The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-11-04

there is no indication that bad ven
tilation in a workshop is a more
serious menace to women's health
than to that of men, nor that it
has any distinctive effect upon wo-
men. insufficient ventilation will
lower the efficiency and the ability
to resist disease of both men and
women, and it should be recognized
as a problem for all employees in
all industries under all conditions.
The prevention of glare by prop
erly placing and shading lights is
another working condition which is
not particularly a women's problem,
but instead is a problem for all in
industry.
Specially Applied to Women
In fact, very few, if any, of these
recommended standards can be said
to apply only to women, and the
Women's Bureau does not advocate
that they should be considered as
applying only to women. The i'm
portant thing about them is that
they apply especially to women. For
all conditions in industry bear par
ticularly heavily on women, and
therefore good working conditions.
hours and wages have more i'm
portant relation to their health. Long
hours in the factory are not as Sc
rious for the man, who is through
work when he leaves his Job at
night, as they are for the woman
who has often several hours of
housework to do after she gets home.
The married woman in industry, who
is forced to work because of economic
necessity, brought about by her hus-
bands death, incapacity, or inability
to earn an adequate wage for him
self and his family, must usually
take whatever job she can get, with
out too much question of wages or
hours. But she is the one worker
IN all the group who most needs the
protection of the law, for the care
of her children and household will
take many hours and much strength
and her health will suffer if hours
OF work are not limited.
Perhaps the greatest two health
measures which industry can insti-
tute for all workers, but particularly
for women who are not organized
SO that they can make their own
demands, and who are massed in
the low-paid industries, are the eight
hour day and the payment of a
living wage. 1t has already been
pointed out how the long hours are
a special hardship for women, but
the low wage paid to the average
woman worker is an even greater
menace to her health.
A recent investigation made by the
Women's Bureau disclosed the fact
that IN the main industries in Kan
sas IN 1913 and 1920 the median
wage paid to women was S11.95
with ~ per cent of the women earn
ing an average weekly wage of less
than $500. The Ohio Council Of
Women and Children in Industry has
found that IA per cent of the wo.
men IN that State were receiving
IN 1919 less than $40 a week and So
per cent less than $15 week. The
Women's Bureau found that in 1920
nalt the women employed in the in
dustrles of Atlanta. Ca, were re-
celvlng less than S11.70 a week. Con-
dltlons such as those exist through
out the industries where women are
employed and the standard of liv-
ing which wage of around S12 a
week must require should certainly
be recognized as a condition which
VIII sap the health and vitality of a
large group of workers.
This is particularly true when the
woman worker is recognized as a
provider not only for herself but
frequently for dependents as well.
The responsibilities of the wage-earn-
ing woman and her contribution to
the support of others-mother, father.
sisters, brothers, husband, children
nave not yet received full recognition
from industry or from the general
public. Yet every investigation which
touches wage-earning women piles
up the evidence that women are
working more often than not to
exc out some husbands or father'a
insufficient wage and make it ade.
quate for the family needs or tn
earn the wage which had formerly
been earned by a husband or father
who has died or been incapacitated
For nrunc 0aI E.,oAIs 4