The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-04-26
SfRVANT PROBLEM
LABOR COMMISSIONER O'DONNELL
TELLS OF WOMEN LABOR.
Gives Some Practical Suggestions
About Female and Child Labor.
Result of investigation in His
Observation-Disclosures Women Are
p1Oyed-IsOlatiOn of the Fe-
male Employees Life.

Labor Commissioner John O'Donnell
delivered the following paper before
the Civic League of St. Paul on the
Woman Labor Question. Mr. O'Don-
nell is different than most statisti-
clans. He does not get into any the
ories, but dwells on subjects of fact.
His paper will be of interest to every
student of the woman and child labor
question. 1t is as follows:
In the home is consumed very large
proportion of all the wealth that pro-
ductive labor creates, hence the nee
essity Of careful consideration of all
elements that enter into, and go to
make up our home life One of the
most important of all these, is the en-
ployment of females as wage-earners.
In order to consider intelligently the
Importance of this subject, I quote to
you some figures taken from the re-
ports Of the 18th United States GEN.
sus. The report shows that the entire
population Of the state of Minnesota
in 1890 was 1901, 1926 and in 1900, 1,741,-
986, an increase of 1873 per cent In
1890 there were &c. 790 persons employed
in manufacturing Industries in our
state, and in the year 1900 the number
is shown to be 1924 persons employed.
An increase of 1917 per cent.
From these figures we learn that
the industrial wage earners represen-
ted 5.4 per cent Of the total population
of the state in $780, and "A per cent
in 1900. 1t is but natural that a state
having the many advantages that Min
nesota possesses in the way Of agri-
cultural resources should attract
greater agricultural emigration than
Industrial
The industrial wage earners in the
state in 1890, numbered 63,522 men,
5,509 women and 760 children under
Is years of age. In 1900 we find 66,8S9
men, 1868 women and 1872 children en-
ployed in our manufacturing industries.
The increase in the number of adult
male wage earners during the decade
is shown as 5.3 per cent, and the in
crease of female wage earners reached
the large percentage of 1874 per cent.
The relative standing of employees in
1890 was one woman employed to II
men, and one child under 16 years to
81 adults. In 1900 we find one woman
employed to Z men,, and 1 child to
81 adults. ,..e.u
,rhus while We nnd that thy' ri number
Of female wage earners has rapidly
increased. It is pleasing to note that
the number of children employed in
the state of Minnesota is considerable
less than the number employed in
industries of many of
the other states.
oF ;cei1 oE
Labor of the State of Minnesota for
the year 1900 shows, that the inspec-
tors of the department made returns
for 8,715. Women wage earners en-
ployed in manufacturing establish
ments or 838 less than is shown in
the report by the Census Department
for the same year.
But this is very easily accounted
for, as it is impossible for the state
bureau to make as thorough an in
vestigation of our industries with the
means at hand, as can be made by
the federal bureau, with, might say,
the unlimited resources that they en-
joy.
The relative standing of employees
in none-manufac cturing establishments
for the year 1901, according to reports
Of the inspectors of the state bureau
Of labor, we found as follows, one
employed to every three men,
and one child under 16 years to IS
adults. Thus we find that in the mer-
camille world of our large department
stores the women wage earners rapidly
replacing her father and brother, and
forcing them to seek other means of
It may be of interest for us to know