The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-15
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Our WorkIng Girls ~ stud, d.

1ouTncycu forth from the ihnd ut the
cherry blossom to study accidental
civilization reported upon their return
somewhat in this fashion: That of all
the armies of the West the German
was the best. Of the navies, the Eng
iiHh: Tat the American public school
system was the finest In the world.
and as for the religions they had
found, none Of ti:cm were any good.
a statistical study ON working GirtS
ia ErcHinD Scbools, prepared 10y MARY
VAS kLEECK FOR the Russell Sage
Foundation tSurvey Association. Incl.
is not intended primarily az an en-
position or criticism of one of the most
interesting sections of our great in
stitutiCn that commanded the admira-
ton of the astute Japanese. TIN oc-
cupation statistics Of the United states
census for 1910 show that - per cent.
of the wage earners of New York city
are women; hat one woman in every
four Is a wage Garner. II was to study
this great body of workers. to find
out If possible how they can best he
helped or best he taught To help them
selves that the Investigation of the
Russell Sage Foundation was insti-
tuted. the i~nstigators rightly Judging
that in the public evening schools
they would find II mirror which would
reflect both the possibilities and the
defects and handicaps Of those whom
they wish to help. II is inevitable
that such research should throw con-
siderable light on the evening schools
themselves, their possibilities and de-
fects, what they have accomplished
and the overwhelming work for them
to do. II would seem that this branch
of the public school system is faced
with knottier problems. more
swerabie puzzles than any other. The
education of the child Is "a fearful and
awe inspiring job for those who un-
dortake II, yet what child could pre-
sent greater difficulties than a girl ~
eighteen h describes herself as a
sail lady" and who. DESTROYS Of "a
broader culture. appears at night
school to study "erefnret" and "girgof-
rie"?
Those of us who have eyes for such
things still remember the hurdes of
girls that deluged the streets at the
time OF the shirtwaist makers strike:
earnest girls. pathetic girls. DOLLS
girls n braZcn girls. IL we came
in contact with an intelligent young
Russian who discussed the great So
cial and economic problems of the
day we were impressed and sympa-
thetic; If we were jostled on the
street by "A chain of noisy. overdresscd
shrill voiced chits of 10 we were re-
PEELED and hardened. 1t Is these girls,
the appealing and repellant alike. tho
brilliant and the dull ones. who flock
into the evening schools in September
Mostly they are between the ages of
l6 and 20 and nearly 20 per cent OF
those who came under the scope OF
the Sage investigation were engaged
either In hat the dignified phrase
ology of the census calls "manufac.
turing and mechanical pursuits OF
In trade and transportation" This
being interpreted. means that they
were employed in factories manufac-
turing mems or women's clothing. ar.
tificial flowers or feathers. cigarettes
hair goods, millinery. candy or what
not: that they were stenographer.
or bookkeepers. sail ladies'" cashiers
messengers. telephone operators. &c
Few domestics appear in these eve
Ing classes and only n small percent,
age Of professional women.
Since the data for his investigation
were collected by means uf cards dis
tributed among the pupils t. he file
out by them. the returns necessaril,
did not include girls Of foreign hirtl
studying English in night school.
large and popular branch of evenin,
instruction. Consequently. the proper
ton Of American horn girls WAS con
siderably greater than would haV
been the case If the whole body q
night stutents had been considered
Going back II generation. however
this apparent Amerlcanlsm Nahlsh''
Tor the lumber haNtcg American Dor
lathers was oh'E - per cent "i III
total 'h"se Oh i''SsN'n P''.n''S
"io"c n
ANS y, wv w..
."'Fo"a, ei"'li'vr, ~ II"
~. ursua q, ,h.umu olna
=, nunrossLoraI u,,,Lor. ,rorn v,s
,ranor,Inr ~ hi,h scboo, grad
80, onong tho t,ctnrv girls ore
,hird nod Ieft scbnol when in III
sixtb prade or hollow. ard rearl
three-nf,hs hofore reaching The eight
Grade Ala IN this the facts tha
many of these girls had secured the
meagre education in various cities "a
various lands and that they approaC
the opportunity for evening insTru'
ton with "A wide diversity of aim an
.--f,.a.. ab.l . 10 a Ht ont hat