Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-05-13
OF BRITAIN
HAS BUT LITTLE TO
ANTICIPATE IN LIFE
No Protection Afforded by Employers
All Efforts to Eliminate Wom-
en- From Saloons Have
Failed,

London. Special: TOO old at 80" is
the unhappy lot of the British barnaid,
described in a report. by Mrs. Bernard
Drake. of an inquiry, made by the
Women's industrial council.
Barlnaids are a British institution.
Very few men are found behind the
bars i'm the saloons throughout the Uni
ted Kingdom. except prQprietors. There
are $4,000 barmaids III England, alone.
Frequent crusadeS have been started,
with the purpose Of eliminating wom-
en- and. particularly. girls, from this
vocation. but nothing lasting has been
accomplished. One reason is that the
saloon is the working mans club. and
he prefers those places where he can
gossip With the girls. On the whole.
the influence of barmaids is to raise
the atmosphere of saloons. but the in
is considered bad.
The harmaid soon growS DID, says
the report. Sometimes she is old at
%: she is generally too old at 80" Her
chances of marriage are small unless
h marries the barman or the mana
ger. and almost the only recourse left
to her is the streets. The number OF
women. on the London streets, who
have once been barmaids. is out of all
proportion to the total numbers in the
trade.
Mrs. Drake writes sympathetically of
tlc women UGlllllQ Ille OARS. SoIfe says.
1.-The barmaid Is cheaper han the
barnlan. She is more Industrious. more
sober. more amenable to the wishes of
her employer, less rebellious against the
hard conditions of public-house life.
There are women. women of fine
character. who earn, in the bar, a de-
cent and respectable living. and are not
unhappy. There is ever a woman of
robust health and temperament. who
finds in the public house d certain vo-
cation. The bar is. to other women,
immediate ruin.
But all these are exceptions. The
barmaid. who is of the majority, al
though she loses nothing Of self re-
spect. yet continues at her post only In
WEAKNESS and loathing. n with a
great fear in her heart of that which
the future is to bring"
Wages. for barmaids, are no more
than domestic servants command IN
the United States and the average
working day is IA hours. In houses,
patronized by working men. the aver
age pay is $3.50 to SO a week: in no
tells it may rise to $3.50. and for a head
barnaid. to $3.50 or ever S.. BOARD
and lodging are always furnished but
the girls are expected to dress we'll.
The barmaid. according to Mrs
Drake. belongs to the type of normal
and average working girl Industrious
sober and honest. although she is to
be distinguished from her sisters by
a greater measure of the love of youth
for adventure. She seldom adopts the
career as the result of a false step. The
working man seldom loses his respec,
for the barmaid as a woman worker;
it is reserved for the man bou town
to be without all sense or honor or chiv-
airy to m Young and pretty girls
are deliberately chosen for the west
end saloons. which are the resorts OF
dissolute men and fallen women. be-
cause the inexperienced girls attract
the men. They are given no protection
by their employers.
Two great evils OF the present saloor
system are pointed out by the report
one. is The long hours. affecting thu
health OF both men and ome ant
leading to excessive drinking. The 9th
or is the exploitation of young girls
which 10 responsible for their degra'
dation. One reform. proposed. u tina,