The San Francisco call., 1899-12-13
WOMEN AS THE
SLAVES OF THE
MODERN SHOPS
The Savagery of Our
Civilization.
LOCAL PHASE OF PROBLEM
SERIOUS THEME DISCUSSED BY
PHYSICIANS.

4 minister prominent IN religious and
economic Affairs of 81. Paul has begun a
controversy that has been carried into
other large cities Of the Union. and
among them san Francisco. Neither the
problem nor its discussion IS new. but
thousands of men and women are inter
eslea 10 both Il IS the old question Of
women as wage-earners and the effect OF
manual labor upon American women In
thor relation TO the social. economic
moral and physical forces OF the nation.
one particular phase OF the controversy.
NAT or the physical as understood by
physicians. is Of timely local interest.
In The shops and factories OF San Fran
CISCO many thousands OF women receive
daily employment. Il is interesting.
therefore. 10 know what prominent local
physicians think OF the present and fu-
iure Well-being Of these women.
The 81. Paul controversy has assumed
far wider proportions than this Il IS es-
rmated that over 4.0c0 600 women are now
Wage-earners IN the United States Fully
- per cent Of the employees in manufac-
tories are women. and Il Is claimed that
the percentage Is increasing year by year.
X is asserted that modern conditions of
social and Industrial life are driving men
OUT ~ employment 10 give place 10 women
az lower wages and harder and more ex-
actinS conditions Of labor.
The drudgery 81 the shop and the fac
tory, IL Is contended. has fallen 10 woman.
Destroying her social life. iniuring her
morally, physically and mentally. creating
great economic and social disturbances
ano booming the nation 10 a future race
ot weakllngs produced inevitably by
women physically unfit for motherhood.
The St Paul clergyman insists that we
are IN the midst OF a new savagery
which is immcasurahly. worse than that
which marked woman as a menial and a
slave our shops and our factories are
draining the lives Of our women. devour-
ing their possible strength and trans
forming the mother into a beast OF bur
That tho problem is a serious one there
can be no question. Il has been agitated
times without number and viii be again.
The views az the 81. Paul minister are
NOT by any means. however. the views OF
prominent physicians Of this city. They
are Tar from seeing the dire effects OF
manual labor upon women as seen by the
clergyman. He Is an extremist they
say, and Is better qualified perhaps 20
discuss The ethical and moral phases OF
the problem than the physical
There are few physicians in the city
perhaps. who have had a better opnor-
funity 10 study the various aspects cf the
Ifonlem ot v women wage-earners than Dr.
william N. lawlOr, the present Health
officer. His duties bring him into the
shops and factories and into intimate as
eoclatOns with conditions that surround
women workers. As "a general proposi-
tion.' be said. "it Is unquestionably an
cvll for women 70 do hard manual labor
lN constitution they are not gifted for
such work and there Is not the slightest
question that drudgery carries in IT'S train
manifold physical evils which unit
women for the great burden they must
bear IN motherhood.
'If Ms idle 20 contend that women should
rot work. Society unfortunately is not 20
constituted that an women may find their
sphere In the home. but those that must
N0rk should not BE- forced 20 accept the
Tabor for which their delicate organiza-
tlon is not gifted. There rs work for men