The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-08-28

the ranks Of these women, future states
men, law makers and law breakers will
spring and millions Of future mother
are being trained for the pitless warfar,
OF wage earners rather than for the gen
tier but more potent art Of home max
ing.
When the editor Of the Woman's Homt
Companion commissioned me TO write
this series Of articles. | turned first to Q
Clergyman Of national fame for condrma
tion or refutation Of my theory that
the woman wage Garner had attained the
dignity Of sociological problem.
my dear madam" said the clergy.
man blandly, II think this bugaboo Of
oouonpuI IIoql pun ssau!snq VI u9moa
ally, there IL nothing in It! The vast ma.
jority Of women continue to marry and
manage households just as their moth.
ers did before them. The American
home life remains intact
"You have woman seeretary!"
suggested.
"Ah, yes" he replied tapping his eye.
glass on his thumb and reAectively. "But
this Is an exceptional case--and very
sad. Daughter OF an old parishioner
who died very suddenly, leaving his af-
fairs in very bad shape. The girl IL
helping to support her mother and sis.
terra
"And she receives the same salary as
her predecessor, young mani"
PRECISELY Why not' She Is fully as
capable
"And therefore must have been train.
ed for her work as stenographer. What
sort of education is she giving her sis.
tersi'
He did not know. We made inquir.
les. One Is preparing to be a book.
keeper. The other Ii already at work IL
a fashionable millinery shop,
"Well, welL' remarked the clergyman.
II am sadly disappointed. thought
the girls were going to college or some.
thing OF that sort
II Is an institutional church, and the
next question was:
"Your parish visitor is a womapi"
"Oh certainly. A college graduate,
especially trained for the work; but
that Is quite different. She Is deeply
interested in charities"
"on salary of twelve hundred a
Year,"
"Well, you understand there is much
routine work. accounts, books. and all
that sort Of thing. A woman must be
trained; she must have more than ordi.
nary intelligence
"In other words, she must be a thor.
ough. business woman as well as a
church member and give her undivided
attention to her duties"
Precisely. She is an exceptional
young woman
Is shei Can it be possible that the
reverend gentleman does not know that
all over the United States, in Offices,
shops. and stores, are other intelligent
women similarly trained as dependable
business maehines' This girl is not the
exception, but the rule.
"And your guild for girls!"
"Flourishing excelently, under the Ill.
rection OF one of our deaeonesses. You
really ought to drop in some evening"
/ accepted the 'invitation--to learn
that the guild has membership of over
one hundred girls, stenographers, type.
writers, bookkeepers, illustrators, sales.
women, students of art and music. The
majority of these girls have drifted to
New York from other cities or towns in
search of work or instruction. Only a
few live with their parents or have any
real home life.
And yet the clergyman did not con-
slider that these young strangers within
the gates presented sociological pro-
blem worthy of the attention of church
and state!
In greater New York alone half mil
lion girls and women are partly or who'll
y self'supporting, Half a million wo-
men, or one.fifth the population, are un-
der business and not domestic infuen-
Steese Richardson in the Sep
tember Woman's Home Companion.