Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-22

eiectricdl supplies, ammunition. chem
1cals. aeroplanes. leather goods, food
and kindred products, railroad repair
shop, etc. In many cases the work
nrst undertaken by the women re-
CURED no previous Industrial expert
ence. But training schools were es-
tablished and the women were trained
Tor more advanced and skilled work.
me survey showed clearly that the
war failed to bring to women the
higher wages paid to men. Only 1870
women 1t was shown received $50 to
$zo a week. In twenty-nine plants
the pay of the women was undA SI2
a week: in sixty-nine under $14; in
three plants. over $50 a week. ONLY
~ per cent of the plants paid over
$14 week. Notwithstanding the
award of the War Labor Board for
q minimum of SIS in the case of the
General Electric woman workers,
Men Failed to Back Them.
The war labor board endeavored to
the best of its ability to see that the
women got a square deal But the
women were for the most part un-
organized and were able to do little
to help themselves. The men. while
demanding that the women receive
the same wages for the same class of
We're classified differently from them
selves and then paid less. For in
stance. women who packed small bot
ties were paid less than men who
packed large bottles. and women who
made small designs were paid less
Is is stated in the report on women
who replaced. men in New York state
that two-thirds of the women receive
less than $15 q week. 1t is interest
ing In this connection to recall that
the commission to establish a mini
of Columbia found that $16 was the
minimum upon which a woman can
support herself when she has only
herself to support.
In another part of the New York
report 1t Is shown that in the case of
parative wages of men and the
women who replaced them. the high
est paid men received $22 to $35
week. and the women who took their
places did so at reduction of $40
to 1880 a week. The majority of
between $12 and SIS a week.
These figures indicate that the
women have still a fight on their
hands for equal wage for equal work.
notwithstanding the pronouncements
of various bodies and documents.
Number Many Millions.
1t has been estimated by officials
connected with the bureau of women
in industry and the United States
employment service that there are
between 1000, 900 and 1000, 900 wom-
an wage earners in the country. Ow-
ing to the fact that it is nine years
and more since the last census was
taken. this must be an approximation.
1t is estimated also that the number
of man wage earners is somewhere
between 10000. 900 and $4,000 In
other words. the number >of women
earning wages of all kinds is about
one-third of the total wage earners.
There is a strong demand that the
federal government give ear to the
demands that something be done to
give the women a square deal. and
that watch be kept by governmental
bureaus over progress of these woman
workers. With equal suffrage about
to be realized. it is more and more
likely. that this demand will be
granted.
So far. it is said. only about 500, 900
OF the woman wage earners are or
ganized into labor unions. The total
given for the woman wage earners in
cludes all kinds of work except that
of the housewife. The census bureau
is inclined to continue to leave out
the housewife as wage Garner in it's
computations. No one really can
know. it is held. whether any particu-
lar housewife works, or leaves it to
someone else.
Prefer Industrial Work.
Right here it may be remarked
that officials of the employment serv-
ice are finding that the women who
left domestic service to go into the
industries during the war are not re-
turning to domestice service. They
seem to prefer to stay in the indus
tries. The domestic service problem
is growing more and more difficult be-
cause of the attitude of the women.
So experiments are being made in New
York, Connecticut and elsewhere with
an eight-hour day for domestic serv-
ice, the woman workers to get heir
meals and to live away from the
homes into which they go as helpers
Some OF the girls who have work
ed in factories hitherto are being
tried out on this plan, and they seem
to like it, starting at a wage of 50 a
week, about the minimum wage for
factory hands. The Standardization of
domestic service in this way, it is said,
may prove the solution Of the diff
culties Of the house keepers who now
are unable to obtain servants.