The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-15
SHOP GIRL BLAMES
THE WOMAN SHOPPER
State Labor Bureau Submits
Report of Woman's Strua.
gle for a Living

l SO DO you CIdl II Is the Glil-
ployer's demands upon the girls that
is costing them physical and nervous
energy? If so, you are greatly mis-
taken. You need but to stand here and
watch carefully any counter and you.
| will discover that the wear and tear
on the girls nerves are not from the
| f1oorWalker or manager or member OF
the firm, but from the customer, and
the woman customer at that"
The foregoing statement was made
to a woman inspector of the state bu-
reau of labor by a st. Paul department
| store proprietor in explaining the nerv-
| Gus tension to which his women EN-
ployes are subjected. The state in
| spector inspected" and in report to
| the labor commissioner says:
"A half hours close inspection gave
bountiful evidence that the women
themselves are to blame for the re-
pugnanee with which girls in general
regard the necessity Of serving them
| as household employees. We do not say
that all women are not ladies in the
| store, but it is lamentable fact that
| so many leave their manners and
hearts outside the store doors as to
make life unnecessarily hard for the
girls in the store
The inspector reports that of the
| LOW eoAi4S CAllPlOySO III 81 dQ1 QO-
| partment stores scarcely any are found
who were once employed in the kitch-
ems of st. Paul. It is not because the
servant girls do not want to take en-
pIoyment in stores, but is due to the
reluctance of employers to engage girls
VINO have ever seen employed in do
nestle service. One reason assigned
is that domestic servants are too dull
and not sufficiently ambitious in re-
gard to the personal graces to adapt
themselves to the demands of the de-
partment store and the sensitiveness
of the former mistress to. being waited
on by her late cook has something to
| do~with the case.
Average Wages of Shop Girls
Pursuing the question of wages, the
report, which covers the employment
of women in st. Paul, Minneapolis, Du-
luth and the smaller cities of the state.
and will be included in the forthcon1-
ing biennial report of John O'DonnelI.
state labor commissioner, finds that
$3.50, So, $3.50, 81 and $3.50 are pre-
valllng wages for beginners, and that
the average wage is $3.50 to $3.50 for
women employees In st. Paul depart
ment stores. The maximum is $40. and
When the average wages are consider
ed II is an obvious necessity that most
OF the girls live at home with their
people. Toilet facilities are found to
be ample in st. Paul department
stores, conditions of labor are not ex-
acting and all would be we'll, the in
spector says, except were it not for
the women customers who have no
neart nor soul save for their own
comfort and their own Selves
From department stores to packing
mouse plant is a far cry, but the earn
est women who have labored on the
C0mn1l9tinn M he W. -
ton OF the women wage earners have
OF necessity followed the working girl
into every avenue which offers her en-
ployment. Revolving conditions are
found in packing houses for women
employees, and the part of the report
relating to the employment of women
In these plants is couched In strong
terms.
Nauseatins Surroundings
'+By what curious. twist of the fabric
of our social life does it happen that
men and women, earnest for the bet
terment of humanity. stand passiyely
by while young boys and girls ,''sl earn
their daily bread amid the nause-
Gus fumes arising from tubs of
entrails, from floors wet with blood.
from troughs Steaming with the car
casses of freshly killed animals, sub
merged in the scalding waters almost
before life is extinct? There are no
structures on the firms employing, but
the general apathy that makes it pos
SIDE Tor young women to have every
| instinct of refinement and sensitiveness
blunted and calloused is to be con-,
demned."
1t is pointed out that the girls are
not sequestered from scenes of blood
shed, but they stand only a short dis
lance from the animals that are scald-
ed and disemboweled and near great,
watts of besmeared vitals and entrails
and other material for by products.
An interesting discovery of domestic
economy is made by the inspector. In
one place so per cent of the girls had
been domestic servants. Their aver
age wages were $125, with an aver
age of 81. 80 per day for piecewerk.
The average weekly wage was found
to be SIS the year round. None would
go back to domestic service, for they
have freedom during the evening hours.
But, asks the inspector, will this
make up for the ten hours work in
heIliSh surroundings during the day?"
The special inspector is not able to
see any good in any feature of the en-
p1oyment of young women in the
slaughter or packing houses of the
state. If there is a good phase about
1t, the department would be obliged
If someone would point it out"
Women Probably Employed
The report covers the avenues of
employment to women in st. Paul, and
in general terms finds the women prof
ltably employed and their health prop
erly Safeguarded. The object of the
| report is, given as an effort to present
picture of the woman wage Garner.
what she earns, what energy she must
expend, and what comfort of life she
can purchase with her earnings. but
difficulties were encountered in secur-
ing the data to enter into the COM
posite picture. Women employees were
found to be essentially loyal to their
employers and were afraid of writing
or saying anything to the inspectors
that could be construed as a reflection
on their employers.
A total Of about 5000 women were
found in st. Paul department stores.
factories, laundries, etc.
A total of $50 girls are found en-
gagged in advertising novelty work The
piece scale largely prevails, but the
maximum per week on time work is SIS,
with an average of 81, while the maxi
mum per week on piece work is SIS,
and an average of So.
Hostility TO organization was found
among women employed in bakeries.
In binderies apprentices began at
81. so per week, and experienced bind
cry girls earn from SIS to SO, with an
average of 81. SO.
A hundred girls are employed in
making paper boxes. Piece work pre-
walls and girls earn from $3.50 to $40
per week, with an average of 81 to So.
One institution was found that had