The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-05-21
WOMAN IN INDUSTRY.

NOMAN IN 1ANpO0lRi'
Writing in the current number of the Nortl
American Review on ''The Truth About Woman
the sweeping conclusion that woman in industry lis
a frghtful failure" She earns on the average, ac-
cording to Mrs. Thompson, less than 81 a day; her
effect on economic interests is to lessen efficiency
and to increase cost of production; the effect on
function and morally and mentally to unfit her for
her economic office in the family while the effect
on society is ''to promote pauperism, both by in
creasing the cost of living and by robbing men of
e responsibility that gives them force and success
IN their natural office of dispenser of wealth to the
family
Mrs Thompson makes out very strong case for
her side of the question: and it is impossible not to
agree with much that she says about the deterior-
ating effect of feminine labor outside of the house
hold 1t is difficult to see, however, what is to be
done in the matter. Most women who engage in
work wherein men might perhaps be employed do
not do so from choice-as Mrs. Thompson seems to
assme-bu from necessity. They are compelled to
work in lieu of starvation or, at least of privaton
that renders life hardly worth living. They are face
to face with condition. not theory, and nothing
B left for them but to make choice of two alter
natives.
Nor does it follow as a general rule-as Mrs.
Thompson contends that it does-that where women
become wage-earners they necessarily crowd men
out of employment. This might have been the case
20 and 80 years ago, had women been as widely en-
pIoyed then as they are now; but the progress of
invention and science has opened dozens of new ave
nues of employment for women and at the same time
has opened still NOR avenues of employment for men,
1t may be fact that women in industry earn on the
average less than 81 day, but it is notorious that
the general rate of wages tends constantly upward i
and this would be impossible were it a fact that
women were usurping the place of men to any i'm
portant extent in the field of industry.
Furthermore, there are certain branches of bust
ness for which women are particularly fitted and for
which men are, by nature usually untitled. Of such
branches Of business-to indicate merely their gen.
eral character-are millinery and dressmaking and
variety of other occupations requiring the use Of
The needle and sewing machine the manufacture of
artificial flowers; the conduct of stores and depart
ments devoted to feminine garments and the like.
In these occupations vast multitudes Of women are
employed in the absence of whom most of such kinds
Of business would probably come to halt Either
this would be the case or they would be carried in
the home, in which event women would continue, to
all intents and purposes, to be wage-earners,
But even admitting all that Mrs. Thompson says
to be true, what is to be done in the premises? She
offers no remedy for the state of affairs that she
deplores and condemns She would hardly propose
that all women wage-earners should be summarily
turned adrft to shift for themselves, or that the
state or private charity should take it on itself to
provide for such as nigh be unable to provide for
themselves without working Mrs. Thompson seems
to be so thoroughly alive to the wrong of feminine
labor outside of the household that it is to be hoped
she will now tell us how it is to be cured.