Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-04-26
"a MYTH"
Says Mass. Inspector of Poor Factory
Girl of Romance.

Shattering an old time sentimental
ity. even now inGulged in by thous-
ands Of people Miss Mary HALEY.
Massachusetts factory inspector, de-
clares that her special protegee, the
factory sirl, far from being a person
to he pitied and condolel with over
her lot in life, rs the epitome of cheer
fulness. mirth and happiness.
And Miss HALEY ought &c know. She
herself was once q factory girl. a
weaver. and for ~ years has been il
an official position which has afforded
her an uneNcelled opportunity to Oh
serve conditions in the textile mills
throughout the Commonwealth.
The poor factory girl s better off
than a hest of her sisters in other
walks of life. Miss Haley. contends.
That the factory girl is to be pitieG
because she is n factory girl Miss
HALEY pr0claims as nonsense. She
does not consider that the wages paid
in the mills are all that are to be de-
sirsd. but thinks factory life other
wise rot conducive to unhappiness.
Miss HALEY in discussing the subject
displays tho whole-hearted enthusiasm
of one who has made her subject life
study.
II am really weary of hearing people
say that they regard the lot of The
fac;ory girl as something awful; that
they think the girl finds the social
bars up here and there because she ID
q factory girl. This sort of thinking
does an absurd injustice to a wholly
respectable ard wholly respected por-
ton af our femininity
Some of our factory girls, as I
know from personal observation
among those OF Lawrence. Lowell, Fall
River and New Bedford. go into the
incest society. They are ladies in ev-
cry rue sense of the word.
THE presumption that the factory
girl of today is much to be pitied is
quite erroneous. There is rarely to he
found more contented, and therefore
"a happier. class Of young women than
those employed in the factory.
Il start out early in the morning
it is part of my duty to see that the
mills do not open before the proper
hour. The trolley cars at that time
are filed with factory girls who ara
going to their work the first thing in
the morning with faces bright and
smiling. They are jolly, laughing
crowd. They fairly beam.
"a little later 1 have an opportunity
to see the people whu do rot have to
go 50 early to their work. They do
not Toll in the factories. They are the
ones who are supposed 10 be bright
ana smiling. But they are not.
These later goers to labor on the
contrary are silent. They seldom
smile. but sit with eXpressionless faces
till I often wonder if they could smile
if they wanted TO- | wonder if they
ever do smile. Here you have a fair
lesson in contrasts.
"Of course l would rot go to foolish
extremes and argue that the factory
girl is happy because she is going to
work IN the mill e. She is happy be-
cause it is her disposition to he happy
Eight dollars n week J. should call
conservative estimate of what the
average mill girl receives as her wage.
She has not it is true, much chance to
acquire a bank account. Only small
percentage OF girl workers. whatever
their occupation, whether in the fac
tories or not, can, in the face of thu
high cost OF living, be expected to pile
up bank account.
''The average factory girl. however,
is saving. She is deft with her fingers
and usually sews we'll. this talent con-
tributing toward the faculty of max
ing her own clothing. OF the future
of the new class of help now coming I
cannot speak beyond saying that the
most of them after being IN this coun-
try for little time show favorable
sigas of improvement.