The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-08-03
SIX MILLION WOMEN
80 - - -
To Be REPRESENTED
Cause Of Women's Trade Advance
ed at Big Convention in
New York.
Child Labor to be Discussed and
Radical Action to be Re-
commended.

NEW YORK, July 25.-A convention
Of working women has been called,
with meetings to be held sin1ultane-
ously in New York. Boston and Chi
cago, to discuss ways ana means Of
stimulating the women's trade union
movement.
Miss Rose Schneiderman. a member OF
the New York Cloth Hat and Cap
Makers union, at the annual meeting
Of the Women's Trade Union League
last April. A committee Of arrange
ments was appointed at that time.
consisting Of Miss Schneiderman, Miss
Mary Dreier, Miss Ida Rauh and Miss
Gertrude Barnun, Of New York; Miss
Mary Mcdowell, Of Illinois, and Mrs.
Mary K. O'Sullivan and Miss Rose
Brennan Of Massachusetts,.
The convention will be unique In tho
history Of the women:s trade union
movement. Invitations are being sent
to local trade unions in Illinois. Mas
sachusetts and New York. From
New York the call is extended to
workers In Connecticut, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and Washing
ton, D. c., and arrangements are be-
ing made on a large scale.
More than 100000 women in Amer
lea are working for wages, among
whom are million wives and MIL
lion widows. who, as we'll as hundreds
Of thousands OF spinsters. are almost
certain to remain permanently in in
dustry. The largest number Of wo-
men are employed in domestic and
personal service-over 1000, 900. Man.
ufacture, trade and transportation en-
ploy very nearly as many-1, 816, 900
and agriculture employees nearly 1,OO,-
900.
The proposed tri-ctty convention Is
called to discuss the conditions and
problems Of the 1.s15,o00 women and
girls industry" proper. OF this class
of women wage earners, over one-half
are employed in the manufacture of
cloth and clothing. In the textile and
clothing industries are over 100000
women workers. Many trades are con-
spicuously women's trades. Women
outnumber men as dressmakers, mil
liners and In the unclassifled sewing
trades, which occupy two-t thirds Of a
million workers. In these trades over
90 per cent Of all persons employed
are girls and women. Shirt, collar and
cufr making, steam laundry and paper
box making employ over so per cent
women. Two-third of the cigar and
tobacco operatives, one-half the textile
workers and more than half the book
binders are women.
So far the special interests of the
great army Of workingwomen have
been neglected, and as a consequences
they are suffering under degraded and
destructive conditions of work in many
trades and localities. Among young
girls the proper development is being
stunted by long hours in under-venti-
lated rooms, under the strain and
danger Of shrieking, speeded-up ma
chimes. Professions Of little girls start
Tor work before dawn in winter, and
IN busy seasons often do not return,
after doing their overtime work, until
as. late as 1880 at night. They then
snatch only a brief respite before the
the alarm clock shall warn them Of the
fines which punish hardness on the
remorselessly recurring work days.
Their hurry and fatigue limit them
to scanty and unwholesome diet, eaten
with none of the leisure or attractive
settings which stimulate appetite
Their sleep In crowded, close-packed,
stuffy bedrooms brings little refresh
ment, and during all the daylight
hours they are shut in from sun and
air. The American workingwomeu
feel that it is time to arrange that
these children in their families shall in
the future take long to grow" before
entering upon this strength-sappins
career.
AS working girls and women grow
older they are often too exhausted ia
earn as high wages as in their young
girlhood. Usually they have others
| dependent upon them, and, low wages
and bad conditions Of work keep them
| on the ragged edge of dread Of the
time when health and income will fail
| and the ever-hovering shadow Of dire
poverty will settle down permanently
| over themselves and all they hold
dear.
Workers From Storm Necessity.
Doubtless many women are working
| not because they must, but because OF
desire for independence, or for extra
comforts and even luxuries which the
! income Of the men Of their families
will not provide. But the vast ma
| jority of the women wage earners are
working from stern necessity, and the
| loss Of a lob" becomes. under those
! circumstances, little short of calam-
ity. This is traglcally true Of married
women who must support children.
Married women are driven into in
| dustry by many causes. The made
quacy Of wages Of common laborers
! to cover the needs Of growing fam
| lily; accidents to the husband and
father, or his failing health from pois-
onous fumes, metal and other dust
| diseases, or the ever creeping white
plague" desertion or death of the
bread-earning man Of the family-all
these and many other causes force
upon the mother the triple burden OF
motherhood. household drudgery and
| factory work.