The evening world., 1912-01-04
WASHTUB CITY, AND A FEW OTHERS.

TvHE most interesting thing about the laundry workers strike
s the disclosure that there are in this city at least $4,000
men and women, mostly women, whose occupation is to
wash and iron mems shirts and collars, women's skirts and shirt
waists and the household linen. These constitute a woshtub city
equal in population to Wheeling, W. Va, Wichita, Kan, Topeka,
Kan, Lincoln, Neb, Little Rock, Ark, Banghamton, y. J., or any
one Of dozens Of other American cities Of substance and repute.
wshtub city stands for the emigration Of one industry Of tho
metropolis from the household to the shop and factory. A genera
ton ago nearly all this work was done inside the home by the wife
and daughter or hired girl" That burden has been lifted from
their shouldcr-and placed fourfod on the family wage-carners.
A competent servant working inside the home can do in a day, on
q wage Of perhaps $3.50, an amount Of washing and ironing for
which the laundry would charge IS or 90.
Other household industries have emigrated TO shop and factory.
There arc cooking, bread-making and canning as well M wrshtub
cities in the metropolis. That is true Of each of these which is true
u the laundry business. They take the burden from the womans
shoulders and place it two-fold, three fold or four-fold upon the
shoulders of the man. The labor cost Of any article, whether it be
,teel, furniture. collars or bread, 10 three parts in four or four parts
in Eve of the total cost.
Thus has been effected what is called "womans emancipation
from drudgery." The price2 What is called 1.-THE high cost Of
living" Simon Pntten, professor Of political economy in the Uni
yerEty Of Pennsylvania, puts it thus:
Forty years ago q man could live comfortably m $1,000 a year.
Under the magic OF the wfes hand this $1,000 became $500 or
$4,000, Tho vito created more value In tho homo than her husband
did out of It, In her hands cloth became clothes. flour broad and
fresh fruits the winters preserves Now all things are done out
eide tho home. and must Be purchased with tho $1,000 Income.
In other words, the old income was $1,000 plus. while the pres
emit income is 81, 200 minus.
Household bread WA good bread, home preserved meat good
meat. Home made preserves and canned vegetables were better
than anything that wears a colored label. womans emancipation
from d~rudgery' has brought with it the omergence Of "embalmed
beef" alum-bleached bread, riots and spots" 1t has evolved the
evils Of "packngtOwn" and the cellar bakery. 1t has created the
need of national pure food laws, armies of inspectors and autocratc
health boards. 1t has made the problem Of the undcrpad woman
mll.w orker and clerk.
II the modern woman would put n little more elbow grease into
her household duties, her husband would not have to work 80 hard,
her children would he better fed and clad, her sisters would not DO
toling in the mills for an inadequate wage. and her own figure would
not show its tendency to embonpoint. Ii might not then be neces-
.ay for her to work of her superfluous energy. after approved suf-
Aagettc fashion, by "~impedng traffic" throwing bricks" and wear
ing deputy sheriff badges.