The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-01
WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Who Work Among Looms and Spin
dIes-Thefr Wages, Hours Of Labor
and Prospects.
The Subject as Viewed by the United
States Commissioner of
RbOr.

w
heir independence, securing to them free
dom from burdensome dependence and max
ing them more active factor in the affairs
of the world. All agree, however, that chill
dren ought not to be engaged in any in
dustry, but should use the years of child
hood for the purpose of securing such a
practical education that they may be more
able to become self-supportng when they
reach maturity. The discussion of the ques
ton, therefore. is interesting SociolOglcally,
but ii is often conducted more from the
standpoint of sentiment than from fact
The results of the Eleventh Census give us
the facts and show clearly the tendencies of
the times in respect to the employment of
the classes named.
In this article l shall deal only with the
women and children employed in the me-
chanical and manufacturing industries of
the country because this is sufficient for
this time and purpose, and, further, the
classification of all the population of this
country as to occupations, both remunera-
tive and otherwise, has not yet been pub
lished by the census office. a@4
THE FIGURES IN THE CASE.
The total number of persons, men, women
and children, engaged in the Industries
named was. in 1890 All, s32 as against
81 $50 in 1880, 2,053,9e in 1870 and l,3ll246
in 1860. Reduced to percentages, these per-
sons constituted, in 1860, Al per cent of
the whole population of the country; in 1870,
$780, 752 per cent. AS side fact from the
one under discussion, | may remark that
these figures show conclusively that a con-
stantly increasing proportion of the total
population is engaged in the mechanical
and manufacturing industries of the coun-
try. If we consider women alone, the same
fact appears; for in 1860, taking females
above 10 years OF age, there were employed
in the mechanical industries of the country
270,S97 being Sc of l per cent of the total
population; in 1870, the number was 323, 40,
being .S4 per cent of the whole population
in 1880 the number had arisen rapidly to
531, $50, or 1.06 per cent of the total popula-
ton, while in 1890 the number had grown
to S45,42S or l.35 per cent of the whole
people. The proportion of the total pop
ulation was practically the same at the
censues of 1860 and 1870, but increased
largely before 1880, and to a still higher
point in 1890, as shown.
These two comparisons between the total
number of persons employed in manufac-
turing industries, separated as to males
and females would indicate a relative pro-
gress in the total number employed but
as the women increase in number and in
percentage, that is, both in fact and rela-
lively, we must discover the relation which
the children, or persons under 10 years of
age, bear to the whole, and then we may
be able to determine whether the employ
ment of women is menace to the posi-
Unfortunately the elias siffcation of the
census of 1860 did not give the number of
children employed in manufacturing indus
tries, but in 1870 we find the number under
10 years of age of both SEXES to have been
11462S, or 30 per cent of the total pOIula-
ton, in 1880 ii ,y2l. CT IS per cent
being a slight increase relatively, while in
1890, the actual number had fallen to 12l, 1874
being only 10 per cent of the total pcpula-
ton This is exceedingly gratifying
showing. and proves conclasively that not
only is the number of children employed
decreasing, but that the relative proportion
of the total population shows a still greater
decrease.
a more instructive comparison, however,
is to be found in discussing the proportion
OF the total number of employees engaged
in manufacturing industries. This compar-
ison shows that in 1860 20 IS per cent of all
the persons employed in manufacturing in
duStrles We're females above 10 years of
age; in 1870 they constituted 1916 Per cent
or the total number employed; in 1880 they
We're @.49 per cent and in 1890 hey We're
lI.94 per cent. The relation, therefore, to
the total number of persons employed was
quite stationary at the last three federal
cenSuSes, and was only about per cent
In 1880 over what it in 1870 and nearly
per cent relatively less than in 1860 The
women are, therefore, not crowding upon
the men in mechanical industries
THE PROPORTION OF CHILDREN
GROWING LESS
The proportion of children has fallen very
rapidly. 1t was not given in 1860 but in
1870 the persons under Is years of age were
5oS per cent of the total number of en-
ployes in manufacturing industries; in 1880
there were 6.66 per cent, while in 1890 there
were only 2.51 per cent of the whole There
can be no other conclusion than that the
chlldren are disappearing from our great
mechanlcal and manufacturing Industries
rms is the result of two causes-frst public
sentiment and general opportunities for ed
ucational work, and second, the law which
In many of the older states, or in those
more largely interested in mechanics in
dusues, prohibits the employment of chill
dren under 10 years of age. In some of the
Eastern states those in New England es-
pecially, the law relative to the non-em
ployment of children has been so rgidly en-
forced that there are practically no chill
oren under ~ years of age in the factories
W hen this law becomes general throuehout
the manufacturing states and is well and
risloly enforced no child under 10 years of
age ought to be found in any manufactur
ing establishment. To the mind of the
"rlter-and this has been his opinion ex-
pressed constantly for 20 years-chldren
under IA or 10 years of age ought not to be
found in such establishments I know worry
well that there is conflict in this matter
because states that, on the one hand have
compulsory education laws, and on the
other, laws which prohibit the employment
or children in factories. have found them
selves IN the position of preventing the SUD-
port of parents through wages of children
mus making it impossible for the children
TO attend school and yet making no provis
ION Ior the support OF parents. This proh
lem Will sometime be solved but II win
nave TO be solved along very broad lines
winch am inclined to think the public is
not ready to adopt at present 1t is sar;-
tate the minds of the people who are look
ing to the ameloration of conditions.
WAGES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Inc facts as to numbers having been
given, 1t may be well to see what propor-
ton of the total wages paid in the country
TAILS to women and children. From recent
calculations 1 am able to state that the
wages of males constitutes ST. 73 per cent of
the total wages paid in 1890 while tho
wages which went to females over Is wears
OF age was only 1l.39 per cent Of the total
amount, the children receiving but az nor
cent of the whole. These percentages. taken
In comparison with the PERCENTAGES &c "a
the number employed are quite Instructive
while somewhat Disappointing: as for in
stance, In 1890 the females above Is wears
Oh age constituted 1874 per cent of the total
number of persons employed in manufac-
lures, yet they received but II SO per cent of
the total wages paid out. The children CON
stltuted 25l per cent of the total number
OF employed yet received but SS per cent
OF the whole wages paid Looking at the
ciasslncation of wages, it is found that 1885
per cent OF the total number of males 70
ceived 50 and over per week, while 90 60 nor
cent OF the whole number of females over
10 years of age received less than 80 ner
week, and little over % per cent of the
whole number of females employed received
less than 70 per week for their services
Nearly all the children, that is, those ner.
sons under Is years of age emnloved in