Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-13
RESOURCES ARE LARGE.
Part Women's Labor Has in Indus
trial Affairs in Italy.

Consul Dunning of Milan, in recent re-
port to this government says that district
of Italy lis overlooking with resources,
chief among which is to be esteemed the
abundant and low priced labor of men,
women and children, and of women in par
ticular In this regard Lombardy differs
not at all from what we know to be good
commercial history in American manufac-
turing centers. The lessons which have
been studied and learned at Lawrence
Brockton, Meriden Waterbury, Troy, Rocn-
ester Paterson. Lynn and other towns OF
that type in America. will be applied in the
Lombardy of the early future as the local
manufacturers find themselves driven hafa-
er by foreign competition Lombardy I'M
ouestionably aims to be the supply house
of Italy. How nearly it approaches to that
estate seems to me to be no small concern
to us
The Corriere della Sera. published in
Milan. and one of the principal newspapers
OF Europe, recently drew attention in
thoughtful and Enthusiastically moder-
ate article to the whole question of female
labor in Italy and the part 1t will play in
the country's industrial transformation
Whether "a not the change from small
poorly equipped shops to large, modern and
better fitted establishments will be accom-
panied by a corresponding retirement IN
The condition of female labor, by the short
ening of hours and the limitations of the
ages at which girls may begin and women
must cease active work. That seems TO
have been the pith of the question put by
the Eorriere della Sera Evening Courier1
and it's reply was negative. The general
consideration of the question has Brought
to light some interesting statistics.
Taking, for example, girls under fifteen
years of age, it appears that In factories
employing 20 operatives or less they num-
Der 80 per cent of the total number OF per-
sons on the pay roll and receive an average
wage of II American cents day. In rae
cries employing from 20 to 100 operatives
he percentage OF girls under 10 years OF
,Re is ~ per cent, with average daily
gage slightly less than the other case-a
title over 10 cents. In factories employing
from 100 TO 500 operatives "a per cent are
girls under 10 years old. with average wage
of nearly l. cents per day. Where more
than 800 operatives are employed-the num-
Der of these being OF course small-the per-
centage of girls under 10 years Is n, and
their average earnings are IA cents day.
Thus in Italy it seems that the larger rae
tories offer the best conditions for young
girls and give steadier labor and are not
shut down many days In year as the
smaller shops Incidentally, the cotton
mills pay better wages to girls than prevail
In the silk notwithstanding industry. For
mature women the cotton mills pay from %
to 30 cents per day. these being the best
prices for female labor In factories. The
average number of days of labor for which
women in Lombardy are paid in year is
265 for the textile industries where most
of them are engaged Northern Italy gives
steadier employment than the south. Wom-
en- tobacco workers In Lombardy get about
three hundred days a year, at an average
wage of not much over 35 cents day.
AS to the average days wages, 12,2 per
cent of women workers earn sums up to the
equal Of 10 cents a day; 3O4 per cent earn
from Is to 30 cents; 43.7 per cent earn from
20 to 30 cents and 1913 per cent earn from
80 10 40 cents. The percentage of women
who earn more than 40 cents day IS only
81 Good domestic servants are hired at
from So to So a month. German girls. known
as superior cooks and maids, can earn as
much as 81 a month. All the above figures
apply to Lombardy alone.
Investigation, ! am informed, indicates
that in the large factories the larger part
the women are not over 80 years. while
the smaller factories women of 80 years
nd under show a higher average. Taking
100 per cent OF women workers in Isombardy
in all lines. 4l.6 per cent are between Is
and 20 years of age, AS per cent between
20 and 30. II per ant between 30 and 80
and 10 per cent over 55.