The evening times., 1899-04-07
Why WOMEN WORK
FOR LITTLE PAY
Sisters Explain the Reasons
on Lecture Platforms.
Nest of Them Look for Marriage to
Better Their Condition,
or PrOfessiOns to Last Them
Throughout Their Lives.

tou bidtcn, lectuTlnS last evening DeIoTe
the New York County Woman Suffrage
League, No. 412 Ninth Avenue on the sub
ject, why Are Women's Wages Lower
Than Men's?" had several reasons to offer
for the difference. and as the solution. the
cure she advocated the suffrage, co-opera
tion, and organization.
Women start in to work not as il go
ing into a profession or trade for life. -
she said, but as a temporary means of
support. They are uncertain and unstable,
therefore. and they and there employers
know it. They know that they are working
until they marry, while men are working
for all time.
THE depreciation Of the home work OF
women is one great cause for the low
wages. The woman who works at home for
her husband and children works harder
often than the husband does in the shop
or factory. Few men realize what her work
is. and she does the work of two or three
women, thus cutting some other woman out
Of living.
Now every employer is trying to find
out the machines that will do his work
best and cheapest. If men are those ma
chimes they will get the work. II women
are cheaper for what they accomplish the
whole force will be changed. But as the
change from men to women in the trades
is going on very slowly ii is proof that men
are not so much more expensive labor than
women.
The question is, What can We 90 TO "a se
wages Of women? When you so to work
TO raise a people, you try to give them
intelligence. energy, and se!f-respect. The
best thing we can do for working women
ts tn oit-A colt al-A hon,
citizens. They must be factors in the
State before they can get real economic
equality with men. This is the reason that
women teachers get less money than men.
Where there is a disfranchised class II
always gets pushed TO the wall. We must
educate the women more thoroughly. They
must have a good. all-round education that
will make them firm TO hold their place
when gained. They should understand the
machinery they handle-not be content 10
run a sewing machine or ride a bicycle.
but to know how il works as well, with an
intelligent understanding of its mechanism.
We must alter certain conditions. We
must teach the working women TO organ
ize. not only in the trades unions. but in
the home. We go over the country preach
ing domestic science, but | often think
the science is entirely left out. l know
many persons believe that il you teach
every woman 10 cook you will have good
cooking Now. every woman cannot be a
| cook and more specializing is necessary.
We must give up that conceited idea that
We can do all things, and learn one thing
we'll
Finally. from a material point of view,
| il cant be good for any nation TO have its
women marry for the sake of being sup
ported. and that is what they must do II
| they cannot support themselves properly
1T is enough TO make any woman i'll
dignant" Mrs. Blake. who presided, en-
claimed. to hear any workingman say
| that he supports his wife. She cares for
| the children. cooks the meals, keeps the
| house. and if she were TO fall i'll he would
pay some other woman wages 10 do the
| same. and wouldn't think he supported her
And she'd probably have more good morcy
to spend than his wife ever had in all ler
| married life.
Mrs. Jennie de la NJ. Lozier said zone
reason women get less pay. think, is be-
cause they can live on less Ian men. Now
that is all wrong They should have more
clothes. and not make them themselves.
and should eat more. They should insist
on more wages and pay some one else to
do that work But the whole question
comes down to the difficulties of mateIni
ty. The problem is simple enough until
the children come. and then it all grows
much more complicated, and it's all wrong
thta it should be So
Il believe" said Miss keyser. that as
soon as you organize women into unions
they will get the same wages as men.
But. how many women can you get to
organize. I want to know" exclaimed Mrs.
Blatch. They do not feel that the occu-
patton Is permanent, and they won't pay
in money to form a union. And how about
those IL 900 600 married women in America
who cannot afford servant, and must do
all themselves; aren't they working? We
are demanding of them impossibilities. I'd
like to see the women in the tenements
simplify their work by dividing it, one
taking the children to the park to play.
while another does the washing and yet
another the cooking"