The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23
WOMEN AND wAGE-EARNING.

A writer in New York paper urges that
every girl should be taught trade, and
devotes a column and a half to showing
the Importance OF making all young
women of every social grade self-support-
ing, or at least capable of self-support
This Is favorite theory with many people,
and that it should be so is not surprising
when the frequency with which women are
Unexpectedly thrown upon their own re-
sources is considered. II is natural for one
who has had opportunity to note the al
most uniform unfitness of such inexperi-
enced women for business life. and the
difficulty they encounter in finding re-
munerative employment. to assume that
the remedy lies in youthful preparation
that might qualify them to meet such possi-
BILE emergencies. 1t is noticeable, however,
that the advocates of such methods deal
with the subject but vaguely. They say
learn trade" or master some lucrative
calling but they do not go into particulars
or specify what trades or professions can
be mastered and the knowledge thus laid
aside be brought forth for use in case
of women marry, such skill as they might
acquire in most of the incorporating occu-
pations would necessarily be unused as
soon as they had husbands to provide for
them, and would only be called for again
in the event that their fathers or husbands
lost their incomes or died bankrupt 1t
is the common experience of men that
when they have learned a business they
must work at it or else presently find
themselves losing their proficiency; in fact,
most callings require a good many years
of constant attention before they are
methods and conditions with them, and it
is common to hear men who are regarded
as experts in their respective lines say that
they are daily learning something new
about their own specialties. This is not
only true of the strictly commercial call
ings. but of the professions and even Of
the manual occupations. A man does not
learn how to be doctor or lawyer, with
intent to engage in practice at some in
definite time in the future. He knows that
he will lose much of his knowledge in five
or ten years and will have to begin over
again.
Take the trades that girls and women
most commonly enter: If experts are to
be believed, the millinery business-that
is. the manual dexterity required in the
making and trimming of hats--is not a
lasting accomplishment. Not only do the
fashions of hats change. they say. but
the fashion of making them, and the
milliner of ten years ago has to learn the
art anew. The same. to a considerable ex-
tent. is said to be true in the fltH of the
| dressmaker. The needle. of course. re-
mains the chief tool. but the building
! OF a modern gown calls for a talent far
beyond that belonging to the ordinary
wielder of the needle. say those who should
know-a talent. too. that needs constant
| renewal As to other calIings in which
so many young women engage-typewrit-
| ing acting as saleswomen, etc, what
| would il profit for a host of other girls to
| undertake these occupations merely i'm an
experimental way? Experts. specialists,
are wanted now in these and every other
calling. and II is only those who give much
time and labor and unremitting attention