The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-14
WAGES FOR
WOMEN WORKERS
Toll Under Miserable
Conditions
by Worker Correspondent

NDY q w Or6ef / 0ffeSp0ndent)
REAQING, Pa. (By Mail) The
Bureau of Statistics in the Pennsyl-
vania Department of Internal AT
fairs announced that of the 40,793
workers in Berks County 26,643 are
male and 14,150 female. This
means that for every two men en-
ployed in Reading and vicinity there
is more than one woman, and the
indications are that the proportion
will continue to increase in the fu-
ture as it has in the past.
The theory that women are in
industry for only a short time and
that their earnings are of no great
Significance because the family is
dependent upon woman not as a
wage Garner but as a home keeper
does not hold water.
The simplification of production
through the process of rationaliza-
ton of industry and the introduc-
ton of efficiency schemes widely
opened the doors into industry for
women. The result is that millions
OF women are today engaged in al
most every branch of industry and
represent very important section
of the working class.
Nevertheless their wages still are
based on the old, unfounded theory
that they have no family response
billtles as wage earners, with re-
suits disastrous to the life and
health for the maintenance of
which they are responsible, and op-
posite results for the employers.
enabling them to secure greater
profits.
Wages so Per Cent Lower.
In spite of the fact that the wom-
en- workers, in many instances,
work even under worse conditions
than the male workers (longer
hours) performing the same kind of
work in quantity as well as in quail
almost so per cent lower than that
ity, their wages are, nevertheless,
of the male workers.
This is clearly illustrated by the
following facts: The 40,793 work
ers, men and women, in Berks Coun-
ty received last year a total in
come in wages of $49,971, 300 and
of this amount 26,643 male en-
ployes were paid $37,319,600 while
14,150 female workers received only
$12,652, 900.
This means that while the male
worker in industry received slightly
more than $1,000 a year average, or
about $23 per week, the woman
worker received slightly more than
1898 per year, or about SIS a week
SIS per week is the approximate
weekly wage, according to official
figures of the Pennsylvania Depart
ment of Internal Affairs, for a
woman worker in the city of Read
ing and vicinity. SIS for 80 anc
55 hours of work under most mis-.
cradle working conditions.
Women Not Organized.
Such a condition can be account
ed for only by the fact that there
is a complete lack of organization
of the women workers in industry
The trade union officials have al
no time attempted to organize the
thousands of women in industry il
Reading. And the women in Read
ing constitute today a considerable
portion of unorganized workers
The socialist party and the officials
of the Federated Trade Council who
are to make believe to organize the
unorganized workers adir .
but in reality to build 5stige
of the socialist party a. collect
votes for the coming presidential
elections, will meet with consider.
able resistance on the part of the
Reading working women in Novem
Der at the ballot box.
A WORKER CORRESPONDENT