The Washington times., 1915-02-16
Mary G. Farmer Favors
Strong Union of 100000
Women Clerical Workers
to Set Profession Right
Before the World.
Py FLORENCE E. YODER.

Ry FLORENCE E. YODER.
Comes Mary C. Farmer. writer.
lawyer, and student, with plan to
protect from innuendo in current lit
erature the women employed as Ste
nographer or office assistant.
Organization Of the 100000 women
engaged in clerical occupations into
an uncompromisins union, under the
banner Of the Stenographers. Type
writer's. Bookkeepers, and Assistants
Associations OF America, she de-
clares, will Danish forever from light
literature insult conveyed in the in
timation that office assistants are
out for what they can catch.
But this is only one Of the virtues
which the formation of such a union
will confer. according to Miss Far
mer. The office workers Of the Dis
trict should be included under the
eight-hour law, should receive
stipulated wage and be protected
from the present system of exploi-
tation of her time and vitality.
The ordinary office worker. with
out the backing Of a union. is abso-
er." said Mss Farmer.
The stenographer' hours must
not be limited. but her wages may
be. The following States have
adopted some form of minimum
wage. and the movement is growing:
Massachusetts. Oregon, California.
Colorado. Minnesota. Wisconsin.
though perhaps my authority is not
OF the best. that the provisions OF
the minimum wage laws in no case
cover stenographers. What do lcgis-
lators think they are, anyhow? But
more Of that later.
I'm this day and age. one person
cannot get legislation, especially
when that one person Is a total po-
lit!cal nonentity.
Demand Living Wage.
But one person who represents
thousands Of persons can set atten-
tion and they do It every day. What
Is the reason for not having includ-
cd the office workers In labor laws?
Simply because they are not an or
ganization. They are so far merely
q huge body Of detached workers.
among whose number any may be
singled out to work at the beck and
call Of the employer.
why 1t is that woman VINO
starts out to work az a stenographer
or typewriter is paid anywhere from
50 to IS a week at the start? SIM
ply because she Is forced to endure
1t: she has no means OF forcing
legislation which will demand for
her a living wage.
"The stenosraphers and tyIewriters
and office workers are the out.
casts Of the working world Why?
Because they have not organized.
For instance. take the men who be-
long to a printers union. When the
eight hour day expires the men who
work the linotype and monotyre ma IA
chimes quit and quit instantly. or
else they demand time and na'f
pay for every hour worked overtime.
In the business Offices how diff
ferent. The girls work their type
writer's until they have finished and
they get not one cent eff extra pay
for extra work in 9s9 Offices ont OF
everv thousand In other words.
they present the corporations en-
pl0ving them with sometimes hun
dreds Of dollars worth OF work
All this. Miss Farmer pointed out.
could be changed through organiza-
ton Of the Office workers. who. after
all. have as much right 10 orsan-
ization as any other skilled laborers.
She showed effectively the results
obtained by. several labor orGaniza-
tions and then launched into q
word picture Of the conditions exist
Ing in many offices today.
Cost of Exploitation.
"It is a disheartening thing" she
said, ito 20 by high office building
at and $50. and see the lights III
so many offices and know that they
smell exploitation. and not only that
but utterly useless exploitation. for ir
very many instances. Ehosoeever die
tates fools away half a day doine
nothing and starts his dictation al
the normal closing time simply be-
cause 1t costs him nothing. while the
cost to the girl is often perfectly
tangible. Fifteen minutes overtime
Used to cost me exactly 25 cents q
week, or dollar and IL half q month
because If left work at 5 o'clock
had time to walk home before dinner
and fifteen minutes after made mi
late and my dinner cold. This Is
small instance.
"T'hink for moment of the girl
who cannot live in the suburbs be
cause the last train leaves At 5 80
and she cannot make it; or wh'
wastes half hour or more ever!
single day because she just misses {
car that runs on an hour or haif
hour schedule. and all for no rea
reason except the absolute lack o
consideration of the employee. Fu
even a 1O-cent value or that eXtr'
half hour, and you would see over
time reduced at once to minimum
A man has no more right to steal al
cmploye's time, which is the com
modify they sell. than he has to taxi
their money.
ITO go back to the exemption o
stenographers and typewriters from
laws limiting hours Of labor. ! tax
for instance, the State Of VirginiN
There the stenographer and type
writer Is specifically exempt from tn
ten hour law. Just think of it. WON
en- in factories doing purely mechani
cal work. have the benefit of thl
law, women in workshops, women u
L. IA lis,h ,Han hDllE