The herald., 1893-11-26
[sy L. BEnyMER.l

One OF Messrs. Roberts Brothers, the
Boston publishers, new books is entitled
Women Wsge-earnsrs, Their Past,
Their Present and Their Future, by
Helen Campbell, author Of Prisoners OF
Poverty and The Problem OF the Poor.
Richard 7. Ely in his introduction to
the work says: ''The Importance OF
the subject with which the present
work deals cannot well be over-esti-
mated. Our age may properly be called
the Era Of Woman, because everything
which affects her receives consideration
quite unknown in past centuries. This
is we'll. The motive ia twoiold: First.
woman is valued as never before and
second, IL 10 perceived that the welfare
of the other half Of the human race de-
pends more largely upon the position
enjoyed by woman than was previously
understood.
The earlier agitation for an enlarged
sphere and greater rights for woman
was to a considerable extent merely
negative. The aim was to remove bar
risrs and to open the way. 1t is char
acteristic Of the earlier days OF agitation
for the removal of wrongs affecting any
class, that the questions involved appear
to be simple, and easily repeated formu-
Las ample 10 secure desired rights. Fur
ther agitation, however, and more ma
turs reflection always show that what
looks like simple social problem ia a
complex one.
s'If women'a wagee are small, open
new careers to them." As simple as
this did the problem of women's wages
once appear but when new avenues OF
employment were rendered accessible to
women. it was found in some instances
that the wages OF men were lowered.
A consequences which can be seen in
different industrial centers is that man
and 4 wife working together secure no
greater wages than the man alone
in industries in which women are not
employed. Now, II the result Of open
ing new employments to women is to
force all members of the family to work
for the wages which the head OF the
family alone once received, it is mani
fest that we have q complicated prob
lem.
Another result Of wsge-earning by
women, which has been observed here
and there, ie the scattering OF the men,
bers Of the ismily and the breakdown
OF the home. A recent and careful OBJ
of Saxony, Germany, has told US that
factory work has there resulted in the
dissolution OF the family, and that family
life, as we understand it, scarcely exists.
We have decentralization seen in the
young; and in addition to that, We dis
cover that the employment of married
women outside the homo results in the
impaired health and strength OF future
cE- 80 -I-.,..tI - IL. .t----.y
restrict the industrial sphere OF woman.
do not 90 backward; we have to 20 fur
ther forward to keep the advantages
which have been attained and at the
same time lessen the evils which the
new order has brought with IL. 50 A-'s''
Further action is required, but In or
der that this action may bring desired
results it must be based upon ample
knowledge. The natural impulse when
we see an evil 10 to adopt direct methods
looking to an immediate cure; but such
direct methods which at once suggest
themselves generally fail to bring relief.
The effective remedies are those
which use indirect methods based
upon scientific knowledge If q
sympathetic man takes to heart
physical suffering, which he can see on
every side, he must feel inclined to re-
lieve the distressed at once, and feel
impatient II he 10 hindered in his benev-
olent impulses; yet we know that he
will accomplish far more in the end if
he patiently devotes years to study in
medical schools and practice in hospitals
before he attempts to give relief to the
diseased. We need study. quite as much
to cure the ills of the social body, and
nj
addition to the positive information
upon which wise action must depend"
Mrs. Campbell has been favorably
known for years on account OF her val
liable contributions to the literature of
social science. This book was prepared
originally as prize monograph for the
American Economic association, receiv-
ing an award from it in 1891. The author
GAYS: "The restriction of the subject to
q fixed number of words hampered the
treatment, and it was thought beet to
enlarge many points which in the allot-
ted space could have hardly more than
mention. Acting on this wish the mon
ograph has been nearly doubled in size,
but still must be counted only an
imperfect summary, since facts in
these lines are in most cases very
nearly unobtainable, and, aside from
the few reports Of labor bureaus, there
are as yet almost no sources of full in
formation. But'as there lie no. existing
manual of reference on this topic, the
student Of social questions will accept
this attempt to meet the need, till more
facts e4able fuller and better presen-
tation OF the difficult subject" Nc need
OF such an apology being made as the
author has answered very clearly the
three questions:
Why do men not receive Just wage?
Why are women in like cas-?
And why DO men receive a greater wage
than women?
Her first step is ''look backward"
in which reference is made to the cave
dwellers. The Greeks and Romans
down to the last few centuries In which
the history OF woman as wage-earners
is actually comprised. This is followed
by articles on the Employments for
women during the colonial period; the
development of the factory and the
early aspects of factory labor for women.
The colonial period is particularly in
teresting and contains many historical
references in connection with the ad-
vance Of labor which will prove of in
terest to the readers. A chapter is de-
voted to the rise and growth OF trades
up to the present time; one to Labor
Bureaus and Their Work in Relation
to Women. The statistics presented in
these chapters are very complete, and