Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-09
Woman S Work.
Army Of Unemployed Is Present Confronting England With
A Problem Yet to Be Solved

London. November 26.-It is only within
the last few years that public attention
has been concentrated upon unemploy.
ment. 1t is not surprising that it's bear.
ing upon women has as yet been little
considered or discussed, and that the
need for making provision for them has
not been adequately emphasized. Yet the
three chief sources of information show
that the evil is as serious among women
as, 1t is among men. The latest figures
recorded by the board of trade labor eN-
changes show that applications from
1855 women and 1851 girls We're recently
on the registers. The reports of distress
committees give similar statistics. estab
fishing the existence of a great amount
Of unemployment among women. Final
". the evidence before the late poor law
commission brought out with startling
clearness the special characteristics of
unemployment among women com
pared With that among men, the ex-
tremely low average of women's wages.
the prcdorfrantly seasonal character of
Women's trades. the weakness of
women's trade unions and the practice OF
not discharging rccc-workers in slack
seasons. but of Keeping them idle in the
shop, which makes the statistics OF fe
male unemployment even less accurate
than the statistics of unemployment
among men.
RELIEF FOR WOMEN.
Although the establishment of the Ma
tionai Labor Exchanges has brought
the problem one step nearer solution.
~ "a
make any adequate provision for women
who are unemployed. At present, of the
twelve largest industrial eenters. where
womens labor is often the chief econo-
mic factor in the town, only three-1~on-
don. Liverpool ana Manchester-have Or
ganized relief work for women under the
GnemrfoySsd workman act of 1905.
Under the central unemployed body for
London three sewing rooms are carried
on--at Southwark. Poplar and ST. Pan
cras. In these any women other than do
nestle servants or those with able bodied
husbands are accepted as eligible for ap-
plication.' In Manchester two sewing
rooms at Bootie street and Ancoats were
opened "to meet the needs of the middle
aged women. and especially of widows
and OF those whose husbands were out OF
WORK.. Az l$tSefpoDi preference Is gwen
TO widows with children.
The three London workrooms are uni
formly constituted and carried on under
the supervision OF the womens work
committee.
The number of women relieved In this
way Is necessarily small. In London ont
OF 657 applications for RELIEF at the central
ONCE Thirty were rejected rs unsuitable
and only 3334 were actually put TO work.
each sewing room accommodating about
70 women. In Liverpool 81 out of thu $73
thought suitable were assisted. and in
Manctiester's two rooms work was given
to total OF 236. one room accommodate
ing i27 and the other 80.
LONDON SITUATION.
The particulars III London are as fol-
lows: Each woman is paid at the uni
form rate of SEQ per week OF A hours,
and dinner is proeideG~Afor each TO the
value OF II cents daily; fares also are al
lowed when they exceed 4 cents per day.
and In ali such cases maximum contri-
button of 4 cents per day is made by the
woman herself Each woman with chill
dren IS granted an allowance of 30 cents
per week for the first child under Il years
of age. 81 cents per weeK for the second
and % cents for every additional child !;
the total wage In no instance. however,
exceeds si.31 per week. In Manchester
the woinen are now paid on piece work
rates Formerly 30 cents day was given).
ranging from sl.15 to $..75 week. The
hours are from $50 to saturdays in
cnidea), with an hour for dinner. In 1905
the education committee provided dinner
to the women free of charge.
The central unemployed body was I'M
pressed by .he necessity for further ac-
ton by the fact n that the large num-
bers of women who had registered at the
Offices Of the various distress committees
did not represent the actual numbers un-
employed. the little work available diS-
couraeing many from registering their
NAMES: (e) that Is per cent of those regis
tered expressed desire for an opportuni-
ty Of, taking up work in the country; 80
that the department would have greater
possibilities OF usefulness If the women
could be Taught some skilled trade.
SUGGESTIONS MADE.
With this end in view n subcommittee.
consisting Of Mrs. II, ]. Tenant. George
Lansbury. and James p. r, Lyell submit
ted TO the local government board the
suggestions that there should be estab-
Hshed:, ~ country training settlement
TO qualify women in fruit growing and
preserving. hand laundry. poultry and
bee-keeping: (2} q training center in the
borough Of Paddington to teach women
SONS skilled tradc IN which there was a
deaith 81. woneh's labor. such as uphols-
tery., What. In fact. the subcommittee
realized. and Whit must be realized by
anyone who studies the problem closely.
was that 1t is- OF little use to provide re-
4liet without doing something to prepare
the'women TO keep themselves when the
pstSod az relief IS over. Hoth Schemes
sallsd. ssr some unassahnt able reason. t.