Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-03-25
THE WORKING WOMAN.

EDITOR OF JoURNAL:-Your cores
head of Hard Problem asks so many
questions, to answer them fully, would
require more time and space than any
newspaper would be willing to donate.
Our town library contains many books
OF desirable Information on "Work and
Wages" and the Industrial Problem,
but | have found none especially de-
voted to the servand girl question, who
seems not "to have lost faith in the
holy words of Christ" when he in
formed Mary on certain occasion that
she "had chosen the better part" when
she was so sweetly resigned TO letting
her sister Martha do the house work.
1t appears that Martha complained,
and there are other women, notably
good housekeepers, who do not make
happy homes for themselves, although
they may be worthy of better husbands
than they have or have not.
l have feeling OF sympathy for all
women who have the Spring house
cleaning in prospective, but l would
noa by force of law oblige anyone to do
that task If they we're employed in
labor more congenial to them whether
as factory girls, teachers, clerks or
orther higher employment,
"A WOMAN" would have a law pre-
venting girls usurping the places Of
men. When she has by law classified
labor as male and female will she not
kindly have another law preventing
men occupying positions especially
adapted to womenp Will she not also
have it enacted that when las so many
thousands of women are) they be the
actual supporters of sick, lazy or
drunken fathers and brothers and fam
lilies whom the fathers will not support
that such women he acknowledged as
heads of families entitled to such rights
as assured men? Business men should
employ either sex as best suits them
selves and pay for ability and service
rendered according to labor performed,
whether that result in reducing the
wages of men and forcing them from
behind the counter TO take in washing
and the harder household drudgery
lat ''maus" wages) or in raising the
wages of women when they accomplish
the same amount of labor, 1t would
make little difference in result. Honor
and humanity would suggest that If a
distinction WAS made in payment Of
wages, that the one who was obliged
TO use a greater proportion OF strength
accordingly should receive larger pay.
Who knows of any such Illustration of
Justice? The old bait of a husband for
The unmarried ones is offered as a
reward for good housekeepers! There
would not be half dozen single women
left In Perrysburg If that were accep
table, and life would be- burden be-
cause OF opportunities or opportunities
as you please to call them, for it is n
fact that the marriagabe ladies of our
village are almost without exception
the finest cooks and neatest possible
housekeepers. 1t Is not because they
are poor housekeepers, but the matri-
monial fish pond is much like the Mau-
NEE river nothing left but carp, sinners
and inferior pan fish. Reports from
city papers prove that most of the
divorces are obtained by women from
drunken, abusive, prohigate and vicious
husbands, and some women appear to
profit by that information.
"A STRIPPING of girl" who works in
factory fin preference to washing
dishes in the rear end of house and
tending baby for rest ~ informs me
that a girl who can't learn to cook for
one man and herself during the first
three months of married life would
never learn anyhow. Also that one
reason for which she prefers to work
in factory is that she knows each
day what work will be required Of her,
has the companionship OF others SINH
ilarly situated and Is not subject to the
caprice of various members of a family
from the nominal head down to the
baby who may be actual monarch of
the household.
| might explain farther and will if
desired. ANOTHER WOMAN.