New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-01
WOMEN IN BUSINESS"
They Unjustly Displace Men by
Competing with the Latter.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Whilst always DESTROYS to palliate
las far as compatible with truth and JUS
tice) the falings, and even the pronounced
aggressiveness, of some of the female sex,
am perfectly convinced that there is well
defined line of demarcation beyond when
woman's activities not only tend to limit
mans opportunities, but serve to react or
women themselves. The controversy which
has arisen in the columns of The Tribune
over the letter of Raymond NJ. Thurston IS
exactly similar 10 other discussions when
have been conducted from time to time on
the same subject in various papers ever
since women entered into competition with
men in avocatons which from time imme-
mortal have been rightly regarded as es-
sentially masculine. Whilst | do not COIN
eide with Mr.. Thurston in his arraignment OF
all working girls as "peanut-brained apollo
ges for real women" etc, fully agree with
the principles which his letter enunciates,
as it would be only hypocrltical business
man or a thoughtless female who would seek
to refute the underlying facts upon which
the grievances to which Mr.. Thurston so
fearessly calls renewed attention are most
Individually founded.
All the arguments adduced in favor OF
women entering business circles in opposition
to men are utterly illogical, for the simple
reason that they rest on false premises FOR
every woman employed in q clerical or ONCE
position some man is displaced. which means
that some mans children, or, perchance,
father and mother, are deprived of the help
of mans salary, to make way for woman
whose only claim to such consideration IS
that she is a cheap substitute, whilst IN
many instances. as Mr. Thurston plainly i'm
plies, sentiment, often If the mawkish va
riety. on the part of employers is responsible
for this condition.
The letters of "A Business Girl" Mary F.
Kavanagh, A. J. Irvine and James K. keene
Taylor in your issue of the 23d inst, so far
from being forcible or convincing refutations
of Mr.. Thurston's main contention, are moth
ing more than apologies (subconsciously
given for deplorable condition, whilst "the
eternal feminine" was in evidence in every
sentence contributed by the lady writers.
Women, however, are not altogether to
blame, as it is a situation created by mans
ever increasing greed and selhshness; and
it is not probable that there will be any
change from the present state Of things as
long as those men affected remain supine and
passive-as long as there is no organized
effort to resist this feminine invasion of
mans sphere by some concerted and intelli-
gent action.
1t is fact, we'll known to the subscriber
as well as 20 many other men who have been
or are engaged in callngs which have
brought them in touch with family affairs in
this city, that the preponderating majority
Of young women working in offices, ostensi-
lily for a living, are in reality the daughters
and sisters Of well-to-do families, the male
members of which are eminently capable of
supporting them independently of the eff
forts of these young women themselves.
II is not so very strange, therefore (regret-
toble though it should be-. if, knowing the
foregoing to be the true state of affairs, men
in trains and other public conveyances are
not ELUSIVE in their manifestations Of chiv-
airy TO such young women, feeling convinced
that all these females are virtually taking the
bread out of the mouths of just so many
competent men, deprived of employment
through this pernicious female competition
1t has been advanced by way of justifying
this invasion of mans domain-but the state
ment smacks Of weary platitude-that wom-
ans work has been taken out Of the home"
so that under those circumstances woman
"has to follow it," Nobody is Directing TO
this phase of the subject being duly ex-
plotted; but into what avenues of employ
ment has woman turned in order to pursue
this course!
II from the knitting needle and the old
fashioned spinning wheel she has gone into
the factories and taken her place at the ma
chinery which has replaced the old methods,
nobody with any sense of equity or fair play
would deny that in so doing she is fulfilling
woman's mission; but she cannot consistently
claim that because the typewriting machine
has supplanted the penman she should in
wade Offices and displsce men. nor because
telephones have been generally installed that
1t takes the sensitive ear Of q woman to at