Evening star., 1924-12-14
WOMEN FIND PLACE
|N23PROFESS|ONS
Survey by Bureau Shows
Prejudice Against Sex Is
Slowly Waning.
spec,sI Disoa t,b 10 The Star

NEW YORK, December IA big
step toward clariication of the eco
ronic status OF women in the United
States has been made In the publica-
ton of a study made by the Bureau
or oD.'Focational Information of the
training available to women in 90
professions and allied occupations.
The survey was made possible on a
Grant from one of the educational
foundations and is regarded as the
most important of a series of surveys
published by the bureau dealing with
occupational opportunities for women.
For the first time since women be-
gan their steady onward march into
the professions heretofore populated
exclusively by the male, q compre-
Nensive analysis has been made of
woman's position in all the profess
sions, her numerical Importance and
future outlook.
1T Is obvious says the foreward
OF the survey. that women cannot
afford to handicap themselves with in
serior preparation. After considering
more Whan 5000 training courses the
bureau has prepared not only 'se
lected list of training facilities" but
indicates for each field the types of
training which are coming to be gen
orally accepted as the best" The
bureau has complied the training op
portunities for women. which meet
fhe standardized requirements in each
profession in every State. with sum-
mary of the occupational opportuni-
ties, the preparation required, the re-
Yards offered, the methods of en-
trance and the lines of promotion.
status In Business.
The survey shows that while near
ly 100000 women are engaged in
business, only per cent are owners.
managers, officers. foremen and
overseers. This is laid to the preju-
dice against giving women admins
trative experience and to woman's
100 frequent temporary attitude to-
ard business" Women are warned
against the tendency to train for
technical work. such as secretarial
positions, instead OF electing the
broader preparation in business Of
sered by collegiate schools.
More than 100000 women are en-
gaged as farmers, approximately 90
per. cent of whom are owners and
managers OF their own farms, special
iZing In dairyine. truck gardening.
poultry, fruit, flowers or bees. The
TWO major handicaps for women to
overcome In this field. the report says,
are the prejudice against woman en-
ployers and the lack of business ex-
Derience, which makes it difficult to
bhdiSC SuSi cIllNI pi iSS'
Music Is one of the professions
which shows a drop in its woman
members for the last 10 years, 11,S00
fewer being reported in 1920 than in
1910. Man musicians have Increased
during the same period, taking over
TO q large extent the supervisory po-
sitions in public school instruction in
music. Women, on the other hand,
are going slowly into the field OF mu-
sic as composers and members OF or
chestras.
Architecture also shows a decrease
in the number OF women engaged in
4, although women have done notable
work in domestic architecture, {: cor
ner OF the field which they have by
natural instinct invaded first.
"Engtneering has popularity been
considered by nature mans occupa-
tion." begins the survey on engineer
ing. Women have generally been
considered not to be endowed with
the engineering mind" The conclu-
sion of the bureaus study. however,
is that this can scarcely be determn-
cd on the basis of present experience,
nor can the limit be established for
the types OF engineering work which
women may enter in the future.
Pioneers in the profession number
I'd 10 in 1910: in 1920 the number of
women recorded as technical engt-
not include 1885 women counted as
craftsmen. 'r
Shortage of Librarians.
In the less novel field of library
work, 1t is noted that sS per cent of
the total number of librarians in the
United States are women. While
most OF the highest administrative
positions in large library systems are
dlled by men, this is one profession
where women have a practically
cdual chance for progress on merit.
THE difference between the clerical
work and the professional work in
library is fast becoming recognized"
continues the report. "but in spite of
the large number of librarians it is
found there is a marked shortage of
librarians with professional outlook, |
extensive and accurate acquaintance
with books, skill in organization and |
administration, and expert technical |
knowledge"
Certain significant tendencies are
evident in a number of the profess
Fions and yocations treated in this
report" said Miss Emma P. Hirth, di- |
rector OF the bureau. THE need has
boen recognized In several fields, as
in medicine, dentistry, engineering
and law, for standardizing educa-
tional requirements and offerings to
'IifiIoi my hisn lcNSlS " HlCll IUS
future development Of the profession
lay proceed.
The. trend In professional educa-
ftrn today Is to extend the period for
such training, on the one hand. and,
"a the other, to urge the need of a
letter general education on which to
base 1t. In the better schools one,
TWO and four years of college training
are required for entrance.
Significant for women Is the fact
that today, with the exception Of a
lew obdurate outposts, most profess
slonal schools are open to them on
equal terms with men"
The bureau has undertaken series
az extensive surveys of all the pro-
fessions open to women, so that the
facts governing the work of trained
women In the working world may be
made available to women and to the
educational institutions in which they
are prepared. Four surveys have
been completed on women in law,
women in statistical work, women in
department store work and women in
chemistry.