The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-10-15

an average of 7.6 hours per week day.
In the different industries the time
worked by males varied from 5.5 hours
per week day in the bituminous coal
industry to ST hours in the confection-
cry industry; while in the different
states the hours worked varied from
40 in Wyoming to 8.S in Maine. For
the United States as whole 32,425
males worked less than four hours a
day on the average through the week
days of the payroll period, while at
the other extreme no fewer than 1850
men worked at the rate of II hours a
day or more for the same period But
In spite of the large number at the ex-
tremes, 1921 males, or 54.2 per cent
of the entire number. worked at least
seven but less than 10 hours day on
the average. aa a
For the S5,sl2 females whose hours
and wages are recorded, the average
number of hours per day worked was
10. In the iron and steel industry
women worked the fewest hours, or at
the rate of 81 hours per week day,
while in the furniture industry they
showed an average of 81 hours per. day.
Among the states Alabama was at one
extreme with an average of 81 hours
and Louisiana, at the other with 81
hours. Less than four hours day was
worked by 4,2S4 females and II hours
or over for A. while 52,066, or 60.1
per cent of the entire number, worked
seven hours and under nine hours per
day.
The hourly earnings of all the men
averaged Sol. cents per hour worked
Among the industries the lowest aver
age, 34.8 cents per hour. is found in
the furniture industry, while the high
est 74.S cents, is found in the iron
and steel industry
Among the states Arkansas shows
the lowest average, 80 cents an hour.
and Wyoming the highest, S5.2 cents.
There were LIS men who earned less
than 20 cents an hour, $50 who earned
81 an hour or more, and 140, S07, or
A.. per cent Of the entire number. who
earned 40 cents and less than 60 cents
an hour
The average earnings of the women
was 30.l cents per hour worked Among
the industries the furniture industry.
with average earnings of 81 A cents an
't'tAi y 9eettihS loNthl, anu the nOU anu
steel industry, with an average of 419
cents, stands highest Among the
states Kentucky, at the one extreme.
has an average of Al cents an hour,
and Rhode Island, at the other extreme
| 3I.4 cents an hour. There were 1854
women who earned less than Is cents
an hour, while only three earned as
much as 81 an hour. There were 81
| S44, or GA per cent of the entire mum
Der of women, who earned 90 and under
| TO cents an hour.
| The earnings of men and women
| contained in this report, the report
states, covering large number OF
individuals in a great variety of indus
| tries and occupations, give a fairly re
liable index of the relative economic
position of men and women in the in.
| 1ustrial life of the country Undoubt
| cdly a considerable part of the differ
ance between the earnings of men anC
| women is to be accounted for by the
| fact that women in industry are usual
" younger than men, less experienced
and frequently less interested in thei1
! work. But in the face of such pro
nounced differences between the earn
| ngs of male and female employees a.
these figures Indicate, the question O
whether the women are performing
work of equal value with that don
by men loses much of its Importance
The more fundamental question i
whether the women are receiving a re
ward either proportionate to the indus
trial effort put forth by them or ade
quate for the needs of civilized life.
Unquestionably the economic well
being of society would be promoted b
reduction in the gap between tn
earnings of men and women, and
that contamination were realized eco
: ncmic forces could be depended upo
to cause such q redistribution of tn
| available supply Of labor of each Sc
as would bring the value of the SCI
vice performed into equitable reiatio
| to the pay received.