The Detroit times., 1915-02-22
GIRL CLERKS in J
U. S. AVERAGE
.$7.6S PER WEEK
approximately Half Receive
Less Than Seven Dollars,
Investigation Shows
Low WAGES MEAN
TERRIBLE TEMPTATIONS
Only Strong Souls Can Survive
Battle With "City
Poverty"
BIZ gibson GARDNER.

4 DN 0iLcOA 0AHDNER.
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.--Sales.
women in retail department stores
earn on the average $7.s6 per week
and workers In garment factories
earn on the average 1922 per week.
These are the figures contained In the
bulletin just issued by the bureau of
labor statistics. based on compre-
hensive survey recently completed by
the bureau In the leading cities and
towns In Indiana. The results OF the
Investigation show that approximate
| ly half OF the women and girls In
stores receive less than "a per week,
while in the garment industry nearly
90 per cent of the factory women re-
ceive less than 81 per week. These
figures may be taken as typical OF
these industries throughout the coun-
try which employ women and girls
almost exclusively. In large cities
the average is probably lower than
In the smaller towns.
The relation OF these low wages to
the ability OF girl to live moral
life has recently been made the sub
1ect OF an interesting presentation to
the United States supreme court in
the brief filed In the Oregon mini
mum wage case, prepared by Louis
ID. Brandeis and Josephine Goldmark.
In that brief, which the court now
has under consideration, its atten-
ton Is called to the following findings
OF the so-called vice commission" Of
Chicago, which made a careful study
OF the whole question:
The life OF an unprotected girl
who tries to make living in a great
city is full OF torturing temptations.
First. she faces the problem OF liy-
ing on an inadequate wage: Six dol.
lars week Ia the average In mer-
camille. establishments.
THE girl who has no home soon
learns OF city poverty all the more
cruel to her because of the artificial
contrasts. She quickly learns OF the
possibilities about her, OF the Joys
OF comfort, good food. entertainment,
attractive clothes. Poverty becomes
menace and q snare. One who has
not beheld the struggle or come In
personal contact with the tempted
soul OF the underpaid girl can never
realize what the poverty OF the city
means to her. One who has never
seen her bravely fighting against such
fearful odds will never understand.
A days sickness or q week out OF
work are tragedies In her life. They
mean trips TO the pawn brokers',
meager dinners, q weakened will,
often plunge into the abyss from
which she too often never escapes.
/ Hundreds, IL not thousands, OF
girls from country towns, and those
born In the city but who have been
thrown on their own resources, are
compelled to live In cheap boarding
or rooming houses on the average
wage OF six dollars How do they
exist on this sum? II Is impossible
to figure 1t out on a mathematical
basis. II the wage were eight dollars
per week, and the girl paid two and
half dollars for her room, one dollar
for laundry, and so cents for car
fare, she would have less than so
cents left at the end of the week.
That is, provided she ate 10-cent
breakfasts. 15-cent luncheons. and
25-cent dinners. But there Is no
doubt that many girls do live on even
six dollars and do IL honestly, but we
can affirm that they do not have nour-
ishing food, or comfortable shelter,
or warm clothes, or any amusement,
except perhaps free public dances,
without outside help, either from
charity In the shape of girls clubs,
or friends in the country home. How
can she possibly exist, to say moth
ing of live?
rs II any wonder that tempted
girl who receives only six dollars per
week working with her hands sells
her body for $50 per week when she
learns there is demand for Il and
men are willing to pay the price? On
the one hand her employer demands
honesty, faithfulness and clean and
neat appearance and for all this he
contributes from his profits an aver
age of six dollars fore week.
In the sad life OF prostitution. on the
other hand. we find that the en-
ployer demanding the surrender OF
her virtue pays her an average OF
$25 per week. Which employer wins
the half-starved child to his side in
this unequal battle? II would be unl
Just. however, to cast any reflection
upon those girls who are brave and
pure. by fntimating that because they
earn so small a wage they must neces-
sarily be in the same class with those
other girls who. unable to survive
longer the heroic battle against Dow
erty and self-sacrince. have succumbed
and gone down.
Vice demands youth for It's per-
petuation. On the public rests the
mighty responsibility of seeing to Il
that the demand Is not supplied
through the breaking down OF the
early education Of the young girl or
her exploitation In the business
world. What show has she In the
competitive system which exists to-
day? Whatever her chances may be,
to stand or to fall. she n here in
hordes In the business world. "A our
problem. Let us do something 10
give her ut least Q living wage. II
she In not suficiently skilled TO earn
|it let us mix some religious justice
with our business and do something
TO increase her eflciency which she
has never been able 10 develop
Through no fault Of her own.
Didn't Know Il All.
"You understand your duties thor.
oughly. don't you" she said 10 the
new footman.