New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-29
THE PIN MONEY WORKER.
Slowly But Surely She Gusts Women Who
Must Earn Living Wage.

The opestion of a woman,s right TO work for
pin money and the effect upon the labor market OF
the employment of women are discussed heipiulIy
by Priscilla Leonard, in "Harpers Bazaar In
common with great many women and most men,
she deprecates the manner In which women VINO
have a home and maintenance guaranteed 10 then
insist pushing themselves into the Industrial
field for the sake OF the few extra luxuries their
work will give them. She shows how the infu-
ence OF wages is always to lower them
and she quotes English authority TO the enect
that wages in any trade sent downward steadi-
ly in proportion TO the number OF women employed
This deplorable state OF things comes about
Miss Leonard concludes because. while all men
are united on insisting on a living wage. women
have scruples about working for anything they
get. The woman breadwinner wants the living
wage. TOO, and left TO herself she might get H.
But she has the women to compete with who
live in families where father or brother pay the
rent and provide the food. Such women do not
need living wage. On the contrary, they can
afford to work for exceedingly low wage, ana
yet get plenty of spending money out of It, Be
cause OF these pin money workers, manufacturers
offer what is practically starvation wage. Men
VIII not accept it, no self-supporting woman can
live it, the only class who will take 1t is the
class of supported and protected girls who have
created it The living wage is lost to that spe-
cial industry forever The pin money worker has
destroyed all other chances. but her own. driven
men out OF that branch partially or entirely ana
cheapened her own labor. But she Is quite salts
fed, for her s. 60 week buys all the feathers she
needs.
Miss Leonard cites the case Of the shopgirl as
illustration OF the fatal influence of the pin
another In large cities the sbonsirl has driven
out the male clerk and destroyed the living wage
who has to live on her own wages The big stores
will not take her any more, and II they would she
has practically been closed to her by the worker
In the garment workers line the situation is
quite as bad. or worse. Miss Leonard declares Leto
What renders the tremendous bargains In white
homes and food. make these garments for wages
so small that the city sweatshop is driven INTO
yet hercer competition to hold any part of the
trade at all Every woman IN Dig cry no sbed
down, relentlessly and inevitably, to starvation
fifteen hours a day with only bread and tea TO
keep soul and body together. are paving for the
ing wage; she makes 1t impossible for them 10
That this holds In other trades besides the two
cited seems to be the opinion OF the authors OF
THE Woman Who Tolls who are quoted by MISS
.'in the factory where worked and women
We're employed for ten hours day; The women,s
highest wages were lower than the mems low,
illusions | drew from what saw myself In the
petitor-the breadwinner. in the feminine category
i found a variety OF classes; the breadwinner the
res Ifupnor,inS eirI IS in compeftion with the
girl who lives at home. and makes small con-
tribution to the househald expenses, and with the
girl clothes %hS is It IS hs Which
takes the spirit out OF them class.
The men formed united class They had a
purpose in common. They worked because they
needed the money to live The women had moth
ing In common but their physical inferiority 10
men. The children in the factory were working
from necessity; the boys were working from neceso
sity Tho only Industrial unit complicating the
nroh,em was the girls who worked without being
Obliged to-the girls who had all the money, they
needed but not all the money they wanted To
them the question OF wages was not vital Ihey
could afYord TO accept what the breadwinner round
SnsnfscIent They wers better fed better equipped,
than the self-supporting hand. They We're inGer
pendent about staying away from the factory
when thew were tired I'll. and they alone deter
mined the reputation for irregularty in which the
hreadvinners included. -,
Miss Ieonard's conclusion is that until seif-sup-
porting women develop sense OF sisterhood AKIN
e. tb9t recognized In and fOstered by the trade
union among men, women will be an unset'hhs
element in industry.