The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-19
A Plea for Working Girls.
To the Editor of the Press.

To the Editor Of the Press:
! In many large cities we find that there are
many clubs, organized by noble women,
for the purpose of bringing together the
| working girls. OF course these clubs, In
their way, do vast amount of good for
while many of the girls reside in the city,
there is still larger number from out of
town, who were it not that some place were
provided for them, would be obliged to
spend many weary homesck evenings at
their boarding places. But at these working
| girls clubs, as they are called one and all
are gladly welcomed and the evenings pass
very pleasantly. Then too, they are
brought under the direct influence of women
who are working for their good, women who
have seen much of city life and its tempta-
tions; the best of literature is always at
hand for their perusal, and very often pleas
ant entertainments are furnished.
In small cities and villages there are none
of these clubs, and the clerks are left to
themselves. All cities, towns, villages and
hamlets harbor two great evils which work
Ing girls are obliged to encounter, namely;
low wages and over-hour work without ex-
IRA pay Now the girls are not receiving
their just rights, nor do the clubs help them
mains with the girls themselves to remedy
matters, which they may do by organization
ana unity OF purpose, for in organization
there is strength. Let them all demand
their rights and insist upon getting them.
They can do it. They are more to blame for
the present state of affairs than are their
| employers. There are so MANY girls at work
who can live at home, having little OF no
board to pay, that they are willing to work
for two dollars or two dollars and a half per
week, that they so cut the wages that the
out-of-town girl, who has to pay at least
three dollars per week foY board can stand
no chance whatever. 1t is wrong, yea, even
wicked, for the city girl to reduce the wages
of her class in this way. If girl is at all
| fit to do the work for which she is hired
she is worth more than two dollars, or even
four dollars, which munfficent salary some
receive. Every girl should receive six dol
| airs per week, and as much more as she can
get.
When girls begin work in the morning at
eight O'Clock and work until six at night,
with an hours rest at noon, they earn every
! cent of six dollars. They should also re-
ceive mems wages for mems work. Many
women are now doing mems work, better
even than the men could do it, but do they
receive the same wages that men would re-
| ceive? They do not, but they should not
work one minute for single cent less
There is yet another condition that should
be changed: that is the great amount Of over
hour work which is done. Upon beginning
work at any place each one should ascer-
tain how many hours a day she is expected
to work, and should have it understood
that she shall receive extra pay for every
extra hour. There are clerks in many places
who expect to work from eight until six,
but the proprietor keeps his store open until
from six to seven, and during the holiday sea-
son there is week or two that the stores are
kept open until ten and often times eleven,
yet the clerks do not receive cent of extra
pay. If they ask to have {heir salaries
raised for the long season their employer
says: "Ah, no, cant afford it, Tor there
are hundreds of girls right around you who
will work for even less than your regular
wages.
Usually when girls form union for their
own protection they are called strikers,
their employers refuse to hire them longer
and newer and inefficient help is hired fiji
their stead As nearly all merchants belong
to trades unions where they agree upon
prices to ask for certain articles, why should
not the employees have unions where certain
minimum wages may be agreed upon? Of
course no right minded person will advocate
| striking, but these girls are entitled to their
rights, which may be obtained without even
sem blance to striking They are flesh and
blood, and should be treated as such. the
same as are their employers.
1t cannot be disputed that low wages in
jure both employers and employees. The
proprietor of the store cannot secure such a
high grade of clerks, which tends to iniure
the reputation of his store. Nearly everyone
knows of stores which are spoken of as
having an inattentiye, disagreeable set Of
clerks, but the employer who paws low
wages has no right to demand as much from
his help as has the one who is more gener-
ous He has right to efficient workers, and
better work will result. Clerks are of course
injured first financially by low wages, and
then they tend to lower the general standard
of working girls to cause them to be classed
as "cheap," while higher wages, besides
giving the clerks a better opinion of them
selves, also gives them their just dues. "A
perfect clerk must be honest, have lat least)
| fair education, be quick of motion, possess
neatness pleasing manners and always be
ready and wiling to serve and please To get
help possessing these qualities, employers
must raise the wages of their help and the
girls must insist that they do So
F. L. H.