Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-12
BY CORINNE FRAZIER.

- TARTLING facts concerning trade
conditions for woman workers II
the country, especially the South
~ were brought out at the annual
convention of the National Won
ems Trade Union League, held in Wash
ington last week-facts indicating that
while the general prosperity of the
country has greatly increased during the
past decade, wages for women have
been on the decrease, and others re-
vealing the tremendous influence that
Dame Fashion has upon the employ
ment OF factory workers.
Discussing labor conditions in a SYM
postum on wages led by Miss Lillian
Herstein of the Chicago Federation of
Labor and DR.. Louis Lorwin of the
Washington Institute of Economics,
woman workers in the textile, shoe
manufacturing, garment making, tele-
phone and other leading industries, who
were delegates to the convention, we're
unanimous in declaring that the yearly
earnings of the average industrial work.
er Of the feminine sex are lower today
than they were five years ago. despite
increasing national prosperity"
It was generally agreed that the Of
fetal figures on weekly wages, compiled
from industrial pay rolls, do not take
account Of unemployed workers or those
working only part time in seasonal &C.
equations, and, for this reason, do not
give an accurate picture of the real
annual income of the workers.
In report on wage trends, complied
during the last six months by the Wom-
ems Trade League and made during this
symposium by Miss Ethel M. Smith of
Washington, significant figures from Of
flcial sources we're read which showed
that, while the average of wage levels
has risen in the past five years, it is
mems earnings only which have in
creased, while the earnings of women
employed in industry have actually de-
creased.
The discrepancies between wages for
man and woman workers doing the
same work were emphasized by Miss
Herstein during this discussion. She
declared that current official reports
from three States, New York, Massa-
chuSetts and Illinois, show that woman
wage earnerS in industry receive on an
average about SIS per cent of the average
weekly earnings Of man wage earners.
The National Industrial Conference
Boards reports on weekly earnings of
men and women. covering 1000 plants
IN the United States, showed women,s
weekly earnings for all industries for
November, 1928, as 70.5 per cent of the
earnings Of unskilled man workers. and
$40 per cent of those of skilled and
Seml-sk1lled man workers. One of the
great future problems OF labor Is the
fact that, while the majority of women
are In industry because Of necessity.
many are entering because they want
70 turn spare time into cash, and are
willing to work for low wages"
NO ofnc1al figures on unemployment
represent an adequate picture of the
elf
declared. One Of the major factors in
the present situation" she said, sis the
development OF new machinery and eff
nc1ency methods which enable one
worker to do the job of two"
The growing demand of EMPLOYERS
Tor woman workers who are young and
personable Is causing great hardship
to the older woman who must work for
> living, 1t was declared by Mrs. Sarah
Green Of Kansas City, representing the
National Mattresses Union.
1t Is almost impossible for q waitress
VINO weighs over 125 pounds and is over
80 years of age to get job" said Mrs.
Green. Some restaurants in New York
City II not employ Q girl who is over
Is years old. What is going to happen
to the rest Of us?"
4 ALE SASLncb1oOuS anu OICGn-QeVaSLHL-
ing effect which changing fashions
nave upon the garment trades was
brought out by number of speakers
who asserted that a single change in
style, especially the style of shoes, ties
3r dresses, often throws thousands of
workers out Of employment.
"Hand-crocheted ties, for instance"
said Miss Bessie Engleman of New
York, have been the cause of much
instability in the tie industry within
recent years.
The well dressed American man is
now demanding handmade ties instead
Of the machine product, which flight of
fancy Is throwing thousands of work
ers out OF jobs" she continued Man
ufacturerS of machine-made ties are
going out of business by the dozens. in
consequence, because women who are
willing to work in their homes for pin
money are making handmade ties
which bring high prices in mems cloth
ing stores;
Ing handmade ties is that the average
earnings Of girls working in necktie
manufacturing establishments In New
York have decreased about IS per cent
IN the last four years"
The disappearance of hooks, snaps
and buttons from women's dresses was
cited as another caprice of fashion
which put 5000 women out of work,
RELOCATING to the ranks of the unem-
ployed both those who manufactured
these products and those whose task 1t
was to sew them on the ready-made
garments.
This rapid rise and decay of styles,