The San Francisco call., 1895-07-28
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,tfJ3,M ~ EMPLOY MENT OF
GFN Il WOMEN IN ENGLAND
VIZ An investigation into
the employment OF women and girls lately
conducted by the labor department of the
British Board of Trade presents results
somewhat at variance with those disclosed
by the census investigation in the United
States, the statistics of which have recently
been made public. So far as England is
concerned, the current view that women s
employment is rapidly extending and that
women are replacing men to considerable
extent in industry is not confirmed. The en-
pleyment of married and elderly women
has, ON the whole, diminished, and the en-
ployment of women in casual occupations
has also declined. The significance of an in
crease in the employment OF women and
girls under 25 is impaired by the fact that
there has been concurrent and similar ex-
tension in the employment of young men
and boys. Miss Collet, who has examined
some of the reasons for this discrepancy
between preconceived notions and the
facts, points out two main causes of error
affecting public opinion as to the extension
in the employment of women. One is the
somewhat too hasty assumption that the
recent tendency in the direction of the
greater employment of middle-class
women was representative of general
changes in the field of employment
for women of all kinds. On the
contrary, the great increase in productive
power through the introduction of ma
chinery has largely increased the number
of Englishmen who are able to support
their daughters, while the need for the
services of the latter at home has de-
creased. Therefore, IL is pointed out, in
the middle classes, high standard of
comfort, a diminished probability of mar
riage and apprehension with regard to the
future, have all mbined to encourage the
entrance into the labor market of middle
class girls. At the same time, however,
a converse movement has been going on
among the less prosperous classes, by
whom the benefit to the family to be de-
rived from the services of women at home
is only gradually being realized. AS
matter of fact, the statistics given in the
report indicate that the total increase in
the employment of women and girls as
compared with the population was very
slight during the decade of 1881-9l. A
second source of error as to the question
of female employment is found in an un-
scientific method of statistical comparison.
A fact of great importance is brought out
in the report-there is not single case of
absolute decrease in the number of males
employed which does not also show an
absolute decrease in the number of females
employed.
RIDE WITH Your MOUTH CLosEp.-It is
quite time that the perils of the wheel
should be formulated. With the ordinary
dangers, over-exertion, or injudicious ex-
ertion, the public are quite familiar; but
the ailments engendered by the use or
abuse of the wheel have yet to be classified.
AS an advance guard comes the statement
of dentist that an over fondness for in
dulgence in bicycling is developing a dis
eased condition of the gums and teeth.
The explanation of this phenomenon is
that the extra effort in ascending hills and
running races, and the short, quick breaths
of cold air that strike the overheated
gums through the open mouth, develop
congestion OF these parts. The face is
swollen up as with an ordinary toothache,
pus forms around the teeth and loosens
them. The pain is intense, and the teeth
often have to be extracted. A leading dem
tist has confirmed the fact of the existence
of this new form of disease. 1t comes, he
says, from an abnormal current of air, from
fast riding, striking the gums. and if the
popularity of the bicycle continues, it will
develop new and permanent feature in
dentistry. The only preventive is to al
ways ride with the mouth closed. Breath
ing through the nose may to some people
be little difficult at first, but the trick is
soon learned, and besides its special value
in wheeling, it is most essential to the gen.
eral health.
SEA GULLs AS CARRIERS. Rs.-With the ap-
proach of the yacht-racing season, when
carrier pigeons are in request for the trans
mission of the result of contests, the old
question of carrier pigeons for sea service"
is revived. correspondent insists that
gulls, which are more powerful birds than
pigeons, might be efficiently trained and
used to much greater distances than are
practicable with the latter. In some parts
OF the country it is a common sight to see
tame sea gulls around the fishermen's
cottages, and even in farmyards miles
from the sea. They live and feed with the
domestic fowls and learn readily to come
when called. 1t is suggested that if the
"homing" instinct could be developed in
the gull to the extent that it is possessed
by the pigeon, it would be invaluable for
the work OF carrying messages from vessels
far out at sea. Its powers of vision are much
greater than those of the pigeon, and there
would be no limit to their range of flight
since they can at any time rest on the
water; moreover, their greater strength
would enable them to carry bulkier
messages.
IMPORTANT Discovery IN NAVAL SHIP
UILDING.-The announcement of an inn
portant discovery in naval shipbuilding
has been made before the German Reich
stag. During a discussion in committee
on the question of construction of ship
to replace the "Preussen" the admiral said
that successful experiments with new
armor plating had been made at Messrs.
krupp's works, where har dening process
had been discovered which gave extraordi-
nary results and was the means OF con-
siderably increasing the resisting power OF
the plates. Valuable experience had also
been gained from the naval operations in
the Chlno-Japanese war. Of all the for
elign officers who had applied for permits
sion to accompany the Chinese feet Ger
mans alone had been allowed to make
more minute inspection of the Chinese
ships, which. it should be noted, possessed
a much created power of resistance than