The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-07-21
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
WOMEN wAGE-EARNERs.
Some Interesting Statistics on This Impor-
tant National Subject.

Some Interesting Statistics on This Impor-
tant National subject.
1--WE come now to the final report,
in some ways summary OF all-that of
the United States labor department at
Washington, and the work for 1885,
says Helen Campbell in an extended ar
ticle in the Arena. In the % cities in
vestigated by the agents of this bureau.
the average age mt which girls began
work was found to be Is years and 4
months. Charleston, ). C., gives the
highest average, it being there IS
years and months. and in Newark,
\. j., the lowest IA years and Z
months. The average period in
which all had been engaged in their
present occupations is shown to be
wears and months: while of the total
number interviewed. {, $40 were engaged
in their first attempt to earn living.
As against the opinion often ex-
pressed, that foreign workers are in
the majority, we find that of the
whole number given, 14,120 were
native born. OF the foreign born,
Ireland is most largely represented,
having $50; and Germany comes next,
with 755. In the matter of parentage,
1877 had foreign born mothers. The
number of single women included in
the report is 15,3S1: AS were married
and 2,O3S widowed, from which it is ev-
ident that, as rule, it is single wom-
cn who are fighting the industrial fight
alone. They are not only supporting
themselves, but are giving their earn
/ ings largely to the support of Others at
! home. More than halls. 754-do this;
and 0,S13, besides their occupation, help
in the home housekeeping. OF the total
number, 1925 live at home. but only
7Ol of them receive aid or board from
their families. The average number in
these families is 5.25, and each contains
.. 10 workers.
Concerning education, church at
tendance, home and shop conditions,
-, 81 reported. OF these 10,45S We're
educated in American public schools
and 5.3,5 in other schools; 5,S54 attend
protestant churches, 7,169 the Catholic
and 3G7 the Hebrew. A very large per-
centage, comprehending 5000, do not
attend church at all In home con- |
ditions Il, 100 report themselves as
comfortable" while 1902 give home |
conditions as poor" Poor" to the |
ordinary observer, is to be interpreted |
wretched. including overcrowding and |
all the numberless evils of tenement
house life. which is the portion of |
many. \ side light is thrown on per-
sonal characteristics of the workers,
in the tables of earnings and lost time.
Out of 12.S22 who reported, 373 earn
less than S1OO year. and this class has
an average of S6.5 lost days for the year
covered by the investigation. With the
increase of earnings the lost time de-
crcases, the =. 141 who earn from 500 to
$50. losing but SIS. while SOS earn $500
to $500 Il year. lost but 1873 days.
Deliberate cruelty and injustice on
the part of the employer are encount-
cred only now and then: but competi-
ton forces the working in as inexpen-
sive 4 manner as possible and thus
often makes what must sum up as cru
city and injustice, necessary to the con-
tinued existence of the employer as an
industrial factor. Home conditions are
seldom beyond tolerablc, and very
often intolcrable. lnspcction-the eff
ficiency OF which has greatly increased
the demand by the organized chart
ties at all points COR women inspectors
and the gradual growth of popular in
terest are bringing about n few i'm
provements. and will bring more. but
the mass everywhere are as stated
Ignorance and the vices that accom- {
paay ignorance-want of thorough (
ness. unpunctuality, thriftlessness and
all in the count (
against the lowest order of worker; ;
but the better class, and, indeed. the {
large proportion of the lower, are liv- {
ing honest, self-respecting, infinitely {;
dreary lives. !
1t is popular belief that the work
ing women form large proportion OF I
the numbers who fill houses of prosti-
tuition: and that "night-walkers" are
made up chiefly from the same class. i
could be further from the
truth, the testimony of the fifteenth
annual report of the Massachusetts bu-
reau of labor being in the same line as
that of all in which investigation of
the subject has been made and all con- ;
frming the opinion given. The invest
igation of the Massachusetts, bureau, I
in fourteen cities, showed clearly that a
a very small proportion among work
ing women entered this life. The I
largest number classcd by occupations I
came from the lowest order of worker, I
those employed in homework and ho- {
tells, and the next largest was found I
among se;:IpstresSes, employees of shirt c
and cloahmakerS, all of these
industries i'll which under-pay is pro-
verbal The great majority, receiv-
ing not more than five dollars a week, /;
earn it by seldom less than ten hours =,
j day of hard labor, and not only live
On the sum, but assist friends, contrib ;
ute to general household expenses, !
iress so as to appear fairly well and
have learned every art of doing with 7
put. More than this, since the deepen .
ing interest in their lives and the forma- =
ton of working girls clubs and socie-
ties of many orders, they contribute
from this scanty sum enough to rent
neeting-rooms, pay for instruction in
many classes and provide relief fund =.
for sick and disabled members.
WOMEN AS EXHIBITORS.