oblige. Respectfully yours.
A SERVANT GIRL.