San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-01
Dividing Up Wuman'S Work.
Fro N Tho Philadelphia Ledger


delphia factory, caused by the
falling down stairs of woman
who had done considerable of a
days work before factory hours
began, calls attention to one side
of. the labor question. A man
usually, while a day laborer,
mechanic or clerk, does not have
to get his breakfast or mend his
clothes before he starts out to
work. How much is on the side
cards for many working woman
is shown by this story from the
soap works. The woman, who
was either so exhausted or so
dizzy last Monday that she could
not safely see her way down stairs,
had risen at 2 o'clock that morn.
ing, and had done the family wash
before Z o'clock. Her cid mother,
whom she supported, was an in
valid, so, presumably, this woman
had other small things to do about
the house every day before going
to work. Now a business
wOman's may put in just as good
work as man does, but she must
have considerably more elasticity
than most men have, to do the
days work not to leave the other
"duties" undOne. And women
are able, under stress ofimmediate
need to draw upon sort of re-
serve energy they have, their en-
thusiasm of nervous energy max
ing them able for short time to
do enormous tasks. But of course
the pace can not 60 on continually.
The world seems still TO expect
it of women in any out of-the
house employment to keep up as
much as possible all the incident
al work that the stay at.hOme
women have. Thanks to the
cheapening of ready-made cloth
jng-not always cheapened at the
expense of the professional sew
ing women, but by steam. driven
Observation-Disclosures to the
cheapened supply of clothes, the
business woman does not have to
sit up until l o'clock in the morn.
ing making the dress she is to
wear at her work. 1t is enough,
and often more than enough, tax
upon her, if she mends and trims
her own hat. If she spends much
time over the sewing machine or
ironing table, she does not come
into the labor market fresh enough
either to do justice to her employ
er or to compete with men in the
same business for even her lower
wages. Yet there are very few
employers who will venture to
say that a woman does less of the
same kind of work, or does it less
well than the man. to whom he
must pay more. He gives her the
work generally because he pays
her less for doing it as well. AS
the difference IS not TO him, it is
to herself. 1t is taken out of her
own estate; the double work
which she does and which frequen-
thy ends in an unexpected break.
down.
1t is an excellent thing in WON.
an, therefore, when she can make
her family life as the wage Garner,
to include one capable staying at
home, one other woman who can
share the profits and help to make
them larger by attending to just
those matters which it is scarcely
right the wage Garner should do.
Clubbing together on either large
or small scale seems to be the
answer to many problems for the
last seven years of the expiring
century. All of these plans must
recognize, however, that house
duties in such good little home
circles are just as much to be paid
for as typewriting and book.keep-
ing are--and not merely by board
and lodging.
IT SHOULD BE IN EVERY HOUSE.
J. b. Wilson, 81 Clay St., SharpSburg,
Pa saws he will not be without DIR.