The Meeker herald., 1907-10-05

The largest number OF women in 1900
employed for pay were in domestic
and personal service. or more than
1000, 900.
Figures on Industries.
The manufacture of cloth and cloth.
Ing employed the second largest num-
bsr. or nearly 100000. Agriculture
came next. employing nearly 100000.
Women outnumber men In dressmak-
ing. millinery and the unclassihed
sewing trades which occupied two
thirds Of million workers. The only
other trades properly so-called that
show any such proportion Of women.
are the shirt, collar and cuff making.
the overhaul and overcoat industry and
paper box making. Since nearly every
thing we buy from hats to shoes,
comes to US in paper boxes. the i'm
portance of the latter trade can BE-
easily estimated; SO per cent. Of It's
workers are women. The other indus
tries show smaller proportions of wom-
en- in 1900. However, among tobacco
and cigar operators. two-thirds are
women, and of the bookbinders more
than half. OF those engaged in the
nursing profession 80 per cent. were
women: In laundering; IS per cent.
and in domestic service, 50 per cent.
The only remaining important occu-
pations given over largely to women
we're stenography and typewriting.
with n per cent. and teaching with
70 per cent. women. II was quite
natural that women should follow the
domestic occupations. as they went
out of their own homes. and then
turned next to such ladylike work ~
q secretaryship. clerkship or teaching.
But even in 1900 they had invaded all
but nine of the 800 occupations in
which men are engaged In this coun-
try.
Would Increase Woman's Sphere.
And why not? Is there any reason
why they should not invade all those
remaining nine, with perhaps the sim
gle exception of war. in which, 1t is to
be hoped women will be occupied in
preventing rather than in producing?
I see no logical reason why healthy.
husky women should not be engaged
In bridgemaking as well as In wash
ing and scrubbing. Is her arm not ~
strong for roofing as for houseclean-
ing. or for carrying babies or coal, or
the scores of other feats of strength
and endurance which she Is now en-
gagged in?
Among the most important and typ
ical occupations Of women. with two
exceptions, almost one-third were
more than 25 years Of age and yet un-
married. To me that fact seems not
entirely to be deplored. am strong
believer In the theory embodied in Ib-
sens DOLLS House"-that . woman
cannot be good wife and mother nm
til she ia i1rst self-reliant. self-com-
pretending individual. How can she
understand her husbands large strux-
giles unless she herself has had strug-
giles? How can she lead her sons IN
true paths of life II she is lost or shut
away from the larger life?
Married Women Who Work.
Now. about women who work after
marriage. Roughly we might say that
in 1900 two-thirds OF the dressmakers
and seamstresses remained at work
after marriage. as well as nearly half
Of the cotton mill and tobacco factory
operatives, boot and shoe workers,
tailoresses and milliners. As condi-
lions are now, with low wages. these
cannot afford to pay for the proper
care Of their children while they them
selves are at work. and the condition
of the children of married working
women is often deplorable-such as
will breed disease, vice and crime
when they reach maturity. To see the
little mother" Juggling the filthy ba-
bies through the hideous streets OF a
cotton mill town and into the black.
dingy, foul tenement houses to devour
miserably cooked meal Ii to see =
picture never to be forgotten.
Reforms Suggested.
1t may seem very materialistic, but
to me IL seems Of FIRST Importance that
wages should be high enough to make
1t possible to keep the race upon the
earth, with proper food and SUFFICIENT
clothing. In 1900 one-fourth of all
women in bakeries and an equal num-
Der in glass factories. though more
than 16 years old, received only an av-
erage of $3.50 week, the year round,
while in the manufacturing of cloth
ing the same proportion were paid
less than three dollars a week. And
vet We wonder that women are tempt
ed by the comforts and luxuries with
which vicious men are ever ready to
lure them.
What is to be done!
We must get at the facts by scien-
tific investigation. make those facts
familiar to the public. encourage legis-
lation. even constitutional amend