The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-04-28
BY LADY HENRY SOMERSET.

London, April 17-While the new
house of commons Is engrossed with
the details Of Chinese slavery and In
measuring the exact conditions which
imply such slavery, the president Of
the Women's Trade Union League has
made statements which go far to prove
that the working woman of England
Is in a far greater degree a slave than
the Chinese.
The average wage Of working women
Is only about seven shillings, or under
81 week. The conditions which have
led to this wretched pay are, Of course
many and various. It is often the re-
suit Of the instability Of women's
work and Miss Tuckweu pleads in a
finely written article for the abolition
of fines and deductions from these
wretched wages, which she says press
evn more hardly upon the workers
than the scanty wage
There Is an instance that Ave pounds
was deducted by an employer, a fine
of shilling head being imposed on
a hundred girls for having broken one
three-legged stol, value two-shillings
and six-pence and a court Of law
upheld a decision whereby an en-
ployer inflicted fines on girl workers
because they danced to a harp in their
diner hour.
The system of ill-regulated fines I'M
doubtedly amounts to tyranny In the
hands Of unscroupulous employers.
This champion of her sex demands
from the present government board
of wages system adopted by many OF
the colonies, the classification OF many
additional trades as dangerous, and
the amendment of the workmens COM
pensati0n act.
The present government has great
opportunity in the direction OF really
taking up the cause and actively cham
pioning the wage Garner, and the homo
office should increase the stan of the
ten women inspectors who look after
the interests of the million and half
women workers. Although Miss
Tuckwell Is fighting hard battle we
believe that in the long run 1t Is a
battle in which the women are bound
ITO win.
There has ben recently another ag-
Igressive demand for women suffrage.
while strongly holding that the vote
lis womans right, and that she ought
antly, I feel that it is impossible In
England at the present time to speak
Of woman as altogether powerless.
Their is a vast area of work open to the
women who will do it. 1t Is well
known that there are many more wo.7:"
en- than men in this country, conse-
quently there are thousands who have
no ties, no families and no house.
hold duties.
If women; therefore, were really
awake to what they could accom-
plish, that would see that they have
practically possibilities which are
granted to no other nation. If they
wer seriously to take up political and
domestic economy and that these mat
tiers as science the result would be
that not only the housekeeping Of the
nation would be better, but that that
housekeeping would be extended to
many phases Of life in which women
at this moment stand aside. The re-
dictionary movement Of the London
county council in excluding women
has been disastrous and retrogade.
At present when great public build
ings are being constructed, women are
not consulted, and yet in nine cases
out of ten, there are defects which
could be remedied by their Judgment
and experience, which might save the
country money and labor. The queen
has recently strongly objected to the
plans Of the Nurses Home at Milbank.
This home was constructed without
the slightest reference to the women
who were to inhabit it or to the ex-
perience Of those who had gained,
during years Of had work, the know
ledge of what such an edifce should
be.
The matron who has a life of much
responsibility and work, fir instance,
IL given by these designers a bed
sitting-room only, the ward sisters
and nursese having one living room
among them, and the sleeping rooms
of the staff are ill-ventilated and with
out fire places. If those plans had
been submitted to clever woman,
such mistakes would never have &C.
Cured.
The difficulty lies in the fact of the
apathy Of so many women to pub
lie questions.
In England women are eligible as
guardians, and in this capacity some
have done admirable work. What q
blessing it would be if our work
houses there was not a board on which
woman did not sit. and how sight
1t would be for the women to mass
and work and organize with this in
view.
Women guardians in many work.
hhousesvae have done the most es-
t1mable service. They have found that
the speculation and extravaganza were
beyond belief, their investigations
have shown them that the blankets
were Of the worst quality and were
paid for at the highest prices, that
many little luxuries could have been
given to the sick which were denied
them, and that absurd sums of money
were given for food Of an inferio,
quality.
The county councils by rejecting
women have debarred them from in.
speeding baby farms, though of all
work which should be suitable tt
women this appears to me to be one
OF the most ObViOus Tho,, hove =.