The Washington times., 1907-07-29
Where Women Fail

A sad admission Of feminine ineffi-
cheney was made recently by the prin-
cIpai of an institution which trains
girls for typists and shorthand writer's.
He estimated that not more than so
per cent were capable OF becoming even
moderately good clerks Girls, - said,
failed because they lacked persever-
ance and seemed incapable of under
standing what thorOughness meant.
After an immense. deal of labor, girls
acquired a shorthand speed of sixty
words a minute, and typed twenty
! five words in the same time. Then
no amount OF argument on the part
Of the teacher could convince them
| that they were not fully equipped for
any situation. They left off attend
ing classes and began replying TO ad-
vertisements. Thus, thousands Of In
efIcients are made, and the result is a
great army Of girls who are unemplOy-
ed and unemployable.
This is d matter for the serious con-
sheraton OF girls and their parents. A
week ago there was 397 applicants for
one situation worth 50 a week. A few
years back a good typist, without any
knowledge OF shorthand, could get Sl5
week; now, 10 command that sum,
a girl must, in addition 10 tipping, be
, an expert shorthand writer. and have
some other special qualification.
But failures are often more 10 be
pitied than blamed. The little knowl-
edge that girls gain at school is so
terribly superficial that they are IN
able TO realize their ignorance or know
their limitations. Then, their parents
encourage in them the idea that office
work Is more genteel-horrid word
than shop life or domestic service. 50
/ they flock 10 pOlytechnics, and waste
their time and money in trying TO out
! wit nature
| Everyone is not capable OF learning
shorthand and a foreign language They
need q great deal OF sticking 10, In ad-
| dition to a very good memory And
| in how many girls do you find the chief
/ element that makes for SUCCESSIVE
/ infinite capacity for taking pains?
! IL is no use evading the fact that the
majority of these failures are girls OF
( the lower middle class. Everyone has a
| right 10 try 10 better her position and,
! when the attempt IS honestly made. no
| one has the right to scOff at It. But the
| first members Of a family who try 10
/ earn their living by their brains instead
| of with their hands find Il far harder 70
/ acquire book learning than do the
I daughters Of parents who have for gen.
| eratiOns lived by their mental powers.
/ But many mothers absolutely refuse 70
4 believe this statement. They will tell
you that their girls are quite as clever
/ as anyone else's; they only want a
/ chance They do their best 10 give them
! the chance; with fatal results some
/ times. Many girls. while training for
/ school teachers, have broken down and
/ died under the strain. All agree that
4 the body may be impaired by continued,
( unusual exertion, but few care TO re-
member that the brain can give way
/ from the same cause.
/ There would not be so many failures
II girls would not attempt work bevond
/ their powers The great object Is 90
/ make a comfortable living. and you are
/ far more likely to do this II you get rid
/ Of the 'genteel' idea. II matters not
/ what work you do. but how you do H.
/ No work is weh done that is not done
! intelllgently. You will gain more re-
| spect and consideration for a we'll
| cooked dinner than for an ill-spelt
| typed letter. and the master OF a hous,
| will have a higher opinion Of his chill
/ dren's trustworthy nurse than for hll
not too reliable shorthand-typist.
II girls about to leave school are wise
they VIII ask for training which will en-.
! able them 10 enter the homes rather
! than the office.