The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-10

How many people, says "An Investi-
gator" give a thought to the silent So
cial and commercial revolution that is
going on in our midst? How many real
lie the real meaning of the great in
yasion of women into places of trust
and profit, both in London and the
great business centres of the united
kingdom?
If anybody has the truth borne pain
fully home to him in the metropolis,
it is the clerk, the many representa-
tive something's in the city," as well
as those young men who unfortunately
prefer broadcloth to fustian and cor
duroy. They are beginning to have,
If they have not had enough already,
unpleasant experience of that cold, I'M
relentless, measured beat of the ma
chine called trade and commerce. They
are discovering that employers do not
run their business for fun, and that
trading Office is not conducted on the
lines of philanthropic institution.
This revolution must have material
cause. We may doubt whether all
these young men are lazy, Indifferent
and unreliable. Employers plead these
shortcomings as their reasons for or
namenting their establishments with
women clerks and women typewriters
The underlying truth rather seems to
be that George is elected because Fan
ny is cheaper.
Investigation into this question re-
suits in something like revelation.
Everywhere are women crOWding into
occupatil ms which years ago were ex-
clusively held by men, 1t is tremen-
dous invasion. Take, for instance, the
post office-or, as the women themselves
like to call it, the civil service. Women
by the thousand are there engaged in
doing work which could be done by
men. No fewer than $4,000 are employed
throughout the country as assistants
to postmasters and in delivering letters
in country districts. There are over 800
in the savings bank department, 800 in
the central telegraph and about 450 in
the postal order branch. The clearing
house department is worked entirely by
women. For the London, Dublin and
Edinburg offices, there are two female
medical officers, over 1900 superinten-
dents and clerks and telegraphists and
$50 sorters-total, over 4000-all women.
There are two appointments held by
women in London where the pay starts
at $500, rising in the postal order
branch to G450, and in the savings bank
branch to $500. Add nearly 1000 female
sorting clerks and telegraphists in the
provinces, and fair picture is present.
ed of the employment policy of the post
office In fact, the post office is held up
by the womer themselves as a sort of
employment paradise, inasmuch, as the
situations are permanent the holidays
long, the hours of work reasonable and
the increase of salary steady. They even
get a pension f they resign on account
of ill health, and if they get married
a benevolent administration hands them
over nice little checks with which they
may begin their very serious duties at
the expense of the ratepayers.
Turning to other vocations for
women, they are almost endless. There
are the women DOCTORS private ac-
countants, professional bookkeepers,
gardeners, women florists, hairdressers,
indexers, lecturers, inspired by lee
ture department; Librarians, whose
chief complaint is that the remunera-
ton is poor; tailors bookbinders, dis
pensers, graphers-limited in
numbers because the business is eX-
pensive-printers, who do most things
in the office except work the cropper,
men secretaries, they approach the di-
mansions of little army; while in jour-
nalism there are many reserve forces
of humanity-for such have women
been dominated-wh illumine the pro-
fession
Outside the beaten track of female
occupations, 1 find there are women
architects. They number but one or
two, but they have been trained in an
architects office, which is not without
significance. l am told that recently
woman was admitted By the Institute
of British architects. 1t is estimated
that there are fully 200 women engaged
as commercial travellers. Decorative ar
lists are advancing in numbers. The
dancing master-the up toe date Tur-
Veydrop-is being supplanted by the
dancing woman. Women dentists DO
not show much progress. The country
pays six women factory inspectors from
C 200 to 6 300 a year each. Law writing
by women has a precarious existence
in face of the typewriter. Market gard
ening is a nice light occupation for some
women, who employ men to do the hea-
Wy work. Plan tracing is found to be
suitable Poultry and bee keeping are
carried on by some, the university eX-
tension al Reading obligingly providing
a three weeks course for the women in
return
ing and translating and stock broking
why need I go further to open the
eyes Of the British public to the meas
ure of the great social revolution? l
believe there is only one woman stock
broker. / am not sure that some titled
women are not indicating a desire to
illuminate the proceedings of Capel
court and join in it's eccentric pleasant
ries. but / am quite sure there are wo-
I
my own eyes. and heard their sweet
discourse.
This competition with men is the
cause Of bitter complaint among the
weavers' associations in the north.
Their representatives told the royal
commission on labor that women tend
ed to push them out of employment,
and that not only were they liable TO
he displaced, but the competition OF
woman's labor being cheaper tended to
null down their rate of wages.
Women said one witness, have for
some time been driving men out of the
trade on account of less wages. We
have scores. I may say hundreds, OF
able-bodied men, good weavers, wGlk-
ing the streets in the Huddersfeld
district, who cannot get employment
in consequence of women lapor; an
thar witness said: Men are ottereu
,y,onoens wages now, and, unfortunate
", man many have accepted those terms. as
a was a choice of no work at all or
work at the same wages as women.
-,,;5ence as to the tailoring trade, the
.,n+ipo trade. watch trade, ana pot
Pr and nine industry showed unmis-
teLoabiv that the extensive employ
, raNe Of women tended to lower wages.
M economic phase of the question is
d ne in the remark of one of the
Illnesses, uJtr 'When the time comes thai
7 have to pay females the same price
&c males. | shall have no females.