The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-02-11
STUDY WAGES
OF 1000 GIRLS
Woman Inspector Compiling Re-
port of State Conditions

The next report or Miss Luella Bur
ton chief woman factory inspector of
Michigan, which will soon be forth
coming. viii contain statistics Of es-
pecial interest to those interested I'm
vice conditions
In her report Ia Labor Commission
er Perry f.. Powers n year ago. Miss
Burton recommended that during the
year an Investigation be made as tO
the relation between occupation and
orimnality OF women and young girls,
To ascertain from what occupation
most of the women and young girls
come who find their way 10 the police
courts rescue homes and asylums, and
t. what extent low wages figure in
such criminal record.
Investigate 1000 Girls.
I'm order to determine their actual
Industrial social and moral conditions
statistics have been obtained from
nearly 1000 girls employed in the larg-
cr cities of Michigan. These statis-
ties cover the amount of salary re-
ccivcd. amount paid FOR board and
room and for other living expenses.
In order to determine whether the
tIcnd of modern industry is danger
GUS To the character of women, MARY
COninGton made an exhaustive study
Of this question under tile direction
ct the Uuitcd States commissioner Of
labor. which was recently published
under the title The Relation Between
Occupation and Crim,nalitN of Won
On" appearing as Volume H. In The
report on Woman and Child Wage
Farmers. issued by the government
Eighty One Per Cent Domesties.
Miss COnynton makes the statement
that OF the 1929 offenders studied, 81
per cent had come from the traditiona;
pursuits of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
within their own homes or I'm the
houses of others. Jane Adams gives
the figures as - per cent In this class
The newer occupations according 10
Miss Conyngton, which are commonly
supposed to have had detcrpratinS
effect, contribute only a small part Of
the criminal class. Miss Conyngton
gives this deduction
The girl does not go wrong be-
cause she is a domestic or an unskill-
eel WORKER. but because she i the kind
OF girl most likely TO be tcihpjtd and
least likely 70 resist"
Miss Conyngtoh further says 1T is
generally agreed that While"ft is the
rarcst of things Tor Il girl to enter up
on an immoral life directly through
want yet whcn' She has once gone
wrong through thoughtcssucss; or at
lection or some other cause then low
wages or irregular or Insufficient
wages are strongly eGectye. in decid-
ing her to adopt a life Of immorality
~ in mpclIing her to drift into such
a life without any definite action"
Requires No intelligence,
Miss Conyngton says that while the
stenosrapher. bookkccpcr. cashier or
confidential clerk must have certain
amount of intelligence and general
education to begin With, domestic SER
vice is open to the lowest grade, and
has little educative or disciplinary
value The servants who appear in
Jail generally are those who work for
people whose standards are little high
er than their own. Their work is Of
ten carried on under unhygienic condi-
tons. their hours are long and irreg-
ular. aud their mistrcssos frequently
| lawfully aggravating,"
Taken altogether, Miss Conyngton
found that a girls occupation played
| little part i'm her criminal or moral
career Unfortunate carly influences
| aud defective mentality, the two Of
ten combined in one case. she gave as
| the principal reasons why girls go
wrong, But number of subsidiary
causes were also given
MANY RURAL SCHOOLS UNFIT.