The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-30
A New Vocation for Women.


Waxing numbers of educated women
who for reasons pecuniary or ethical de
sire to be wholly or partially self-sup-
porting, are by their very multiplicity
forcing solution of the problem of choice
of opportunity and service. Certain
spheres of labor. such as teaching school
acting as private secretaries, librarians
workers in social settlements and aids
in administration OF charity md welfare
work, are still being invaded; but the
law OF competition is making itself felt
and recourse to other openings is no
ticeable fact of the times,
II is with this state of affairs in view
that writer in the Atlantic Monthly
directs the attention OF young women
that know books and their uses to the
opportunity awaiting them in the retail
book business, either as clerks in shops
owned by men or as proprietors OF their
own shops in which they may also vend
periodicals, sheet music, photographs and
other art products, and, by their graces
as conversationalists and exemplars Of
the art of social intercourse, make their
places Of business also serve as commu.
nifty centers for the development of
I IIlt type vi hOtlhl me- NHt HIp1INN
of creating this sort of shop might take
time and require some resources of cap
4 ital Is not overlooked by the champion
of the plan; but he calls attention to the
fact that a similar process Of creating
demand for woman's service has been
the lot Of pioneers in many of the call
ings which women now adorn.
Fortunately the times are propitious
for experiment. Both publishers Of books
and firms OF booksellers are bent upon
increasing sales through a better process
Of distribution and a higher and more
systematic sort Of training Of the read.
ing public and OF persons who make sales
20 book buyers. In several cities of the
United States beginnings have been made
IN special schools where clerks and man.
ayers can study branches Of knowledge
which will add 10 their effectiveness; and
in few cases the public schools and the
Young Mems Christian association are CO.
operating with the plan. Pstronized now
by men. there i no reason why In the
course of time whatever is 20 be had in
this form of vocational training should
not be accessible 10 women with bookish
tastes who must be breadwinners.
Az for the publishers, they not only
are kindly disposed toward anything that
will increase the efficiency Of such book
shops AZ now exist hut are most willing
90 AID any project that viii multiply re-
tail bookshops Of the older type. where
patrons are drawn by the general intel !
ligence OF the booksellers and BY the GER /
taiutv that good tax about books and
kindred topics may b. carried on. This 1
Il i believed the woman bookshop keep. j
o.. who Joined with the book trade the
sale Of music scores. photographs. art /
products and other articles IN popular 4
demand. such ss edible goods. might Do. /
The book buying habits Of the average /
American community are not 80 deeply /
rooted 81 national pride NAV lead the I
urinformed person b. suppose. Only one 4
person IN 7g0o huys q hook in the course 1
~ vear On Switzerland il u one In 4
so persons. Good authorities claim that .
fhs ratio in the United states is smaller 4
thau q 49, q generation ago. a. ans |
rate The Publishers ere federafinr o. In- I
frrsss The ratio through q campaign Of /
stuestiUn. ard theg wfl not 10 found /
aterse 81 hfiriur On anF enterprises fhat 1
wuren mag rerturr uron % utilize their I
sfesiEl fTlipH-1isffs as inteT liRant fruafrs /
a. hrnis. Fnr thfv have sueh sk7l. ne
49, rsrrffs 81 sume shors Which they /
ssrtf ~ fuansrt Show tristisn sciencr
ffrrfnr.