Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-04
WHY WOMEN WORK
TOLD OF BY HASKIN
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Hasklp

1t was when the man returned
from q service and found a Wo-
man in his. old pcsl.ion that the
trouble really began, for the situa-
ton Immediately obtained OF two
workers for one job, creating a COM
petition that tended inevitably to-
ward the reduction of wages and
salaries. That vas q bad situation
from the labor standpoint. and the
fact that some employers were not
slow to take advantage of it made
ii all the more acute. Many of the
women continued at work. Hence
the inquiry.
Pressure OF Economic Necessity
I'VE all know that the mere fact
of so many women at work is an i'm
portant one" says the statement of
the WomeQ's Bureau. and one that
has much bearing IN the organiza-
ton of our present life. But we can
not get the final significance of this
fact until we know why so many
women are working.
Women work because they need
the money, not only to support
themselves, but for an even more
urgent service, to help in the sup
port of their families. This state
ment may be a surprise to you; 1t
Is surprising to- many people who
for some reason think that many wo-
men are at work just for fun or ex-
citement. But it Is a true statement,
and il you will look around you,
you will see that 1t Is true"
The case of what is termed a
typical family is then cited. The
father does not earn sufficient mon
ely to support the family. The mo-
Their Goes not work-"ali she does
is the cooking and the housework
and making clothes and a few other
little jobs like that to fill up her
spare time!" The two older child
rem, a boy of 20 and a girl of Is,
both work. The boy makes $40 a
week as a mechanic and turns over
$I2 of that to the family exchequer.
The girl earns $13 in q box factory,
and she turns over to her mother
every week her entire Pay envelope,
unopened, and she gets back for
herself only what the mother can
spare.
In the case of single women who
are working the Bureau found that
an invalid mother or a WORKOUT
father are not uncommon charges
for the workingwoniar, and as the
years 20 on their responsibilities are
apt to increase.
. In the United States as a whole
about one woman of every five is
painfully employed. In the District
of Columbia the percentage is much
higher than any place else, the in
curry disclosing the fact that almost
one-half of the woLlen here are
earning money. After the District
CT Columbia come South Carolina
Rhode Island and Massachusetts
where not far from one-third of the
women are gainfully employed.
Only about one-fifth of the wage
earning women are married, but thaI
one-ffth is working for the same
treason as the other four-fifths-be
cause they need the money. Thinl
! OF what their days work means Il
, them, says the Bureau. Getting III
, early in the morning to get break
: fast and set the house to rights, t.
dress and feed the children and ge
: them off to school, working till lat
in the afternoon and then hurry
ing home to get the evening mea
wash dishes, put the children t
o bed and do the sewing and mend
ing for the family.
is this the life which any woma
would choose to live just for fun?
a It Is asked. I'VE do not think 81
g From what our Investigations SHOW
II there is hard necessity back of it
d necessity for experimenting a fs
g theirs or a husbands %inadequai
a earningsyto keep up n decent star
1. dard of living and to get the be-
there is in life for the entire family