The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-01-11
Working Women In
The Past 100 Years
Women Have AlwaYs Had
To Face Unemployment
and Low Wages

uuolIldA SIldISS, puUllSIlSu VI CllSiiiaiiJ
for the Century of Progress Expo
sition in 1888, was released for dis
tribution today by Miss Mary Ander-
son, Director of the Women's Bureau,
United States Department Of Labor.
The bulletin is one of the most pop
ular ever published by the Bureau.
The revision includes new chapters
on "The Woman Worker Today"
"Women and Labor Laws" and Low
Wages for Women" Chapters brought
up to date discuss union organiza-
ton, women's opportunities, Negro
women workers, and immigrant wo-
men workers. The other chapters are
"The Coming of the Machine" and
"Women Workers in War Time"
Throughout the history of women
in industry for the past 100 years,
the pamphlet shows, women have had
to face the problems of unemployment
and low wages. Today, while these
problems still persist, progress is be-
ing made in meeting them through
the new weapons of strengthened la
Dor unions and new government SER
vices. Cited particularly are the
National Labor Relations Board, in
suring workers rights to organize;
the Federal Works programs, provid-
ing the unemployed with work; the
Social Security and State relief pro-
grams; the aid to the unemployed in
finding jobs through public employ
ment agencies; and the safeguards
against the return to sweatshop wages
and hours through the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1888 and new State
minimum-wage and maXimum-hour
laws for women.
Figures are cited showing how
women particularly have benefited
from these programs. At one time in
1888 about $4,000 women had WPA
jobs, providing them with subsistence
and in many cases teaching them new
skills for use later in private indus
try More than three-quarters of a
million women were receiving old-age
benefits in 1888 as result of the So
cial Security Act. Other women, who
had become unemployed since Janu-
ary 1887, were receiving unemploy-
ment- insurance benefits, and in the
summer of 1888 nearly 250,00O
mothers or other persons with young
children to care for were being paid
monthly sums, also under the Social
Security program.
The United States Employment Ser
vice and it's affiliated State agencies
in the calendar year 1888 made 1885,,
600 placements of women. Though in
some cases more than one temporary
job went to one woman, in the great
majority of cases each job represented
different woman who was aided
through this free employment-agency
service
About 5 million women, the report
States, had the protection Of mini
mum-wage laws, Federal and State.
Approximately million were cover
ed by the Federal Fair Labor Stand
ards Act. State minimum-wage laws
applied to approximately 4 million
women not covered by the Federal
act, but less than a million were
actually benefiting by such laws be-
cause of court action or delays in issu-
ing wage orders.
"With government and organized
labor as her allies" the report states,
"the woman worker today is in bet
ter position than ever before to win
her long struggle for good wages,
decent working conditions, equal op-
portunities with men, secure income,
and the full, happy and healthy life
that is her birthright in America"
greatly shortened in industry and
wages raised since women first went
to work in factories, and while many
new avenues of employment have been
opened up, the problems Of unemploy-
ment and poor working conditions re-
main for many working women. More
than 100000 women in America
were unemployed and 100000 had
only part-tme work at the time of the
Unemployment Census of November
1887. The problem of age is serious
one for the unemployed woman, as
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the women seeking work at public EN-
ployment Offices are 40 years Of age
or older. "Nowadays," it is pointed
out, "in many industrial occupations
woman is considered too old to get
job at 80, and even at 25 she is toe
old to be taken on in certain occupa,
tions. Though the older woman work.
er who belongs to strong unior
may have an advantage over the
younger one because she has the pro
lection of seniority rights in lay-otfs
and rehiring, if she loses her job il
is more difficult for her to get another
in new place of employment.
"For the young unemployed girl o,
today the future is dark too, for sht
has no experience to offer in seeking
work. Her problem is to be able tx
remain at school and have practica
job training SO that when work oppor
tunities do open up she will have
something besides blank years O
idleness at home to qualify her for ;
position"
Though women's wages have gon
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