The Washington herald., 1913-01-24
ny FRANCES sHAFFER.

In the report OF the New York Bu-
reau Of Labor Statistics prepared by
Senior Statistician George A. Stevens,
the chapter on Women Printers" in
cludes a right interesting editorial
written by Horace Greeley in the New
York Tribune.
1t was back in 1884. but some Of the
self-same ghosts that haunted the
dreams of compositors in those days
are still stalking abroad to disturb
the peace OF men workers in other in
dustries and professions.
1t seems that the journeymen print
ers had prepared a manifesto against
the employment Of women in typeset-
ting. which they asked to have printed
in the Tribune. The grievances which
the printers wished to air were fairly
numerous, and very natural" SO they
said.
They asserted that women could be
| employed at much lower rates than
men demanded and were properly en-
titled to- il you please, and that con-
sequently employers would give women
the preference and they would be left
out in the cold.
Protested Loudly.
Then they declared their belief that
no possible good could come from the
plan to take women from the sphere
Of action that God intended them to
occupy. as evidenced by their ''physi-
cal and mental qualities" And any at
tempt to take them away from the
position they held in life should be
met with that opposition from the
American people which would be eN-
erted against immortality and vice.
And one says. alas for the poor
womeni All they were trying to do
was to learn and practice trade which
would permit them to lay aside the
needle which they were plying at starva-
ton prices. because 1t was practically
the only work they knew how to do.
But that did not finish the story Of
wrongs, as told by the compositors.
They said that all the honeyed talk
of the press in its apparent desire to give
workingwomen a wider field for their
activities was the cheapest kind of pre-
tense. a fiimsy disguise for the real pur-
pose ito depress the liberty and reduce
the wages of males" And they declared
that with women fiocking into the busi-
ness, wages would fall so low that the
inevitable result would be that wives
would have TO work side by side with
husbands in order to gain the same
compensation that husbands earned alone
under the rulings in wiser days.
And SO. with all these grievances well
in mind. they felt themselves quite justI-
fled In refusing to work in any estab-
ishment where women were employed.
Mr.. Greeley Took a Hand.
And then Mr.. Greeley took a hand.
He said they certainly did have a right
to stay out II they wanted TO, and TO
influence other printers 10 do the same
il they could
But as to their fears that women would
supplant them. or seriously reduce their
wages, he told Mr.. Compositors'' that
hnV
pointed out that girls who married and
had other interests to look after would
stop setting type, unless they were so
luckless as to get worthless husbands
who did nothing to keep the pot boiling
Then" he added, "they must work, ana
you ought not to be mean enough to
stop them. or drive them back to making
shirts or binding shoes at or shillings
per day.
In this easier period for women does
the tragedy of that shirtmaking. shoe
binding appeal strike in? If they had
even received a decent wage for their
work with the needle.
Then Mr.. Greeley turning in another
direction and told the protesting COM
positors that, waxing theologic and pious,
they referred to the sphere of action God
designed woman to occupy-of her 'pur-
ity' and Of the immortality and vice she
must inevitably sink into should she be
admitted into the composing room to set
type beside you" And he admitted that
sometimes there might be force TO these
suggestions, that sometimes the company
might be very bad indeed. but he naively
inquired-'Did it never occur to You that
this is her lookout rather than yours?"
He assured them it was all right and
quite fair to warn her of the moral at |
mOsphere she might encounter but when !
they assumed to tell her that she would |
not be allowed to set type because of the |
corrupting influences. they were carrying |
the joke little too far
Told Not to Worry.
Then the great editor told them not to |
worry, that women never would seriously !
interfere with their printing craft, that |
much of the work on big newspaper was |
too heavy, and the requirements were too |