The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-02-17
MoMEn NO ar "A 1olLERa.
A OAeiAI Report shows thst Their NuE
bNR Il RtOAdIlV IncROAslh9

N OAeaAl Report Shows thHt TholR Num-
bOR u Steadily IncSsaSlAS.
WAsHINaroH. Feb. lA-Thg eleventh annual
report Of the department Of labor, just tranR-
mitted 70 congress by Commissioner Wright,
shows that the proportion Of womon TO the
whole working Glass is Increasing, while that
Of children Is decreasing The report was pre-
pared In pursuance Of q joint resolution Of
congress directing IN investigation. This re-
port is confined strictly TO comparison OF the
extent Of employment and wages of lSe0-o6. or
"prosent period" with the conditions which
obtained some year (termed former period")
antedating the present period by at least ten
years.
The definite purposes OF the investigation
were to determine to what extent, II any, wO-
men were supersedlng men; TO show tho con-
jugal condition Of the women who we're em-
ployed: to compare the relative efficiency Of
men and women, and finally to show the rela-
tive rates Of wages received by each sex in each
industry.
1t was unnecessary to cover the whole coun-
try, that is, to collect information from all in
dustriAl establishments. The attempt there
fore, was not made The agents of the depart
ment, however secured information from l,0G7
establishments Of various kinds, located in 70
different states, and employing liS, 1857 persons
o number largo enough to insure that the data
collected was thoroughly representative.
The complete data sought for however, was
obtained from only oil establishments. These
e1 establishments employed o., 60 persons in
the former and 1O8,64s in the present period.
OF this number, In the first period 90 i7D we're
males of IS years Of age or over, as against
i3 1876 In the second, and 4,l7j males under
years Of age, as against 1910 in the second. In
the first period 27,16S were females IS years Of
age or over, and 67I3 females under IS years of
age. as against As, 162 and l2,75l respectively in
the present period.
From these figures 1t Is seen that male en-
ployes IS years or over increased in the present
period over the former period 63l per cent
while female employees of the same age in
creased e63 per cent Male employees under Is
years Of age increased 8L6 per cent, while fe-
male employees under ls years Of age increased
eo.l per cent
An interesting showing Is made OF the flg-
ures Of the past three censuses concerning the
employment OF women. The proportion OF fe-
males 10 years Of age and over employed in al
occupations In the United States rose in its re-
lation 10 the whole number employed from i.6'
per cent in 1870 to H. % per cent in 1890, while
males decreased in proportion from S532 pei
cent In 1870 to S.7s per cent in 1890
The report throws considerable additiona
light upon the much discussed question as L
married women in industrial pursuits Fo
the present period, out OF an aggregate Of 79,9
women, 7O,92l or Ss,7 per cent, were single
6,775, or 85 per cent, married: 2,O1l, or rs pc
cent, divorced; and 244 or 3-l0 OF per cent
unknown.
The last census figures on this point are ais
analyzed. OF the 3,9l4,5U females 10 years o
age or over engaged in gsinful pursuits in tn
United States in 1890, 69.84 per cent wer
single or their conjugal condition unknown
1915 per cent. were married, 1910 per cen,
) wero widowed, and 80 per cent were divorced
, In 43e OF the establishments cAnvassed tn
agents secured data as to the relative effcienc
OF women and children and Of men working q
the same occupations. OF 782 instances 1
which men and women work at the samo occu
] patton and perform their work with the sam
degree Of efficiency. mon receive greater pa
, in 5s5, or 76l per cent. Of the instances an
women receive greater pay in l29, or 1876 pc
: cent, while in 50 instances, or "a per cen
they receive the same pay for the same worl
The men receive SOL percent greater pay tina
tho women in the b95 instances In which the
are given greater pay, while the women re
s ceive but 1l.3 per cent greater pay In the /:
S instances In which they are paid higher wage
@ Out Of the 2S8 instances in which men an
children (persons under IS years Of age) wor
at the same occupation with O like degree
= efficiency, men receive greater pay in 1872, {
7e.S per cent. of the instances, and children II
, ceive greater pay in "a, or 1915 per cent whi
in 22 instances, or OF per cent they receive tn
same pay for the same work performed wit
the same degree OF efficiency The men receiy
S 57.7 per cent greater pay than the children
/. the 1872 instances in which they are paid NOR
/. while the children receive but SO per cen
Il greater pay in the "a instances in which the
G are paid higher wages.