The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-20
XIV. WOMEN WORKERS IN THE
HOME.

1
ans work has long now had definite
place and value. IN this enlightened
age, and especially in this favored land,
| society has reached the point where K
/ willingly accepts and applauds woman
LOT what, at any time, she may show
| herself capable Of being and doing that
/ IS noble and commanding.
| Much of the normal work of the home
has been taken out of the home by
modern scientific improvements, 50 that
women of today have less to do in that
Iealfh tnan IN our grandmother day.
moreover though, naturally, woman is
the hoIae-maker, the home eeper, and
man the home-supporter, home-pro-
| tector, often today a woman must as
sumo part Of mans work Of pr0tec-
/ tlon. This is misfortune, not an op-
portunity.
An elective avenue for home workers
has been opened through the women's
| exchanges, which are now found in
nearly all our large cities. and virtually
| al growing out Of philanthropic mo
{lVes These exchanges have already
had an appreciable effect on economic
conditions, and must in the future play
a still more important part They have
a double end in view, to direct into re-
muneratiVe channels the work of wOm-
en- suddenly reduced to PenuTy, with
the secondary aim Of encouraging the
principle of sef-help in the minds of
girls ana women who in the future.
viii be helpful and not helpless when
misfortune comes.
IN carrying out it's objects, the ex-
ohange receives, under specified con-
d1tions, articles Of the three general
| classes Of domestic work, needIewori<
and art work. Under the domestic de-
partment are included all kinds of food
prepared at home by the consignOrs
ana sold through the ex kange- articles
OF many varieties, every form of bread
| pastry cake, cookies. cold meats. cal
aus, soups, desserts, preserves. jellies,
jams, pickles, GAUGES and delicacies for
the sick In the department of needle
work nearly 100 different artisles are
enumerated by different exchanges. and
the number IS practically without limit,
! since IL includes every form Of plain
and fancy sewing. The arE department
IS for the specific enc0urag cement of dec
orafiYe art; and its possibilities, as well
az actual achievements. are great
Inese three departments are found in
an the exchanges, but each adds its
own eSpeclai line Of work, according
10 the locality and consequent needs
OF 1ne community. A few receive scien-
tiflc and literary work, others arrange
for cleaning and mending lace. re-eoV-
erinS furniture, writing and copying.
the preparation Of lunches fo9 travel
era and picnic parties, while a few take
orders Tor shopping The exchanges
have pointed out 10 women a means Of
support that can be carried on within
their own homes, and which at the
same time is perfectly compatible with
other work necessarily performed there.
These women are learning that society
ls coming 70 respect more the woman
who supports herself by making good
bread, cakes and preserves than the
woman who teaches school indiherent-
IS, gives poor elocutionaTy perform
ances, or becomes a mere mechanical
cohtIlVance IN shop or factory They
are hnding that the stamp Of approval
- Ultimately set on the way work is
zone, rather than on the occupation it
self. Thus it is that hundreds of womsn
from Maine to Texas ard California
are obtaining for themselves and others
partial or entire support.
NOT Only are such articleS-ae bread.
preserved fruit, salads, desserts and an
lnnumerabie number Of special dotnes-
nc compounds, in addition te the pro-
ducts Of the needle and decorative art
Work-hoGnd in the large cities, but in
country villages many women are en-
s-N5n~- az ---ANA- WI ~ anu ULtEll NlLI Il
ready sale in the home market. In enc
village of only 500 inhabitants one
young woman makes and sells daily
thirty 4o2Ves OF bread -One woman in
another country town earns a good liv-
ing Dy sending chicken salad to be sold
IN New York City Another has cleared
$500 each season by making preserves
and jeilieF on private orders. A fourth
mas built up a large business employ
ms four or five assistants, in making
cake. These Instances, which might be
multiplied, are taken from the class OF
domestic work alone. - many more
might be cited from the departments
OF needleWOrk and decorative art. sure
~ il is better for the individual. and
better for society that women should
turn to useful account their various
talents rather than attempt to enter the
overerowded occupations and do work
TOR which they have neither talent nor
inclination.
No discussion Of women nome work
ers IS complete without an inclusion Of
the household servant question, Sew
enty-hve years ago a woman who was
obliged to earn her own living went
naturally into domestic service, hardly
asking herself whether there was any
other available employment The same
woman today might choose from a hun
dred VOcatiOn5. Domestic service PAYS
better than most other empioyments
in which women are engaged, yet wher-
ever the workshop comes into competi-
ton with domestic service the kitchen
Is deserted. What superior attractions
has the workshop to offer? First. reg
ular hours. However wearisome the
day the factory employee looks for
ward TO an evening all her own. The
law prohibits Sunday labor in factory
and workshop. but this law does not
reach the kitchen A second potent at
traction to the workshop Is companion
snip, Woman, more than man. is a So
eial being. The factory operative or
shop girl, moreover, lives at home or
among her friends. The house servant
may be better housed and better fed,
but she is not free. Here lies the Sc
cret Of the universal prejudice against
domestic service In the competition
between workshop and kitchen the
workshop will surely triumph, unless
the hOuseheeper can offer girls the came
or equivalent inducements
There is a graver side to the study Of
women workers in the home than has
yet been touched upon. An English
writer calls tire home workers the
worst paid OF our women" That is IN
some respects true Of our women. What
is known as the sweating system is
mainly carried On in the so-called IN
protected trades-that is, trades where
in no law enfOrces proper sanitary ar
rangfments or limits the hours Of la
Dor Under this heating come dress
making anG tailoring, work on muslin
underwear, uphOlstering. umbrella
making, fur sewing and many other
Isolated industries. These trades are
carried on either entirely at home or
partly at home and partly in small fac,
tories The more the horrors OF the
sweating system are ventilated the
more urgent seems some remedy. The
charges usually made against those
who labor under the sweating system
are Jack % cleanliness in house and