The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-04-26

IL
ers predominate, in, our reports rela-
tive to this matter for the year 1901,
We have the following results. The
greatest number of women we find
employed in establishments that come
under the heading Of Textile Indus
tries. such as clothing factories, dye
works, bag manufacturing, carpet
weaving and cleaning, corset making,
knitting works, tents and awning,
suspenders and fur goods, and in WOOL
en- mills are found fully AZ per cent
of all women employed in manufactur-
ing Industries in$ our state. In laun-
dries are employed Is per cent. Print
ing establishments and book binder
les represent II per cent. In the manu-
facture of food products in bakeries,
creameries, confectioneries, bottling of
matted and carbonated beverages 10
per cent. In shoe factories per cent,
and in cigar factories per cent In
ting 25 per cent, sand the other 8.5 per
cent we find scattered in various occu-
pations. One of the means of employ
ment at which women are engaged in,
and to which I Hesire to call your at
tention, is in the slaughter, and pack
ing houses, l can not understand how
work of this kind, no matter how we'll
paid for, would appeal to the ordinary
woman, as means of making a living
when there are so many opportunities
of securing a pleasant home, and
steady employment with good wages
as a domestic wage Garner
The blanks furnished the female
wage earners in various portions Of
our state, by the bureau of labor, max
ing inquiries into the conditions sur
rounding them in their employment,
in many cases have been returned to
the office, and in reading them over
I have concluded that a great deal of
interest must have been taken, and
considerable time, and attention de-
voted to filling out, and answering the
questions that we submitted to them
for their consideration.
In the answer to the inquiry that
we make relating to domestic service,
and especially from girls, who have
never engaged in this line of employ
ment we find a unity of opinion, that
is to say the least, surprising, and 7
might say that II we must judge from
the expressions used by the average
woman wage Garner in answer to
these questions regarding domestics,
and that class of work, me must admit
that they unanimously agree that the
life of domestic wage Garner is at
a decided disadvantage when compared
with the freedonQ, the hours and the
privileges enjoyed in other forms of
employment in Rhich many of the
women of today fre engaged.
In the selectio1 Of employment, the
amount Of wages to be obtained is
often if not always a matter of great
consideration, nA;when we take into
account the, fact hat q, domestic wage
earn 1 II beaidess4 neiA her y With,
her meals and room Included receives
greater compensation than Is received
by the average woman worker Of to-
day. 1t is surprising to know that at
times when the applicants for positions
in the factory, and department stores
are more numerous than the places to
be filled, it is impossible to secure a
sufficient number of domestics, as the
demand for that class of labor always
exceeds the supply.
Many objections and explanations are
given by the factory, stores and office
employees, who have so kindly assisted
our department in the various invest
igations which we have undertaken as
to why they did not care to take up
the life of a domestic. One of the COM
plants most frequently made is in
definite hours. The feeling appears
to exist in the minds Of many of the
~;
objection that girl in the employ Of
the average housekeeper is compelled
to work from early morning till after
dinner in the evening, doing general
housework, and then be prepared to
answer the call Of the bell, and to
serve the wants of any member Of the
family in the way of little errands or
any other little mission that might
suggest itself to their minds, notwitl-
standing how tired and worn out the
girl might be from her work of the
day.
Isolation of the domestic employees
life is a subject for much objection,
from many of the parties from whom
we have heard, they claim 1t is posi-
ton that does not allow any social
intercourse to exist between them and
the members of the family in which
they are engaged, and the time that
they have at their disposal outside Of
their regular hours of work, will not
permit Of any great amount of social
life in the way of clubs or amusements
that is to large extent enjoyed by
women workers lin the factory, store
and workshop.
In answer to question No. 81: do
working women generally seek other
occupations than housework." the an
swer is invariably the same: YES"
Question 80 asks what in your opinion
is the reason for this. While the words
used in explanation are not always the
same, but one conclusion can be drawn
from the answers given. That one
and all consider that domestic service
carries with it a badge of social in
feriority. Many women engaged in
other kinds of employment object to
associating in social way with what
she terms the servant girl.
In speaking of the reasons which
prevent women from entering domestic
service, Dean Marion F. Talbot of the
University of Chicago, expressed the
opinion, 1.-THE objections of indefinite