Evening star., 1934-02-13
Economies of Married
Women in Industry
To the Editor Of The star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
The fundamental principles involved
in the controversy concerning married
women engaging IN industry seem to
me TO be as follows:
Jobs are not prizes or produced
wealth. They are merely opportunities
to avoid being burdens on others who
do not wish to bear such burdens.
They are opportunities to transform
knowledge, skill and natural resources
into desired services CT goods for use
by the Job holders or for giving to
others to reward their devotion to
the needs and desires or whims of the
job holders, or for just giving away,
according to the ideas of the individ-
uals concerned for the development of
the human race. They are opportuni-
ties which should, and usually do, de-
velop the capabilities Of individuals, as
servants to themselves and to others
as consumers and in the appreciation
of life and of the universe.
Competition" is just a hobgoblin,
myth arising from the unwarranted
fear of adjustment which would bene-
fit every one, sometimes used through
ignorance as an alibi for advocating
unwise rates OF exchange as substitutes
for rates which result from careful
consideration of the needs and desires
and long range welfare of those con-
cerned. To the extent that we permit
and assist each other to readjust our
activities to fit existing natural cir
cumstances and the desires of all of
us we shall succeed in finding desir-
able activities for every one of us.
There is a natural result of devotion
to service to ones self or to others-to
Job" And il that result is used By
the producer or Is given to others in a
| satisfactory (satisfying exchange of
really incompatible gifts-which is the
essence of trade, whether money as
an intermediary is or is not uSed-no
one is worse of than before, and many
are better off.
The only way in which a married
woman who works to increase her own
welfare is likely to interfere with the
opportunities Of others to work to
satisfy their needs and desires is bv
| accepting some of the commonly used
| medium of exchange (money) and
then purposely-or unconsciously, be-
| cause of our lack of propaganda or
popular education concerning the
proper uses and the limitations OF the
KIND OF currency which we persist in
housekeeping the money out OF cir
culation without announcing the facts
and letting us establish new currency
to take its place. That is. the ex-
changes, for which money Is a con-
| venient, but not an absolutely neces-
sary medium, may not be completed
II the medium of exchange goes
around properly. or IL in other ways
products are cleared as they are Gre
ated, the welfare OF each will add to-
not detract from, the welfare of all
others. We prosper by the utilization
OF the economies of exchange and the
/ ehmlnatlon OF waste OF resources and
| time.
II We choose to have the volume of
| our currency not great enough to per
init saving in that form Choarding)
/ We should exchange money for serv-
ices and the results of services only
with those who will be willing to ex-
! change it for commodities or services
| Cor give 1t back or let some one else
exchange 1t for commodities or serv-
ices (making a loan" for that pur-
| pose) without undue delay We should
/ expect them to assure us that they
will do this. and that they will lei
their plans for saving and their un-
satisfied desires for commodities and
/ services be known as a lead to the ad-
| Justment of industry which is neees-
Sary to new welfare.
The above principles apply to the
relations of formal industry to unmar-
Tied women and TO ali men. as well as
10 married women. They also apply
to corporations and other establish.
ments resulting from the gifts and de-
Fotions OF many people-no matter
who thinks they are entitled to be ad-
ministrators-in the U. S. A.. Cuba
or elsewhere. BY permitting and per
haps assisting the opportunities OF
others to provide, directly or indirect.
ly through exchange, for their OWL
welfare and development each indi-
Vldual OF us can, and probably will
obtain ever greater welfare and a
world OF friends capable Of ever more
desirable mutual services.
John z UTJJTc