New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-29
Hk hslIsg. Boz BS 81 EI.

census. the number OF women now working IN
the country is about eSoooco OF these nearly 1000
900 are employed in factories and about 5oooo IN
trade. In the cloth factories the leather and
paper works. even in the metal foundries. the
number OF women employed increases daily This
has. of course. been the for many Years I'm
the United States OF America and Great Britain
but. essentially conservative the French are
the radical change IN the constitution OF the
home wrought by the employment OF women
outside that home could only be effected slowly
In a land where the marriage institution is based
upon financial partnership each OF the con-
tracing parties contributing his or her share OF
money 10 maintain the home. in the face OF the
Increasing poverty brought about by costly wars
and heavy consequent taxation. women have
found themselves reluctantly compelled 20 become
wage earlers-if not in order 10 insure marriage.
at least 10 help support their families While de-
barred IN almost every land from the heavier
kinds Of toll such work in mines tending fur
nases, smelling works. etc, the Introduction In
recent times 81 machinery into every branch CT
manufacture has benefited women by providing
large amount OF comparatively light WORK IN
which care patience and suppleness are more es-
sen+isl than phvsical strength. And for such
work French women are better fitted than french
men.
In thus entering the lists with men, women nave
seriously reduced the market value Of all labor and
= .,,-.,,-os the greatest sufferers in conse-
,,,s,ce 4 ooun1ar!son OF the rate OF wages paid
10 the two sexes viii show how heavily handi-
canned the weaker are in the struggle Tor lie
In agriculture the average daily wage Tor a man
&c f-o-, franc IS centimes TO francs % centmes;
Tor a woman il is from 80 centimes 10 francs.
T. factories II averages for woman from franc
n confines 10 francs. for man 1t is double. In
paris the average is little higher than II Is in
The country but the proportion remains invariabie
Il e more particularly in the textile manufactures
where women furnish more than half OF the total
. labor employed that the sex is the worst paid.
The recent strike among the women weavers on the
F2e1efan frontier has made known the painful fact
that there are many among the hands whose
weekly wage amounts 10 more than S francs
which is the equivalent in United States money to
s g.
But this ptifully inadequate wage is by TO means
recuriar 10 France. In Belgium nine-tenths OF the
women workers earn average daily pittance Of
no more than francs so confines 60 ceuts)-that
IS one-half Of the wage earned by men: in some
large cities Of Germany the average wage OF Inc
female employee is only ! franc - confines for
osv OF eleven hours.
The wages above mentioned refer only to the
lowest form OF labor. Turning. however TO skilled
labor performed by the more cultured classes Of
women. the same crying evil is apparent-aII are
hopelessly undergrad The teaching profession is
worse paid in France. perhaps. than anywhere
else and the modern extension Of the high school
system Gycees1 has cut the ground from under
the feet Of q large number Of educated women who