The San Francisco call., 1906-06-02
PEOPLE And things
BY LOUISE WELLER.

Getting the woman wage-earner BACK
80 : saIf.supporting basis is the most
dificuit problem that the Red Cross re-
lief committee is now facing
They have little but domestic work to
offer. and the women who have earned
Iivires as clerks. stenographers. fac
tory operators. dressmakers, Eliiliners'
etc. will not take those positions
wbvg They need work. they sFe
o,,Is .to work. T1ey .tra wi3ia-s ana
most anxious to work, pu' s'.''f NeN
20 into. service -%ni all Eeea i$e they
object to the word ser s,tnt
1t is hardly 10 be belle I'd Wot''Su
who have passed safely th':'eEl INC
eartbouake and fire; GEO daysES those
first few terrible day eil'l't.e'. =.
of miseries and priTatlenS, y 10 Nero
as strong and even stronger, brave anu
even braver than mn. shy ms @t
word,
Thev never could have Peen one OF
that big noble army" women "lo
work" They must have n'Ions't tI'3 20
the class known as ladies Yno hold
positions"
did not mean to say that. ] want
to take il all back. No one IS t0ollSh
now We are ali sensible women. anu anu
we know that every body that WoEAs -
a servant no matter II theS draw l.ie.l
pay as the head of a big corporation
or as a washer of dishes or a maker OF
beds There is a great deal more nom
or in being a good domestic than poor
tvnewriter And I am saying this IN
the kindliest spirit. The majority Vt
typewriters who today are unenptoNe0
are poor typewriters- Nearly every nrlh
has resumed business or is preparing
70 do so. Altered conditions have ne
cessitated the cutting down OF EN-
pIoves Those who have been retained
are the most able; only the less capable
and the incompetent have been let So
And it is the same with the CLERKS.
Another bit of nonsense that has
been advanced is that typewrfters ana
clerks are not fitted for domestic SER
vice. that they don't know how TO DO
lbousework If it Were not the girl8
themselves who say this would get
excited and incite them TO everlasting
grudge against those who would SO
.msiien them For woman to say that
She does not know how TO DO house,
work is to confess that she Is sadly
lacking in intelligence and thar she as
absolutely destitute of common sense
lit is as natural for woman 20 know
how to keep house as il is for monkey
TO climb a tree.
Il
house better than others But there
is nothing 70 prevent those who are
the inferior housekeepers becom-
ing the better housekeepers, provided
they will exercise their eIfgence
and apply their common sense
1t takes as much head to do
homework properly as it does to
worker has every right % be as proud
of her work as a good typewriter has.
Another objection made to domestic.
service is that the work is too hard
/ for girls who. have been used to the
lighter labor of cierking.
That is an objection that must nave
been made without thinking. From
| 8 in the morning till at night. with
half an hour for lunch, are the clerks
hours And she works continuously
and without Interruption. Where is
the girl in domestic service who works
as continuously and so hard2 As a
domestic she has only one person 20
please; as a clerk it Is a continual
stream of people. and each one wants
something different. and what is worse
some do not know what they want.
There is no harder labor than pleas
ing a multitude.
Housework is regular work. Each
day has its duties. A good domestic
self. And if she viii allow her mis-
tress 10 consult her In the matter OF
managing the house she graduates at
once from a servant" to a treasure"
/
Now. girls, you who need work. who
must work, and in spite of what I and
others have tried TO tell you. still OBJ
| jeet to housework. be sensible. try II.
1t is only for a time, Our city is GO
ing to be greater and bigger than ever.
There is going to be a crying need for
clerks and typewriters. You can all
get back to the work you care for or
feel you are best adapted TO. Only bs
patient. Don't feel you have cause for
a grudge against fate because YOU
must work now. and at something you
don't care for. Just remember that the
happiest girl in all the world is she
who earns her own living and that Is
what you are going 10 doa