Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-07

was paid s1O.5O per week and that she had
succeeded a man who was paid S24 a week
for precisely the same work
It was also found that women were grad
ually driving men out Of the manufacture
Of shoes, their employers. in their zeal to
reduce the cost Of production placing
young girls as operators Of dangerous ma
chimes In every instance where a man
was displaced by a woman the average
wage was cut almost squarely In twain. In
Columbus the highest wages are received
by the women In the employ Of the reEalia
makers, the average being $40 a week.
Next in Importance are the women who
pursue the Ehastly trade Of coffin making.
They earn t6.S3 each week. The lowest
paid operatives are those who manufac-
ture macaroni. their average pay being
S2.66 a week. The records show that Gin
cinnati is lower than the other cities.
The best paid operatives are those who
make women's clothing. and they are paid
S544 Awning and tent makers earn S5.35
and the women employed in candy factor
les get only 1884. II has been ascertained
that the average number Of hours worked
each week by female operatives in factories
is SIS, or nearly ten hours per diem.
Eight cents an Hour.
In other words, they receive slightly more
than S cents an hour for their labor, most
of which is skilled. The nefarious dock
ing" system prevails in some lines Of busi-
ness. while the record is black with in
stances Of overtime without pay
The women deputies, be it remembered,
took up only such forms OF employment as
might be termed skilled or partly so, where
women came into actual competition with
male workers. II is an interesting study tC
observe into what manufactures they have
| penetrated. Nearly all Of the awnings
tents and flags are made by them. The
making OF paper boxes, it may be said, is
1 entirely in their hands, and they assist
I largely in the making Of wooden boxes. As
/ has been pointed out they are gradually
/ driving he males out Of the boot and shoe
/ industry with the help Of the machines
! The only button factory in the state en-
| ploye girls 20 grind out and bore the mother
/ Of pearl into shape In the bakeries and
! cracker manufactures they do all the pack.
/ ing and wrapping.
They are being slowly introduced into the
/ carriage and buggy trade as operators O.
the machines which stitch the heavy
leather tops and trimmings. Nearly all O.
/ the clothing, male and female, is made b!
| them the males being gradually dispos
sessed. In the machine toC shops thel
/ are also forcing the men aside and ar'
making the race warm for the Convicts. il
the great tobacco industry their number,
are multiplying, the packing, rolling, filling
and stripping departments being almos
( entirely in their hands. The day is not IA
distant when they will be making the com
plete cigar, and then the penitentiary con
tractors who employ convict labor will fin
themselves driven from the market.
The report of the deputies shows tina
the constant handling of tobacco produce
an appetite for strong drink and that tn
female is not exempt from it. They repor
that they found the girls in the Tobacco
factories loud and insolent. Whereve
goods are 10 be labeled, wrapped an
packed girls are being introduced to TAX
the place Of men and boys. This is true o
the drug and medical trade, of the eoffe
and spice business and of the distilling in
dustry. Women are making the rugs
gloves suspenders, belts and shirts Of tn
state, They make and pack the jellies an
pickles in the large factories. They ar
employed in large numbers in printerie
and binderies.