Norwich bulletin., 1920-04-16
FACTORY WOMEN WAGES
 AVERAGE $16.5o TO $22

The average wage of the women working in the factories of Connecti- cut varies from s16.50 to s22 a week, according to Charlotte M. Holloway, industrial investigator for the depart ment of labor and factory inspection. The lowest pay for skilled and semi skilled labor among the working Wo- men of the Connecticut factories va ries from $12.50 to $16.56 a week.
 In one or two scattered cases wo- men working in textile factories re- ceive as low as $9 a week, but even this is not much lower than the ave- rage wage of the women workers in New York state, where it has been found after careful investigation that the average wage of the working wo- men of the state is about $10 a week. In no individual case in Connecticut has 1t been found that a woman is receiving as low as g week, al- though there were number of such cases in New York state.
 The above facts were obtained at the office of the commissioner of la bor and factory inspection in Hart l ford where statistics are being com i piled for a report to be presented to l the governor and the legislature in l 1921. The manufacturers and the em- | ployes displayed a willingness to aid ! never been shown before. Owing to this, number of interesting facts have been gleaned, and it was said at i the offices of the department that the i report would be much more interest ing: to the public than any previous one.
 Taking the condition of the womer | employed in Connecticut factories as
 a whole, the conditions are much bet
 ter than they are in any other state
 Every person who has any desire fol
 employment can find it, and the de mand for labor of all kinds is rapidly increa sing. Manufacturers are sS
 pressed for help that even young
 mothers are being employed mucf
 against the will of the majority of tn, factory owners. Consequently thi
 increased demand for help is raisin:
 the wages proportionately. and a present the wages paid in the factor ies are from 10 per cent, to 40 pc cent. higher than they were, ever
 during the war days.
 The statistics were gathered iron the larger manufacturers of the state 7 the smaller employers being exempte as the questions were applicable onl : to the larger factories. Wages ar ? from 60 per cent. to 70 per cent high CT than was indicated in the report 0 1917.
 g In the report that is being compile t at present a new section will be in l cluded, telling of converse tions inves ! tigators have had on the high cost C d living with people who are employe
 in state factories. From investigation
 made so far it has been found tha
 even with the wages rising as the
 are. they do not keep up with the ris ing cost of living A number c n families among the foreign classe 9 were found to be undernourished, nc I always because of lack of money, bl !, due to the fact that they would nc
 pay the higher prices that are aske for produce and are trying to pl money away. The installment plan
 buying clothes is popular among tl e girls working in factories, although - has been found to be unsa tisfactol v from many standpoints by investig; V tors.
 Figures from the present census n factory workers show that the nun
 Der of girls under 16 who are worl
 ing in factories is on the decrea
 when compared with former report
 while the number between the ages is 16 and 20 who are earning their ov
 living is on the increase. The nun
 Der between 30 and 50 years of age 'o very near the same as in former r
 ports, while there are a great mal Tt men and women between the ages
 TO and 30 supporting themselv, ie There Is a decrease in the number at married women employed when col
 pared with the last report, but t number still exceeds those who we el working when the census was talk ls for 1915 and 1916.