The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-10-30
g| n D PROCESS
! STARVATION.
Pressure Of mploying Glass on.
n. Women Will Deteriorate Il
h Race, Says Ross. / 4

With the pressure the employing
class is, exerting on them. women
work under 20 gradual process OF
starvation that is "going to deter
torate the race" according to Prof.
81. Al. Ross, head of the sociology de-
partment; University Of Wisconsin.
He declared the people must change
their ideas OF personal liberty unless
there, is change In the autocratic
character of American industry. -
Ross arraigned the capitalist sys-
tenn. that controls American, industry,
with its insecurity OF employment,
+ t'starvation" wages OF women work
ers, and deplored the waning of de-
mocracy, born of the>American spirit
of the frontier. 49,,
= Big Pension System. Z
! Great expansion of the pension
system, in the interest of the work
ers, was predicted by Ross. He
traced its rapid growth from 1898,
when he, first. heard of teachers
pension. ."D,,E
The free land Of the frontier was
responsible. for the American spirit
OF democracy and personal liberty,
according to Ross. He said the
western states did not obtain this
spirit from the early settled eastern
states. -. -"
| Democracy was born in the west
and, moved east" he said. "And the
same statement may be made of Re-
publicanism, Organism and National
ism. r. 80 a."
but with the passing of free land,
at least one fountain of democracy
was shut off. Now there is no from
tier and no west. And SO halt
million Americans have moved to
| northwestern Canada during the last
/ 10 years, In the days of the from
tier the social lines were less tightly.
drawn than at present"
| Women Are Helpless.
| Ross declared women workers are.
absolutely unable to protect them
selves in face of the pressure the
/ employers are forcing. upon them.
He said there are 100000 women.
in the business field ranging in age
from Is to Is. -. 49,. :.
women will not fight back at the
employers like men, said Ross. 1T
is difficult to organize, women work
ers. This Is chiefly due to the fact
that they do not expect to remain at
work. Four-ffths of women work
ers marry and lflve-fifths expect to.
"As a. result gradual process OF
starvation of women workers is
going on and they are receiving IS
per week when they should be get.
ting at least So. The Massachusetts
commission that set the minimum
wage for women workers: in that
state at $8.71 per week, found that
| up to that time only / in 10 women
was receiving that much money.
bad For Race. =, -.
The pressure upon women work
ers is going to deteriorates the race.
The: conditions under which women
work afe uniting them for mother
hood. ''@>:s :. :. 49, 4 =, =.
Ross attacked the insecurity OF
employment in industry. "The
! worker zig given no protection and no
assurance Of a. safe investment Of.
any money he; is able to save" he
said. "A new foreman. can fire a
man, If he dislikes the color Of his
eyes," -.i' SIKH = r. ID" -
Ross said the tendencies were
stronger to matrimony and larger
families in the: country than in the
cities. He said the families living; in
the country are larger than those of
the same general class in the cities
and he ascribed this to the greater
difficulty experienced in earning a
livelihood in the cities. He said
there is more stimulation to saving
money in the country. 49,. i. ....
l