Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-17
Miss Bennett Tells of
Women in Industry

Low wages and overwork among
women employees is the result of the
lack of cooperation and cohesion
among women according to Miss Helen
NJ. Bennett, head of the bureau of oc-
eupation of Chicago, in an address de-
livered Saturday afternoon before the
Rock Island Woman's club at the jan
uary meeting in Masonic temple. Miss
Bennett is clever speaker, greatly in
terested in her work and alive to the
Importance of her subject, Women in
Industry" Miss Bennett held closely
the attention of her audience for more
than an hour and with her ready wit
and sound Judgment kept her audience
with her. eff women make up their
minds to do something that they know
is right, it must be accomplishment
must go through all obstacles eventu-
ally. by the steady pounding at the
thing that is right" she said. Women
must get together-the woman Of
wealth and the working girl-the ig-
norant and the educated-they must
put a passion and an abstract cause
behind their movement for the better
ment Of the condition of working wom-
en-" Continuing she said: From the
cooperation Of women must spring all
the good that is to be accomplished in
the interest of women for through it
comes industrial research, the enact
ing of laws adequate for the working
woman and the placing Of her in a
position equal compared with men.
Girls must be taught to think ahead, to
take responsibility in the affairs OF
life and do away with the idea Of a
soft, easy, idle way of education which
does not cultivate woman for the high
est things in life. If she cannot learn
to think, woman is lost to the world
and drain upon it. 1t is a dishonor
to woman to be useless"
Miss Bennett said that the problem
of women in industry is not a new
thing-woman has always been in in
dustry and her tasks have been far
more manifold than those of man. This
varied and, diversified work has been
largely responsible for her inability
to hold the highest positions success
fully-she has not had opportunity to
give some one particular subject her
undivided thought and study to fit her
for that position.
It is a problem that has saturated
the woman at the highest crest just as
much tho a tho bottom nd
the one at the top is Influenced by con-
ditions that start at the bottom. Every
woman, no matter what her position
should be concerned in the betterment
of conditions of women. The woman
of wealth today may be the working
woman tomorrow, so rapidly do con-
ditions change In the United States
today, Miss Bennett said, there ara
100000 women in industry and o.
this number one-half are under the
age of % and the majority are under
80 years Of age, so per cent of whom
are unmarried. Out Of 429 occupations
listed for men, only AZ are not engaged
In by women. This list includes every
thing from blacksmithing to preach
ing with a great diversity in between
But in none of these occupations is she
able. as a class, to demand the same
wages as man. The minimum wage
scale and the minimum hour law to-
gether with greater opportunity for the
education of women were given by
Miss Bennett as solutions of this wage
70
working in the interest of raising hel
standard: Woman's Trade Unior
league, the Consumers league, the sui
frage movement and the General Fed
Grafton Of Women's clubs. These fac
tors have shown what united womer
can do and Miss Bennett recited a
some length the things that can be &C
complished with still greater cooper
alton
The address by Miss Bennett wal
preceded with a short musical pro
gram, Miss Mabel Bohman violin, &C
companied by Miss Helen Parker a
the piano, playing two numbers ex
ceedingly we'll: "Loure" BACH, ant
"Pizzicato Polga" (Heft)
A brief business session of the clul
was held>when the program commit
tee to serve during the coming yea
was named as follows: Mesdames r
C. Smedley, H. w Ward. E. o. Vale
Jr., j. E. Clarkson and ]. R. Tuckis
Four new members were added to tn
club roll: Mesdames E. E. Nicholas
J. ". Forbes, \. A Rounds and Waite
L. Yerbury.
Mrs. C. L. Thompson, Of the stud
department. announced the recital t
be given by Miss Anna Irene Larkil
Jan. "a, at Masonic temple, when sh
will read Across the Border an
''The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife.
Refreshments were served durin
the social hour following the program