Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-08-08
rHEATeR MISERY IN VIENNA.
What n Parliamentary Commission About
Women Worker Has Leaned.

What n Parliamentary Commission About
Women Workers Has Learned
Austria has a parliamentary commits
sion, which was appointed early last
winter, to investigate the condition of
women workers in the empire. This
commission has turned up vast
amount of hidden Vienna tife, to the
horror of humane inhabitants of the
imperial city. 1t has learned, for in
stance, that young women in the feath-
er industry usually have to be con-
tent with S1-50 to 81 each week, al
though the most skillful ones mount
efter years of practice into a So class;
that the hours of work are IL to 16 6.
day, and that coffee with dark bread
is the unvarying menu at all meals.
year in and year out. Similar con-
ditions were found in 20 or more other
industries which are largely in the
hands of women. AS women in Aus
trials industrial life are not expected
to obtain much more than n bare living,
these revelations have not excited d
remarkable amount of comment, but
the information given the commission
crs regarding women on the stage, who
heretofore have passed in Vienna for
wen-fed and well-clad persons, has
caused little sensation and no end of
newspaper writing.
Chorus girls, actresses and theater
directors were brought before tine COM
mission. They all said the rush to the
stage had been overdone by Austrian
women in recent years. Vienna had
more than 40 schools of acting and
operate singing, which were crowded
with girl students The pressure of
young actresses and singers was so
great that at 30 the working actresses
ard singers were regarded as too old
for much more USE and we've relegated
to obscure parts, or put off the stage.
In the last two years 20 or 80 such
actresses had become beggars. few
Of them had died on the country roads
along which they had been begging for
food
The young girl graduate of a Vienna
school of acting, the witnesses told the
commission, begins work at a first
class theater for S25 a month, and in
many cases must provide her own cos
tunes. 4 chorus girl, if in the best.
luck, gets S24 month; that is the maxi
mum. Many chorus girls receive but
s. each a month, and those who receive
SIS each a month are supposed to be do
ing well. In the Court opera the.
chorus girl at the beginning of
her career has saiSfy OF $3.50 Il
month. Her salary is increased with
each succeeding year of service until
after Is years in the chorus she gets
the royal and imperial sum of $40 a
| month. In the Tbeater An der Wien
the chorus girls pay is from SIS to $3.50
month; in the Carl theater, from $10
to $3.50; in the Josephstadt theateT-
from $3.50 to $3.50; in the German
Peoples theater, from SITS to $500 a
year. One young woman who had
worked three years art the conservatory
before going on the stage told the
commission she had been lucky enough
to- get place in chorus at a salary
of S. week. Another young woman,
who had studied with musical pro-
fessors of high reputation for six years.
confessed that she had been unable to
do better than SIS a month.
One director told of ten girls in his
chorus who received NO salaries what
ever and must provide their own toilets.
The best paid of his chorus girls re-
ceived SIS month.
The commissioners were anxious to
find out how all these young women Of
the stage were kept from starvation.
The answers to questions on this point
were varied. Some of the girls did
| fancy work at home; others plain sew
| ing The vast majority, however, Were
| obliged to look out for what the Wen
nese call 'cavaliers."-N- Y. Sun.
BUTTER IN IASTER OF PARIS