The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-21

so independence will in time bring her
social equality, and social equality will
secure for her at last the opportunity
for untrammeled development in any
and all directions, limited only by her
God-given nature. Through this devel-
1nent we believe her loneliness will be.
| come lovelier and her influence will be-
| come greater She will lead man to
still higher intellectual attainments
| and with her intense pschic force will
| become a power in the world that we
| have not yet fully seen, nay, even fully
apprehended.
1t will not be necessary here in this
| institution established for the indus
| trial education of woman, in this city
| where it's success is so well known,
| end among the progressive people OF
| North Carolina, to make an argument
| al this time for the industrial emanci-
| patton of woman. Woman's industrial
| emancipation is already well nigh com
| plete. Men have never since the world
| began, refused to let woman work
| where she found an opportunity, es-
| pecially when the men profted by her
| is the results of the industrial develop
| Of woman, as has been suggested above
| is the results of the Industrial develop
nent of the country, and the creation
| of numerous positions where women
were needed and could work profitably,
| rather than to any especial permission
| or preparation. The fact is that wo-
man is doing every kind of industrial
and mechanical work. The census Of
1890 Shows that woman is to be found
in almost every industrial pursuit elias
sified by it. All the industries in the
United States land we know their va
riety is practically unlimited. were as
signed by that census 70 one Of 800
general groups. Examination Of the
totals of these groups discloscs the re
markable fact that in only 9 Of these
are no women employed. Their en-
ployment as clerks, operatives and APP
prentices is already uniyersal; their
employment in the professions is rapid
~ increasing, SO that we may now see
that the apparent number of yocations
in which women cannot engage is con-
stantly diminishing and will probably
be reduced by the time the next cen
sus opens to a few of the toughest
most difficult and most arduous call
ings.
1t is, however. distressing and dis
NCt4i ttrS AiiS5 ieiNt A4ttti WHICH sum tN-
ceiye a lower wage in almost all indus
trial pursuits than the man who works
by her side. Dir. Wright encourages us
to believe that this is only a temporary
condition which will pass away as she
develops and makes herself more neces-
sary, and learns, like man, to organize
for heb own protection She has so
suddenly stepped out of industrial sub
a,sH mo Ga1,l
without preparation and in too great
numbers She is also the victim Of the
influence of family assistance or par
tial support This enables her to work
fsr less money than men. and throws
many women who have TO work 10 earn
a part of their support at home into
competition for the limited amount of
work. This necessarily reduces the
wages of all. Unquestionably how
ever, the chief cause of her lower pay
is the want of training and experience.
AS fast as she gets education and skill, |
she gets higher wages. If we may
judge by her success in other fields. |
the time is not far distant when woman
will receive her due wage for due work
Woman's industrial condition is COT
stantly improving. Certain classes Of
women workers are beginning to un-
ders tand better the force which comes
from organization, and many of them
are taking regular courses in technical
schools to prepare themselves for the
highest grade of work. The laws which |
10 a certain extent restricted them in |
the past are being modified so as to
treat them as men are treated. and en- |
ployers everywhere are learning that it
is profitable 10 avail themselves of wo-
mans skill and woman's faithfulness.
Let us ask next, what is woman's
proper work in the intellectual field;
or. as time would fail us to consider all
the professions, for which one of these
does she seem to be especially fitted
in view of her natural qualifications?
If we inquire first what educated
woman is actually doing in the intel
lectual field, we shall find that she is
at work in almostevery one of the pro-
fessions and so successfully that in
our present state of development one
would be very rash indeed to affirm
that she will not succeed in any of
them. The educated woman will work
out her own destiny and make her
title clear to any territory she may
occupy. The best / can do is to read
for you the signs of the times, notice
the trend of her development, and
mention a few callings for which she
seems especially adapted.
Woman inherits a natural fitness
for the profession of the teacher. Her
delicate and quick perception and ac-
tive sympathy, fit her peculiarly for
the management Of children. About
IS per cent of all the teachers III the
public schools of this country are wo-
men, and 90 per cent of the teachers
in the cities of the United States
(our best public schools) are women.
In the thinly settled rural neighbor-
hoods in North Carolina and the
South, where women shrink from the
exposure or are unwilling to teach
for the small salaries paid, men still
outnumber women. But they have
taken possession of the schools in the
nd nj,