The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-01-22
A REPLY
To An Editorial in City Paper En-
titled "The SaiesgirPs Pay"

thorough investigation as the above
named papers honored staff member,
is much more than can understand.
For fear some may have missed
reading this most instructive article
on one of the great social problems
Of the Day, / give nearly all Of the
editorial below:
Careful investigation by mem
Der Of the staff discloses the
fact that in st. Louis the girl behind
the counter is better paid than in
other cities Of the country
"This investigation was thoroughly
made. 1t did not stop with depart
ment store heads. It included the
representatives of women's labor or
carnations and interviews with the
girls themselves. The fact is beyond
question that ST. Louis is a good town
for the salesgirl to live and work.
This means great deal. There
are many hundreds of modest homes
in every large city in which a former
salasghl sits behind the shining cof-
fee pot at breakfast and tucl;s a very
small person beneath a pink or blue
comforter in little bed at night.
Comparatively few saleswomen grow
gray in the service; for the most the
experience is but passing phase on
the way to wifehood and motherhood.
Our department stores are training
wives and mothers Of the future. Liv-
ing conditions and working ideals are
important not only because Of her i'm
portance to the state but as a future
mother and trainer of citizens.
"The higher wages paid in st.
Louis department stores mean better
health for the salesgirl, scale Of liv-
ing that increases self-respoct, more
money for the best forms of recrea-
ton, a wider circle Of ideas"
Being in need of medical care which
could not get in my home town, I
went to St. Louis hoping to get po-
sition in order that l might be able to
pay expenses and be under the care
of the ablest of St. Louis physicians.
In answering want adj | went
ten minutes earlier than the time
specified thinking ! would receive
commentator for my punctuality and
was the last of a string Of girls Of
whom counted twenty-five, and
stopped as the door of the prospec-
tive employer opened and very
much frightened looking face peeped
out, and informed US that he thought
he had already selected his assistant
The wages paid for this much sought
after position? Five dollars per
week. Only rarely can one get board
sufficient to subsist on for less than
that amount, then there is laundry,
car fare and clothing to be considered.
Inquiry among the shop-girls them
selves, revealed the fact that they
started on wages from three to four,
and in rare cases seven dollars per
week, and they either had friends who
made the board rate cheaper or their
homes were in st. Louis and they
were only doing this for pin money
or to help exc out an otherwise scan
ty living
On interviewing the manager of
| one OF the large department stores,
who was very courteous and kind,
told him that l would like to take a
position as cashier. He asked what
had been my occupation and salary.
Teaching school at forty dollars per
month";" l answered. In much sur
prise he asked why | wished to take
position there, as the best he could
offer was six dollars per week.
In answering another promising
lad" | was told that in order to get
a position l would have to pay one
dollar and they would endeavor to
get it for me, but in case they failed
to do so? ] asked. My dollar could
not be refunded, of course, was the
reply. From the wording of the "ad"
had inferred that the firm itself
had the position to offer, but it was
evident that | had been nicely de-
coyed into an employment 90
agency.
There is much more but | will leave
off to say that long working hours,
no time, and no strength (because of
dead-tiredness) to mend or make
clothing, and the cost Of having them
made are facts to be considered also,
when accepting one of these easy-to-
be-obtained and remunerative posi-
tions as a st. Louis or any other
large city salesgirl.
"a former salesgirl sits behind
the shining coffee pot, etc. =
Our department stores are training
wives and mothers for the future, =