The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-05-24
PROBE STATUS OF
GIRLS EMPLOYED
In HITCH EMS
Investigation N Domestic Ser
vice Conditions Recommend.
ed by Luella NJ. Barton
MANY UNDESIRABLE RE.
CRUITED AMONG SERVANTS
Housing Conditions and ImprOp-
er Food Bane of Michigan
Working Girls

LANSING. May 23.--"Girls in state
retormatoriss are more sinned agains
than SHINING because conditions II
nearly so per cent of their homes were
vicious. This Ii one OF the many
terse marks made to State labor Com
missioner Perry +. Powers today BY
Luella Ii. Burton. chief woman fac
tory inspector for the state. Most o.
these girls are those OF whom any
parent might have been proud haC
home conditions been made more at
tractive. Their homes, lacking at
fractions, most OF these girls sOugh
outside associations which often leC
70 the public dance hall with It's many
attendant dangers.
"A study OF the varied occupations
show little or no real definite. prac
teal, technical or purposeful training
In fact they simply drifted with tn.
tide without inclination toward any
definite aim or occupation Most OF
them were permitted to leave school
while still In the lower grades. Az a
result Of these conditions police rec
ords show that 52 per cent OF the wo
men arrested were either domestics
housewives. cooks or housekeepers
Fifty per cent had been married.
Il would recommend that during the
coming year special Investigation
DO made OF conditions which affec,
girls employed In domestic service
At present there Ia no form OF reliable
statistics OF those particular class OF
employment Interview with profess
sional fallen women show that a large
percentage Of this latter class were
recruited from the domestic service
Another point for investigation Is
the housing conditions in all cities OF
Michigan. Overcrowded and insanity
conditions In many quarters bear a
close relation TO immortality. Investi-
cations should also be made OF hours
and conditions with which women
working In the hospitals OF the state
must contend.
"Improver food also has much 70
do with deploraDle conditions among
the working girls. We have but 10
walk into any restaurant In the larger
cities and observe the large number
| C. girls and young women who sub
sist mainly on lunches. The time II
| not far distant when the health "
these unfortunates will be impaired by
improper food hastily eaten In an
artificial atmosphere.
1T Is also interesting to note the
average wage Of the woman worker.
The salesgirls average pay Is 800
rer week; once and department man
agers In stores. 1910 per week buy
ers and assistants, 1880 per week;
cash and parcel girls. Sl79 per week ;
milliners, 1929 per week; seamstress-
RS IN alteration departments. s. S5 per
week bookkeepers. $1lso per week:
photographers, 5000 per week: gem
eral ONCE assistants. s8.l3; cashiers.
81 80 per week women in dressmak-
frs' shops. $642 per week; girls In
printing Offices. $72s per week: girls
mployed I'm dry-cleaning establish
tnents. $6.49 per week: nurses an
average OF 36.l7 monthly: laundry
N orkers, S6l6 per week; hotel EN-
bloyes, 32i06 month; restaurant EN-
,loyes. $2l.63 monthly; employees In
telephone exchange az bookeepers,
s.enographers, clerks and operators,
1888 monthly.
C. O. STEINHAUER.