The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-02-09
HE suRPLuS GIRL.
Better for Her TO WORK Than TO BE
ThroNrn Into The I.ivcr


Thrown Into the River.
The tendency of an increasing popu-
lation is nearly always 70 an overPro-
duction-or at least TO what Is gem
orally considered an overproiuction-
of girls. and the result l. problem
which has been the cause of much veN-
atious and unsatisfactory thinking in
all ages. SAYS the st. Louis Republic
The Chinese have solution which
they look on as final, but in many other
countries there is such objection to the
idea of throwing surplus girl babies
into the river that il can hardly op-
crate with the same success which at
tends it in China.
As they are not thrown into the river
they grow up and then they must get a
living in some way. This has occurred
To Lady Emily Dixie. and has moved
her 10 make an investigation of their
condition.
The picture she draws in the Fort
nightly Review iS a gloomy one She
concludes that the secret of Eu.land'S
manufacturing supremacy il the cheap
labor Of women and girls, and she is
also of the opinion that the results of
setting the women and girls to work to
elle out the earnings of the head of the
family are simply suicidal"
1t is no doubt true that the success ef
English manufactures depends largely
on the cheap labor of women and girls,
and we venture to say that il j. to
some extent true of every successful
manufacturing country. 1t i certainly
true of the New England states. which
are notorious for their overproduction
of girls.
1t is not necessary to dwell on the
evils incident To any industrial system
which relies mainly on such labor
They are apparent. But the assump-
tiou that they outweigh the benefits Is
rash indeed.
The increa sing employment of
women and girls IN production means
that through the advance of civili2a-
ton, resulting in the invention of
highly improved machinery. work can
now be done by women that was for
mcrly far beyond their strength.
When one girl can operate a machine
that will do the work of five fully de
veloped men ii isuseless to expect that
the five men Will he employed in place
of the one girl and the machine.
1t Is also illogical and short-sighted
To look on the Improvement in machin-
cry which increases the demand for fe-
male labor as an evil in itself.
The English or the German peasant
girl who works on the farm does much
harder and more brutalizing labor Than
the girl of the factory. Many evils at
tend the employment of girls in oper-
ating machines. No father who can
support his daughters should allow
them to go into a factory. The girl is
most fortunate who can afford to grow
up with no other business than that Of
housewife But as all are not su-
premely fortunate it is well to rccog-
nize that what may seem an unmiXed
evil may he really minor benefit.
1t is better for girls to work in fac
tories and stores than To be thrown
into the river, as happens to them in
China, or to be obliged to use the mat
tock and spade in the fields, as they
are in Europe.
We are not doing nearly as wei as
we might in this matter or in any
other, but still we are doing Il great
deal better than professional pessimists
are capable OF understanding.