New-York tribune., 1907-03-31
FUTURE OF WORKERS.
One Woman's Gloomy Predictions
for Her Ser.

That the problem OF life in New York is ter
ribly tragic both for the reduced gentlewoman
who has never learned how to do anything
we'll and for the middle-aged woman, whose
age disqualihes her for work, Is shown by the
number OF persons who. having read The Trib-
une's articles the position Of such women.
have come forward with experiences or sugges-
tions or criticisms OF their own.
The phases OF the problem already discussed
by no means cover 1t. At least one self-supDort-
ing woman believes that even with an average
position and good luck in retaining 1t busi-
ness woman cannot possibly put by enough in
the course OF her business life to insure her
future.
Il am a self-supporting woman OF thiFty-Odd
years. blessed far beyond the average with
health. friends and enthusiasm" says this
woman. These blessings. backed by n perhaps
unusual capacity for hard work-a gift OF the
Fates not at all 10 the pOssessOr's credit-have
brought me in twelve years 20 a position in the
business world above the average. To-day I
enjoy work and pleasures keenIy: have all the
comforts OF life and many OF its IuXuries: my
unquestonej unhampered goings and cOmings
are the open envy OF many OF my married
friends-but what of the future? And what of
the future of the many thousand self-support-
Ing women in New York City. and of their many
throughout the land? There Is not a single
self-deperdont woman in the country to whom
the future when she dares 70 stop to face it, IS
not fun OF terror.
CAN'T SAVE on SMALL SALARY.
Take the average girl stenographer. book
keeper. or librarian perhaps. at SO week. How
can she provide for the time when she can no
longer command even this small wage? Let the
w harf31yy
comfortably and dress neatly but nothing more.
and her margin for the other necessities OF living,
10 say nothing Of any luxuries will leave her ab-
eoluteIy no chance 70 provide for the days when
she is pushed aside for younger, more capable
wori,ers-as pushed aside she certainly will be.
As she advances. II she does advance she must
of necessity increase he- expenses. / aver that
the wiseacre who advises the wage Garner who
has lived on SIS a week TO continue to do so,
saving the other $40 when the salary advances
10 s25. knows not of what he is talking"
AS this observer went on TO say. the woman
VINO can command S25, $50 or $55 week must
keep herself in the hest physical condition. which
means as hygienc a condition ~ life as IS pos
sible in New York and an abundance Of good
fcod-and these things come high in New York
She must appear well dressed IN her once and
outside; she must keep herself mentally stimu-
lated by music and pictures. the theatre and
some social intercourse She must have these
things, she VIII not De 0Dle 10 hOtu HeF POSI-
tfon long And she cannot have these thingS
In New York and provide against the evil days
of waning physical and mental powers. cor the
women whose salaries go above
the 81 OO0 year mark there is no need To speak;
they are. comparatively, so few that they are
the exception. rot the rue.)
Il know OF one woman" she pursued. who at
nifty finds herself comfortably provided for. but
she had the help OF small inheritance and an
unusual gift for making the most OF money. Her
girhOOd was devoted to the nursing first OF an
invalid mother, then OF an invalid father At
thirty she started to learn dresSmazing For
twenty years she has worked hard. saved scru-
pulOusly and specuated successfully. She has
enough. shrewdly invested. to keep her the rest
of her life, but she is the only self-suppOrting
woman / knOw-and l know hUndreds-whOse
future Is secure once her earning power is gone
unless, of course she has something beside
her own earnings to fall back upon.
Il know Il frail little White-haired woman,
untitled for business life piti-
fully lacking in equipment who for thirty years
has supported herself and an invalid sister. She
takes care Of their little home mornings. nights
and Sundays. does her own scaDty sewing and