The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-15


! What is the purpose of national
investigation of woman and child work
ers? Is it to put them out of the indus
These. are two questions which Miss
Mary Mcdowell has to answer wher.
eyer she goes. Miss Mcdowell, one of
Chicago s famous "maiden aunts,'' is
In the city to ask the American Fed
Grafton of Labor to indorse the bill be-
fore congress authorizing the secretary
OF commerce and labor to investigate
and report upon the industrial, social,
moral, educational and physical condi-
ton Of woman and child workers in the
United States. "-
Drive women out Of the industrial
worldg', responds Miss Mcdowell, in
her quick, energetic manner. cit can't
be done. But the industrial world can
Miss Mcdowell was in st. Paul in
June when the biennial of the Cen
eral Federation of Women's Clubs in
dorsed the bill, and since then many
a state federation has put itself on rec
ord as favoring it. Only last month
the Illinois Federation Of Labor fol-
lowed the example Of the club women
and public feeling seems so strong that
the bill, which has already passed the
| house, should go thru the senate with a
| rush when the session opens.
eve don It want census, y explains
Miss Mcdowell. ''That is only an
enumeration. :. We want to know the
facts and let others know them. The
census shows that the number Of men
in dressmaking is increasing and the
number Of women. decreasing, but it
does not tell why. Wouldn It it be in
teresting to know? In order to get at
causes, conditions and results we must
| have this investigation.
1--WE want to know what effect it
has on the morals of girl to be COM
| PEELED to work in Chicago for SIS a
week when the cost Of living is so high.
I know of no one 50 helpless as the
working girl, for she may we'll be called
the working girl, as her average age is
only Is years. Whether we like it or
not, whether it agrees with our no.
tions of what is woman s sphere, she
! has come into the Industrial world to
stay :! Wi, +so conditions ,,naar ,,h;o b
herself, her family and her country 2
Does her work debase or does it ele-
vate her womanhood? These are mat
tiers of which the employers, who are
quite as ignorant as the employees,
should know. Many of them have no
| idea OF the effect OF plecewOrk on the
nervous system of a girl of IS. The
packer is more ignorant than wilfully
cruel when he has women cut ice-cold
meat in a refrigerator room without an
opening for light and air, for he will
give generously to help family in dis
tress or to send a consumptive girl to
a warmer climate.'
| Miss Mcdowell is the head resident
of the University settlement, which is
down in the stockyards district of Chi
cago, and she knows more about the
stOckyards than even Mr.. Armour; in
! deed, she frequently has occasion to
enlighten Mr.. Armour in regard to
stoekyard matters. The question of
! child labor does not enter prominently
| into the problems there, for Illinois
! has an excellent child-labor law and it
! is well enforced. Then, too, the pack
ers would far rather employ a boy of
l6 for. ten hours day than child
! Of Il for eight hours, which is all that
! the law allows him to work.
Legislation for the protection of
| women and children is already pro-
posed in many states and is bound to
come in others. Whether in sane or
in a historical manner will depend upon
a knowledge of working conditions and
their relation to the life of the work
ers,'' prophesied Chicago's aunt.