Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-02
Hans Sisters
Before the War
By MADGE ARTHUR.

The quick response OF French and
English women to the call for their
services in unfamiliar tasks Is part OF
the history OF this stupendous war,
American women, should occasion de-
mand, will doubtless be equally will
ing to do their bit" toward keeping
the wheels in motion, but the United
States is bound to discover, just as
France and England did, that, with
all the willingness in the world. its
daughters cannot do for their country
tithe of what the daughters OF Ger
mania were able to accomplish the
very instant war was declared.
The growth of German industry
during the last half century is, OF
course, a fact well known to all who
have studied modern industrial con-
ditions, but perhaps few persons out
side of Germany were aware of the
large and increasing share women
were taking in it at the time the great
cataclysm convulsed Europe
| have stumbled upon an article
written in July, l9l3-just a year be-
fore the war--which can hardly fail
to be of interest today, and from
which I quote:
I'm former days the German wage
earning woman was, as rule, only
to be found in agricultural districts;
now they are forsaking the country in
increased numbers and are going to
the cities, where big industries are
arising and demanding their labor.
The number OF women wage earners
in Germany is now larger than in any
other European country, and from
census reports it appears to be stead
lily increasing,
I'm 1882 the women employed in
occupations other than domestic serv-
ice numbered over 100000; twenty
FIVE years later the figures stood at
100000, and while the employment
of men has increased 20 per cent dur
ing the last twelve years, the employ
ment of women has increased 81 per
cent during the same period. At
present a full third of the economical
labor of the empire is being carried on
by women.
Statistics recently published show
that there are 9,500,000 wage-earning
women in Germany, which means that
nearly every second adult woman is
earning her own living and directly
contributing to the wealth Of the
country. The American consul at
Dresden says that the fact that
women compete with men in many OF
the great industries in Germany is
now accepted as a matter of course.
"In 1906 there were no less than
thirty-seven women's trade unions,
comprising nearly 10000 members.
The Textile Workers union alone
numbered $1,000 women, while the
National Union of Women Clerks,
founded twenty-one years ago in Ber-
lin, is one of the best organized unions
in the country, numbering in 1909
$4,000 members. The women who
work in the factories are employed
chiefly in Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria,
Baden, Wurtemburg, Hesse and Al
sace-Lorraine, the textile factories of
Prussia and Saxony alone employing
over 100000 women.
"The clock-making industry of the
Black Forest, the hand-weaving
trades of Silesia, the basket-making
and wood-carving of Thuringia are
cottage industries that furnish work
for multitudes Of women of all ages,
and without them the national wealth
would sensibly diminish.
"The increasing share women are
taking in industry has been recognized
by the government and laws have re-
Gently been passed which will alter,
and in some cases improve, their po-
sition.
"What may be called the 'Women's
charter came into operation on JAN
uary /, 1910. The law provides that
women are not to be employed be-
tween the hours OF 8 p. m. and 6 a. m.
The maximum working day for
women is now ten instead of eleven
hours, and eight instead of ten on
Saturdays and days preceding public
holidays"
Real efficiency of cooperation for
the material growth of their country
has, therefore, you will perceive, been
taught for many years, not only to