Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-24

women In the work OF the W9r.d az IL
chief petition. Its work consisted In
destroying the prejudiees which re-
stricted the freedom Of women In every
department Of life. 1t was the duty
Of the new movement to educate pub
lie sentiment to q proper perception
Of the economic truth that woman
has the same right as man to sell
her industrial services In the public
market to the highest bidder and the
same right to develop those services
to the highest possible value. More
over. it was necessary to prove that
woman could perform skilled labor;
that she possessed intelligence TO
grasp new work and the elements OF
business reliability. These facts
could only be proved by experiment
and employers were not willing to
experiment. Leaders Of the woman's
rights movement attacked the posi-
ton OF the conservatives with vigor
and through every avenue open to
them petitioned the public to grant
women the right to try new lines OF
work.
Here and there liberal-minded EN-
ployers were convinced far enough to
give women an opportunity to dem
onstrate their fitness or unfitness.
and here and there women were found
brave enough to accept employment.
The woman on trial demonstrated the
wisdom Of the experiment. and in
creasing numbers were employed.
The old prejudices had to be combat
ed anew with each industry entered
by women, but with the necessities
OF women driving them into the field
OF work upon the one hand and the
womans right movement demanding
fair play upon the other. the indus
trial status Of women made rapid
progress. The civil war gave the
movement a new impetus and dating
from its close prejudices began to dis
appear and the public to respect
where it had once condemned.
Undoubtedly the conditions Of for
eign countries would obtain in the
United States had it not been for the
heroic efforts OF the woman's rights
movement to elevate the status OF
women. 1t made bold claims for
equality OF rights between men and
women in education. industry. reli-
gion and politics. Society made con-
slant concessions to its demands and
the woman wage Garner was the hap
py beneficiary. The first stores which
employed women were boycotted by
customers and the women clerks were
Stunned by old friends. Now the
great department stores OF the cities
are very largely served by women
tions have been created by the popu-
lar adoption of new inventions. and
II men have been crowded out OF some
empioyments, others quite as destr-
able are now at their disposal. New
employments have arisen for women
as we'll. and have tended to prevent
overcrowding in the old occupations.
The telephone and the typewriter
have furnished well-paid vacations to
thousands Of girls, and have prevent
ed the lowering Of wages In shops and
stores which would otherwise have
been called upon to furnish them
with employment. The work OF wom-
en- has not reduced wages. the average
wage of men being higher in the Unit
ed States at this time than at any
previous time. The average woman's
wage has also gradually but certainly
risen and was never as high as now.
Whenever the trades unions have
accepted women in full membership
the competition between men and
women workers has ceased and there
has been no consequent disadvantage
to men workers. In fact, the liberal
trades unions have proved the best
friends of the workingwoman. In
trades where women compete with
each other and especially where no
organization for self-defense exists
wages are low and employment IN
certain" In trades where men and
women compete with each other with
out organization the industrial status
of both men and women is unstable
and wages huctuating.
At the beginning Of the last cen
fury the wage-esrning work Of wom-
en- was of such slight importance that
the census classified 1t with that Of
children. It has become an impor-
tant industrial factor, which must be
reckoned with in every economic prob
lem. At the beginning they were
driven to labor by necessity. The
same necessity still forces them to
work. but a new motive has been
made possible by the evolution Of the
century. They are now inspired to
seek high vacations and to do bet
ter work by the knowledge that they
have the God-given right to work.
No prejudice can now drive women
out of the worlds workshop. II one
may prophesy as to their industrial
future IL would seem safe to predict