The Jersey City news., 1906-04-05
Representative Gardner Re-
ports On the Bill to In
vestigats Which Is Backed
By All Wemea's Clubs
WANTTo KNOW TRElRsTAsUs
CLAIM ISANADE THAT THErFEMI-
NuNE INVASION OF BUSINESS
is SERIOUSLY AFFECTINu so
cIAL LIFE IN THE UNITED
STATES.


WASHINGTON, April 4, 1906-Rep-
resentative Gardner has submitted re-
port on the bill to authorize the Secre-
tary of Commerce and Labor tosmake an
investigation of the industrial conditions
of the women of the United States,
which hae been advocated by all of the
.woman's elubs throughout New Jersey.
'MrsvGardner'e report is in part as fol-
lows
'.The report of the twelfth census gives
the number of women and children en-
gagged in gainful occupations in the
United States as 5,819. 1856. OF this
number ,2,095.4 were engaged in domes-
tic and personal service. leaving 3,22S,-
SIT in agriculture, professional service,
trade and transportation. and in manu-
faoturing and mechanical pursuits.
Women are found in all but of the
303 kinds of employment scheduled by
the census. There are no female sol
diers, marines, sailors, street-car drivers,
fremen, apprentices and helpers to roof
ers and skaters and to steam boiler max
ers and brass workers. 1t is said that
there are female steeplejacks and base
ball umpires.
THE census gives the information that
the rate of increase in the number OF
women wage-earners was greater from
1890 to 1900 than the rate of increase OF
the female population. That the remark
able influx of women into the industrial
ranks has given rise to many complex
problems. both industrial and social NO
one can doubt.
SIT is both claimed and denied that
women workers have affected the labor
market to the Generalization OF wage
rates; that home life has been threaten
ed; that marriage life has decreased; !;
that divorce has increased out of all pro-
portion. and that the birth rate barely
exceeds the death rate.
1T is both claimed and denied that
the economic and social welfare of the
country is menaced by this army of wo-
men wage e-earners.
1--WE have NO data on which to base
conclusions, and are in need of a sclen-
tifc and detailed investigation into the
question of the relation of women to in
dustry and it's effect. If the exodus OF
women from the home to the factory has
been merely natural evolution, and II
we find that there is social and Industrial
Generalization resulting from the TACT
Lovo baon,no 0a. .aa rnpre we
ought also to ascertain whether such de-
moralization is a necessary result OF the
evolution or whether it results from the
conditions under which they work.
.sSuch Investigations as have been
made by the State indicate very clearly
that in a vast number of instances these
conditions ought to be changed and i'm
proved. The State investigations SO far
made illustrate their inability to supply
an adequate or representative view Of
the situation at any given time. There
dis almost a total dearth of material on
the subject from which to make correct
deductions.
'AThe number of children from 10 to Is
years of age engaged in gainful occupa-
tions in 1900 was !, ,750, ,17S; of this mum
ber 1264, AL we're males and 4Sa, l6l
females. A number Of the States have
maaifested a profound interest in the
subject Of child labor, but their investi-
cations are made at different times and
along different lines, executed in different
detail, and HENCE are of little value to
the eemesal student as a source of iufor-
nation from which to make geaeral de-
ductions.
ssSodial economists assert that the
statistics Of other countries taken under
onebead and on one general plan are Of
great FaIue to the investigator, while
from chose taken by the differeQt States
they oan deduce but little serviceabie in
formation of general nature.
THE matter of the education of chill
dren "a one to which the States devote
great attention and for which they ex-
pend large sums of money on the theory
that the future citizen shield be intelli-
gent. The pubic-is also ply impressed
with the importance - physical and
moral conditions under which the chill
dren are reared, and your committee be-
lieve that there should be national in
vestigation, thorough and scientific in its
nature, as a common source oe informa-
ton for the States.
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