The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-28
Tho Woman's Cause In England.

/
The movement for the admission OF WON
en- to the Parliamentary franchise in Eng
| land has been for the moment checked
| by the necessity OF combining the attention
| Of legislators to urgent political questions
| However. the recently published returns
| OF the last English census. that OF 1891
throw great deal OF light upon the prog
| ress made by women in gaining access to
large majority Of the employments for
| merly monopolized by men. So far as Eng
| land and Wales are concerned, it Is plain
that what feminine reformers regard as
complete social emancipation. L. destined
to precede the attainment OF full political
privileges.
1t is remarkable how few occupations now
remain unopened to women in England.
These are so few that q list OF them
may be perused with interest. They
include the army and navy, the law the
clergy. the colonial and East India services.
civil engineering. and mining engineering.
AS yet. moreover. there are no women
acting as farm bailiffs. surveyors. ship rig
gers. boiler makers. carriers, cement makers,
railway contractors. engine filters, engine
drivers. stokers or railway guards. signal
lers. dock and wharf laborers, lime burners.
hay cutters. we'll sinkers. laborers In chalk
or sand quarries. shepherds or skaters.
These are positively the only employments
for which in England women are now con-
sidered unfit.
Some Of the vocations to which English
women have adapted themselves are calcu-
lated to astonish people with old-fashioned
ideas. For instance. those census returns
bear witness to the existence Of eighty
five women chimney sweeps. though. as the
term sweeps includes SCOT merchants. it is
possible the widows carrying on the bust
ness Of their former husbands are referred
to. A like explanation may possibly ac-
count for some Of the nineteen women archi-
tects. or OF the 345 women dentists; but it
cannot be applicable to the 1O1 lady physi-
clans. surgeons. or general practitioners.
1t Is only about two centuries since women
appeared for the first time on the English
stage; now there are more actresses than
actors in England. About as many women
as men are classified as musicians or music
teachers. There are no fewer than ego
women journalists. authors. or editors. be-
sides 1877 shor thapd writer's.
Singuarly enough. we do not find the
number OF typewriters mentioned. although
in the United states typewriting is re-
garded as an employment peculiarly
adapted to women. On the other hand,
there are more than 5000 women gardeners,
and what Is still more surprising. six
women are said to be engaged in town
drainage service. There are even three
women gamekeepers. 1t Is less remark
able that there should be 226 women
plumbers. We are accustomed to regard
the handling Of railway luggage as an en-
plOyment suitable only for men of Drawn;
nevertheless. it seems that, in England,
there are a hundred women railway porters.
AS was to be expected. we find that the
teaching profession and the nursing Of the
sick occupy the greatest number OF women.
1t Is an interesting fact. as showing the
severity OF German compe tition. that. OF
the female teachers. 1000 are Germans
From all branches Of the legal profession
English women are as yet debarred; but it
is obvious that this prohibition could not
long survive the admission of women to
degrees at the English universities The
attainment OF the last-named privilege is
close at hand. The Injustice
OF refusing degrees to such women as Miss
PHILIPPA FAwCErT. who beat the senior
at Cambridge. and others who
have gained very high. il not the highest.
honors at one or other OF the great univer-
stiles, Is now universally recognized. Let u
woman once obtain a b. A. diploma. and her
applica ton for admission to the bar cannot
with any show Of consste ncy be denied AS
Tor the profession Of civil or mining engi-
neer, there is no reason In the nature OF |
things why this should be less suitable for |
women than the profession of architect.
Regarding the clergy. it is certain that |
feminine graduates Of universities will ult- |
nately insist that they are quite as well |
adapted as their brethren for the cure Of |
souls; nor are they likely to be silenced by |
he injunction of st. PAUL addressed to |
members Of the female sex living under
very different conditions: Let your women
Keep silence in the churches; for 1t is not
permitted unto them to speak"