The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-17
FIVE M|L[|OH WOMEN
EMPLOYED IN COUNTRY
Remarkable Statement by Presi.
dent Roosevelt Inspiration to
Woman Workers.
Secretary of Wisconsin Consum-,
ers' League Gives Able Ad-
dress on Question.

'The message Of President Roosevelt in
over five million women are employed
throughout the country, and declares that
this large proportion cannot help but in
huence the home life and be productive of
other than evil results is essentially true"
said Mrs. B. G. Gudden, State Secretary
OF the Wisconsin Consumers League, in
her recent lecture at the University Set
Element of Milwaukee,
1T is difficult she continued, "to get
correct estimate of those employed in
gainful occupations from the census re-
ports, because frequently the number is
greatly below the figures given, it being
Impossible to make correct enumeration.
nevertheless the proportionate increase
or women over men, takin one to every
10000, shows that during the period ex-
tending from 1890 to 1900 it was 32S per
cent women as against 22.9 per cent men.
While the proportionate increase of men
and women vary in various states that Of
the latter predominates.
The group of those engaged in the pro-
fesslons is increasing largely, there being
3l1,6S7, as against 1872, 668 engaged in me-
chan1cal and manufacturing work. There
has been an increase of 1872 per cent of
those entering the line" of agricultural
work.
''The group Of the trade workers is in
creasing more rapidly than any other,
such as typewriters and store clerks. The
condition of store clerks has received the
attention of the league more than that of
any other and has resulted in gerat sue
cess. The move was first started in New
YORK, and soon over sixty Of the leading
stores became fair. houses which means
a mouse where equal pay is given for
equal value irrespective ofsex and no one
receives less than Sc week. This same
move was tried in Chicago, but failed.
Just here let me say that the white list
Is just the reverse of a boycott, and. pro-
tects both employer and employe.
The consumers are the real employers
of labor, and if it were not through
mistaken idea that he was accomadat-
ing them the dealer would quickly
agree to shorter hours. The work of
the consumers league in this matter is
Simply that. of education.
The increase of women in manu-
featuring pursuits, taking onein every
10000 above ten years, is 10 per cent.
The state of Georgia is especially dis
graceful in permitting this. Even in
Russia only those over u years are
permitted to work.
over 100000 children are engaged
Ill edlnIul occupations. IN PennSyl-
vania, during 1908 and 1904, according
to the factory inspectors report, the
number of children employed over 16
years was % per cent and in New York
from 1898 to 1908, 80 per cent. In Geor-
gia, Alabama and North and South
Carolina during 1900, 1900 children over
16 years were employed, while at the
present time that number has been in
creased to the appalling figure of
$1,000 and takes in every child over II
years old. These children are absolut-
ely unprotected and are growing uD
neglected degenerates. - - - = -
1.-THE only remedy for these evils is
compulsory education and strong
child labor laws, which have attached
to them strict educational restrictions.
The tenements Of New York are the
equal of the Ghettos of Warsaw, and
the slums of London, and the only rem
edy for them is their absolute prohibit
ton.
THE national remedy for the causes
and dangers Of women in industry is
universal suffrage and compulsory in
surance tor working people regardless
Of sex, giving disability and old age
pensions"