Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09
WOMEN AT WORK.
Englishwoman's Reasons for the Fail
ure of Women's Work.
From the London Express.

From the London Express
II has been repeatedly stated that, al
though women's work is quite equal to that
of men, the scale of payment is much lower,
owing to the prejudice which still exists In
the minds of men against the encroachment
of women In the labor market and TO the
competition among women themselves on
account of the ever-increasing number who
are forced to earn their own livelihood.
As matter of fact, however. except In
rare cases, womens work is not equal to
that of men, not because they are not equal
Nv capable of doing 1t or do not understand
It, but because very few women can be In
duced to take their work seriously, and will
not devote the time necessary TO perfecting
themselves in 1t until too late. If they en-
ter the ranks of the workers as girls they
do 40 in nine cases out of ten simply to earn
sufficient money to dress on until such tiihe
as they shall be married.
Consequently the work in their eyes Is
simply a stop-gap boy, when ne leaves
school and takes up any profession or goes
into bank or an office knows that ne does
60 ON the understanding that he is starting
lifes work, and that no matter what prl-
vate affairs. such as marriages plrths OF
deaths, may occur outside the once me
chances are that he will spend his entire HE
In the same routine. Therefore, 1t is TO his
future well-being if he sacrifices himself for
the sake of gaining higher position and an
Increased salary.
A girl who learns shorthand and type
writing for instance, rushes through q
three-month course at some school, ana
gains a position in an Office with the ldea
firmly fixed in her head that she will prob
ably only be there for year or two. she
takes no interest in her work beyond get
ting il done as quickly as possible and sits
all day with one eye on the clock until her
hour of release arrives, when she puts on
her hat and promptly forgets everything
connected with the office.
Her essential ambitions and interests are
all outside of it: IL is merely an irksome
means of obtaining extra spending money
while every creature that wears trousers IN
stead of skirt is viewed in the light OF
possible husband instead of a coworker
Then if the years go on and the hoped-1or
marriage does not take place, the girl drlfts
into the middle-a aged woman, drab, despond-
emf and hopeless, content to rub along on
the small pittance which keeps her from
actual want but with no ambition ana no
interest in life
II instead of starting with such ideas, the
girl begins her work, whatever IL may De,
with the firm determination to get to the
top sooner or later, marriage appears to her
more in the light of a handicap than other
wise and men. instead of being merely the
opposite sex, regarded in the light OF
competitors, with long odds in their favor.
Such a girl invariably succeeds In lifting
herself out of the ruck and gaining some
definite position and prospects. even II she
never attains any very great height. But
to do this II is necessary at all times TO put
the work before outside interests and per-
sonal wishes. Everything must be sacri-
feed to the one end.