Evening star., 1926-12-05

Information we receive in our investi-
cations we find that many women, far
too many, are not even receiving a
living wage. We also find that, in
comparison to wages paid to men.
women's wages are very far down the
scale-so far. in fact, that there is lit
tie semblance of equality between the
wages OF men and women. One of
the prevailing thoughts which has
fostered this inequality Of wages has
been that men are providers for the
family and that women have only
themselves to support, with their in
comes supplemented sometimes by
other members of the family when
living at home.
But in Investigations made by the
woman's bureau we have found that
women are often providers for the
family, and that they supplement the
mans wages, while young girls more
often than young boys take unopened
pay envelopes home to their moth
ers. We have found, too, that the
women have family responsibilities in
addition to the matter Of pay--the
work In the home being left almost
entirely to the women to perform
after days work in the factory.
Points to Needs OF Future.
There ara over $500. 900 gainfully
employed women in the United States.
and Of these there ara over 1000 900
employed in the producing and dis
trtbuting trades. From the facts we
have gathered we know that the fu.
ture Of the girl today Is closely linked
up with the conditions which prevail
In the places where she works.
We want to see the girl made an
emc1ent part of industry's machinery,
but we also want to see that industry
offers future for the woman and is
an institution which the girl can en-
ter. and in which she can stay and
prosper and grow.
THE beginning has been made, and
we find many places in many indus
tries which are offering to women a
living wage, hours short enough to
allow for education and recreation
after the day In the factory ia over,
working conditions which eliminate
fatigue as far as possible, and an on.
portunity to advance In industry
through opening up new activities for
women. and through paying wages
based on the job and not on the sex
Of the workers.
I'VE who have worked in the in.
dustr1al field for many years see much
to encourage us. but we know there
is still much to be done. The thing
Of the first importance to know is that
women are an important factor and
that they are a permanent factor in
the Industrial world. We know that
the girl who goes into the factories
and workshops of the country does so
to meet a real need. We know that
she Is indispensable to industry and
we know what 80 few people seem to
recognize-that the girls of today,
these f1appers who are getting so
much criticism and publicity, are
most of them helping in the support
Of their families.
Few "Pm Money" Girls.
For years we have been hearing. of
the girl who works for pin money,
who can afford to work for less than
a living wage because she lives at
home. who spends her earnings on silk
stockings and fur coats. There may
be some such girls; in fact. / presume
there are. but have known thousands
Of working women personally and
have knewn very few to whom such
statements apply.
Through our special investigations
we have studied men as we'll as wom-
en-. so that we might have a basis for
comparison. and what we have found
is only a confirmation of what we al
ready knew to be true-that a large
majority of single women who live at
home contribute all their earnings to
their families. Nearly out of every
10 single women who live at home
turn over every cent 10 their mothers
or fathers, getting back for them
selves only what can be spared after
the family needs are met. About four
out Of every I've women In industry
are single aAA i've at home"