The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-07-14
FATHER HAS NO WORK.
WOMEN HAS HIS JOB
Position of Father Being Occupied
By Woman-How Working
men Suffer.
Girls Will Work Cheaper, and are
Willing to do Twice As
Much for Half.

works but father is not joke" said
Miss Mary Mcdowell OF the Chicago
University Settlement in an address
before the cooperative class Of the
First Congregational Church Of
Evanston. Father cannot get work
very often because his position 10 be-
ing occupied by a woman for reasons
which We should Investigate"
Her subject was Women in Indus
try" and it's object was principally to
arouse interest in a bill which was be-
fore congress providing for an appro-
priation Of 100000 for the purpose OF
investigating the industrial, social,
moral, educational and physical condl
tion Of women and children workers
in the United States.
I'VE Americans are so overwhelmed
with the spirit of commercialism that
we have no con onsideration at. all for the
human Individual, she resumed. I'VE
lack the ability to view in their proper
perspective conditions Of which we are
a part, governing the lives of 100000
growing girls and young women en-
ployed In factories and shops. Both
men and women are clouded by per-
sonal experiences and we need enlight-
eminent.
"The girl who goes to work for
wages has an objective, caused by
want, love or desire for social stand
ing. and not the IN e'e dcsice to buy
:ine clothes for herself. The girls are
too young and too helpless; they do
not under stand that they are encroact-
ing on tie rights of men to he the
wage sa:rers. In the :cns run this
condition is not harmful. but gives
them inc dependence and Ats them for
tho work Of home making II they work
under the right circumstances. They
should work II they want to, but un>
der conditions that will At them for
motherhood home life and the duties
of a wife.
The working girl does sometimes in
jure the mans position by doin & twics
mans work for half. the price,. but
the men lack a sense Of their obliga-
tion 20 the girls and injure them in
turn. Tho argument that the foreign
Girl es work in our factories is better
Isa tnnn ace ever was under native
oOA61eeonc is wrong. It. does not sgiye
'ssse NJ e,sr,,ses>Heu=epprsii Hi
t'At. n dustrial con ditionz. .ft Is o,if'
o2rortuni:y to develop them and not
degrade them. We who represent the
community should take care Of these
wozren and girls in their helplessness
and learn how to do it through; a san>
Investigation of. their conditions.
I'VE are far behind. foreign, coun-
tries In our appreciation of industrial
and social conditions governing the
| lives of women. We have only one
law regarding them, and that forbids
their being employed in mines
/ The age limit, which lessens the
usefulness of the men, the attempts on
the part of the foreign born girls to
raise themselves to the American
standard Of living. the endeavor to
keep up with the speed Of our machin-
cry, the tremendous waste of nervous
energy and the use Of stimulants are
all respon sible for the women and Rirls
crowding into Industrial fields to the
exclusion ofs men and to their own
disadvantage. The awakening is COM
Ing. but before we do accomplish an
other great American revolution we
must secure the proper enlightenment
and not obtain our information from
sensational newspaper headlines and
magazine articles"