The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine
r I, i
' Jl'i,
1 1
M : - V
. . :.i t . 1 ' i ' I
- - , F- . -r,,a- ,
" r !
-v i' v' .
I (
cWoving Giplp
U. S. Government Investigators Find
the Most Hazardous Occupations Are
h-Domestic Service
2 Hotel Waitresses
3 Factory Girls
4 Trained Nurses
5 -Stenographers
WHY do girls go -wrong and to
what extent do occupation and
iOw wage affect the change?
There are to day about 8,500,000 women
workers in the United States.
The United States Government has
undertaken an exhaustive Inquiry to learn
it the trend of modern Industry Is
dangerous to women, and If their moral
qualities are affected by her occupation.
Two striking facts have become ap
parent out of the countless statistics that
have been officially collocted. Of nearly
four thousand women made the subject
of this Inquiry, In Massachusetts, New
York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois, not one assigned poverty or
low wages as a direct and Immediate
cause of immorality. It was agreed that
Indirectly their Influence Is great, but
not primarily responsible for retrogres
sion. The other fact Is that occupations In
themselves have nothing t6 do with lead
ing a girl astray, but that the Influences
surrounding certain occupations, such it
being a servant In a household with men
of low type, are a very serious cause
of wrongdoing.
It is not Improbable that the complete
alteration In the Industrial status and
environment of women In the course of
three or. four decades has had a marked
Influence on women in several ways, and
more especially that their moral natures,
may have been affected by Increased ex
posure, Increased economic Independence
and their active share In the competitive
Struggle Involved In their transfer from
the home to the shop, factory or office.
Why, then, do girls fall from grace?
Rescue workers assigned five occu
pations as being morally dangerous
First Domestic service.
Second Work of hotel or restaurant
waitresses.
Third Low-grade factory trades.
Fourth Trained nursing.
Fifth Cheaper stenographic position.
Careful Inquiry revealed the fact that
with both domestic service and the low
grade factory trade It seemed that the
dangers lay not so much in the work
Itself-though with enrh the conditions
under which It. ts carried on are fre
quently dangerous us In the duns of
women who are likely to enter such oc
cupations. The good showing made hy the newer
occupations Is dun to a combination of
education and discipline. The stenog
rapher or bookkeeper or cashier must
have a certain amount of Intelligence
and general education to begin with, and
mint usually hsve taken home special
training In addition. Some force of char
acter, some sustained and purposeful
effort, I required before a woman can
enter such a position.
The place owe setutrd, It cannot be
field without a ronmderahle amount of
faltent application, of attention to unin
teresting detail, ef doing a thing because
It must b done, and of sacrificing present
Inclination to a definitely conceived plan
fit action. I'y their ery rsture these
positions carrv with them a training and
discipline of hlk-h value
' No girl could submit to the discipline
ft a well ordered office or shop and
continue In 1t t''-t antisocial 1 he
lower grades of factor word share this
a1iniie to a vrrr !)mttd riteni.
V hen work ! Irregular or seasonal,
when it ran be ente'ed upon without
train'? an t v ' aiigc. f- r something
ti is ' KM'I or bad, aa tha rapnc of
t p"itnt dictates, when It Intidtet
siip"?"'4 t!....n..nr r a ttermua
ei r id -i ttites rat tut woman ia t-a
ft nn ll fir n.ie tVtn a few (no then
what t'i t! -('- s'i If seat baa
la it f'i o f -'if n I I? t tita.tt a
(aft Sft-Ki'tip .oat, rii In lh pimrest
ti r.- la aft M M wore ord
ami nit!' Hi ih is f iii I la homes of ms
ts " t ilt
1 , - ip i t-.f tic- Irate hat
h IM", 4 of ii'Mit In forspent,
f, e ... . t . ii1 in ft Is
St"e' .,t.a,t,!e If I ha $' l ( to
kef II ' t '..! f ' I- ! a'i I l'
f.nt l l t'i - ;ini.-.-( . I ft- -1 -1 .! if
! Dan I'-. l,pv!i- t-t tt . -atie
tsrti. I .t-!f'f- "if of
-..t f .'i i ! . t . f t i. t a t. eoirt
t,, I .It1 I l I a ' I
Inquiry Hat
Classed
Stenography
Among the
Occupations
Surrounded
by Dangers.
mi. i,.i:ir.-rrr.""
; "V. '"''it " ' ' !
thic- f
f.
aCntufian'i ii
J.
'HI
A Scen from "Common Clay" in Which the Dangers That
Constantly Surround the Attractive Domestic
Servant furnished thu I'lot.
relief lr duMjiu p!e.iir" are i!'kt
alitlnit
tl,r worlt t,"'f na spp!v tntort
ae-l f'"' i n li'o 1 1 ft hi.tK i.f which ie
af'-iuar l a it1 Hat the temptatl'-tts Sfi
l. ! lit a - .'I h r V t t th.i ei-uii-n t '
iiltil.ut l's i.-.initi-ni f t'nt I' lh"
. titer dt'CS It v e If di' I I fin
ef f" well (iai't ael rr m- . !
l-.i.'t.i-r-t. ant It a 1 I t ad tutted 1 '.it I
iaawttnaa er a'en.igrf '.- o trlet in
raahlar has s a n a-it t -t iis It
Stol-I furfntiing hsf stHit.H( W nr
I m lit persnntl an-t tlo'iia'c S'
an I tl h iU eiilli h t h U-Ii'
hen en :.!! a s en it'ai.m
flit'l lh a I iau -II teti it I
tkniieai I'l.n at koa it t 11
ef fi timer) i'ios.,1 under eteee,
IH dr ' t lf h.iu-k-rti ng dunk n
as st a- oiffaiu jii-nt uf in s .'. ji whi.h
Si s up l'ia ahun-lsni leiasira ff s f h -.nm
e'ln. a t I IM -r.tl a' i'" t't tt-a
uia is rtn'et, hs i;j n.w an
V ) f
.. - " J -
-z.z -
' f
united
That
...4
ri-aloel ntentnlij'se n. e which would
I,,. 1 mi !. " I mi he on r f In a f 'r 1 Th's
. t -a I !! In t'Silf It resit tin
lh. i I .,, i. to !' ll h t s-i'i da'igt-ro'ia
f.-ii .tf. t.tinrf It ae.ir.!. an oen'rig
i'(,i 1 1 a -1 t an i: 11 . 1 I t woikef
t t. .1 . 1,1 I 1,1.' (!.; 1. 1 1 1 i.r i . 1 i 11 a
I ' t .1 in n t : i ! I mlitij
I he t. n4-t ) Ii I., r a imi
. .1 I I I- -I I . I l.!lt
im ; -t -t - 1
1 - a " 1 . 1 . - . i 11, i. 1 1
a tra!f ! it.-
h a 1 ' f i I
,.f rt itn-er
, I a it 11 '1
j.,i, 11- (ft It
cm tt a 1 '
- -ire ii a
Ht I t kti" a ' t
1.
- d
-1 r t r
, r ttv 1
' .
l
4 t'i
( i 1
t,", ...
' . i. a
t
III Cut
-l""cXt ''. ,
Hi
Uti t ft t
I ! If ' i n
t e .1 1 1 I a
it 1 t a i: h
1 W Si t I I
11,
.it" !!,!. f l,i ' lc-li
t 1. .t-t 1. 1. r i sit"
1 4 I if. t i n h '-iit
ai 't, M ni aa -' -I
L.tatsnf . . . ' " 1 , ' '. '.;, u ,.J, . ..... . ..., , "tT : -.' JtasaW
r
Mates Government Inquiry Showa
Domestic Service Is Surrounded
with the Greatest Perils.
WaMHar I J
and with mistresses who are freouently
"awful aggravating." They have no
prospect of rising any higher, so that
the spur of ambition does not drive them
forward In the right way and there Is no
social standard of their own class to
bold them buck from the wrong.
In the ciiso of Intemperance, and ltw
slllod olTenee disorderly conduct -It
seems probable that the largo propor
tion from domestic service Is due mainly
to the grade of the workers, rather than
to temptations Inherent In the occupa
tion. A fow, Indeed, ascribed their first
overindulgence to loneliness.
The work of a wsltrosa In s hotel, res
tsurfirit or luncih rom--and this elans of
workers baa been the subject of much
study on the fart of socloluguts - present
Kiinm very ohvloiis dnnKcrs. It hits gener
sl'v been attributable to l"W wa-s end
long boars, but euch Is n the cn The
waltrris eomca In eonfact wllli nun of
evi rv kind, some of whom ronobtor a girl
In ber tuition fair gstiov hhe run not
rexent thfir Bilvaiicoi, for shn mut not
o.evnd cit-t'-tnera. Kveii ber refusal ti se
cept iiverturea ril'lst be carefully Inaiisgfd,
or she rlka lwtii her i-iHon
Vsuiillr nhe b :t eonittanlly 1 'f her
trisiiHons In titteiuper-tiice a wi! at to
tmn-oMil'V. tn tho (tr aim wo il I r, .t
nun niav fall hcfurn the; tdher. M.ireover,
ihrt wink i'H-,'i ul siinie !'! ,l!li adtaii
lea fir lha w-otiia'l who antb-lpatea
In-! fiin w'th the ft 1 1 (i'ctith ijt of Hot
reaii.l' -f It. a'td f- r the woman who ' s
no H wots as a t hak -'f a different It'e
the iseaem a of tfuni fiai s, t-f course,
t. reaaea greatl t'.e f vo n of tmdiilr
.: ! pan l'in " h'p f-tf li!a tonnce'il ef
r . h !-.iii"u '! a an 1 add a
,-iir li' i- I tit 1 1 ' - a I liiMttl'y ,,l,rt-lil
I 'i i hi !."
It er,f 1; 'n II rta rt.r a 'tprts
1-4 ! f " I tl ' i t It iratli n'tlKte.l as a
flies frT a M. h . a ' ;'!"!. !'
! V til il alt' a ' ,t 1 1 i-t j 1' . f
In nun) 'nt .ii,. (i (. tmv ( r Itta
llil ii-tf t't t..'timn a ltS tl-t'-ler
r a itr B. 11 I. I i,M lit f -a.t!..t ttl 1 1 -t
t Kii t t hai I . n , urn tl r . . t an I 1: j noa,
i I 1 ii . . f ' a hi 1 . t t a
; 1 1 il, n . n I f. ,t li n 'i a ma . f r. latitta.
"-,-. , L l,,, (;,l ,. t , I I I . i. t 1-
l !(. it tiiij 1-i.tki.t tl e if nut'! la
t- t lli"M 1 t i-l- t. I: I '.'. ',(M
' 1 tit-- ' 1 1 fill t -"Hi, I It t l
K, .(.,,. 1 , , f i,-. 1 1, 1 , ti t 11,.,
hi I," I ..' It at tin, .it al .it I Wt . ah
ta i.itti 1'iii'tla I: ,'. t- - . . 1 1
TTUi
"Sisters," by
A. Chevalleer
Taylor. An
Interesting
"Problem
Picture"
: hr'h
Dealing with L
the Working
Girl Who
Mas
Succumbed
if i
to
Temptation.
Is nursing a msn, opportunities for coin
piles Hons are evident
Oa the other hand, the preparatory
training demands self-control, energy and
a sustained purpose, and a professional
eplrlt Is usually found among nurses
which should serve as a strong restraint,
ao that these possible complications do
ftnt arise so often at the nature of the
work one might lead to expect.
Stenography was assigned ss a danger
ous occupation by only one social worker;
one who, however, waa of such wide ex
perience that her opinion should count for
much. Her belief ts that Its dangers ara
confined to the claas who receive the low
est salarlos of all the girls of fourteen or
fifteen years of age Just out of school,
who are Ignorant and untrained, wholly
undeveloped In character, not habituated
to self-control, rather weak and willed,
end entirely unaware of the possible dan
gers of their position.
Of the 3.229 women studied during this
Investigation, 1,256 were single, l,4!tb mar
ried, 344 widowed, and KM divorced or
M'pn rated. Accordingly, a trifle more than
three-lift hs are or have been married. It
is not nafo to uae the figures for widowed
mill eoparated as IndlcaUng much more
thsn the fnet of a previous marriage, for
In many rases both the women snd penal
officials iiho the terms with ronsldershla
freedom. Often some one, describing some
wddow, would reinsrk Incidentally:
"Mcr husband Is no account, at all!"
"Hut we thought you said eha was a
widow?
"Well, she Is, JtHt about; he's away all
the time."
tn tbn end. however, the pertinent con
clusion arrived at as a result of this Inveie
UKailon, ta that tho Inrrease In the num
ber of female offenders fnnnot tie sscrllied
to the emrsnee of women Into new Indna
trial field. This conclusion reverses the
accepted opllilon that much of the llticr
tmn rondurt on the part of women (a dun
either to low wages or hard work.
It seama, therefore, that regard'eas ef
the merits of a minimum wasa scale, tha
a.-.-a cannot Ml illrectlf cniinci te.) with
ri-lri-sre-tsliin Official have tie-en unaivl
lu'i'i, in sating thai the woman who reach
i e jftittt of pub'in rret or con vtcdtitn ara
iont;y of tl'-a uneullliated e'asa. wrninsn
wh i ara H"t reay eapah a nf holding the
t-tter ptaoiliaia. I'aiiallr, la the vteu
ana nf tii'luh'tt, If a woman has Intellt
geiifti aa-mt-n to fit berae'f fur one i f the
ttttter t -mtlt it, sha h loo mil h tntt I
g-ii I tin ant thing that ' I toln tier
w 1 1 '.t; g a?t itf h la
In a r. riain fitr, hiiwenes a'ter twnlilng
up th iwnlt t,f tinder ftlB-
an-1 ending thtt same l-H't tl r -n llitnas
a-, aeahtitw, tha sitiit lite, the (me
ii-U f.-utt rt what was the sttuallna
'". utt ilr'a ua Ur sltteen era of sia
1 ha t,ei, 1,1a n.ial(i-t that lhr Ka I but
t"'a t 1 e. 11 f nirtcen an t nta.
t1' tl lh ,a'-tr!tr nf thelf off rs-lera
uMit Ma atla rl 'I h4 Wcia sit;i' t,t
tt I w. ra aa .a S'r t t-r lath (' a la lha
' t r d- , at tt't' til i
ti a wat S'irh a nj.'ata) fonnsat l
t t- -' tit iiml itij n , a tt 1 and etea
11 lis it". c't a nf the wofa tttef
'' "t-.ia,att Unli'lsa UnSS"a
. Jf V' , ! - '1
! a C ' ib" "
If: X
't. M J.
S 1 ' St.
i-i - - y v
6
4f
' J I.
" ' f )
Work In a Certain Type of Factory Involves Hazard'
ous Associations for Inexperienced Girls.
Which only led to reiterated asu ranees 00
the part of the officers. At last the rec
ords for a year past were tabulated, and
the following division resulted: Telephone
operators, 8.4 per cent; sales or cash girls,
18.8 per cent; factory operatives, 12.5 per
cent; domestics service, 83.3 per cent, and,
at home or school, 29.2 per cent
Yet In plain figures the group of de
partment store girls gives a smaller shsre
of offenders than comes directly from the
hmne. and a considerably smaller propor
tion than comes from domestic aervlce. If
occupation affects the question at all, It
would seem that doraestlo service Is, In
that place, more open to objection than
the department store.
Again, It Is only fair to say that after
an examination of the detailed study so
far made during the Federal Investigation
of the subjoct, no possible connection
has been found between the occupation
and going wrong. Often It la an accom
paniment rather than a cause. Of fifty
eight women taken Into one group, nor
mally of good character, the following
reasons were adduced for retrogression:
Wallrens, through her affect lone; wait
ress, through her affections by her em
ployer; waitress, bad family Influences
and lailnoss; ladles' maid, through her
affections, and this same cause was also
given in the instance of two trained
nurses, a watch factory worker, a shoe
factory worker, a atenogrepher, and a
teacher; a shoe factory worker went
wrong through hnr mother's Influence;
a crepe paper factory employe throuch
the Influence of friends made at work;
a saleswoman because of ill health; a
demonstrator because of lack nf work,
and a chorus girl because of associations
of work.
Neither do low wags nor want appear
as ronsplcuoualy as might have- been ex
pected. The waitresses received nnmlnat
wages ranging from to $7 a week, but
aa board was always given In addition,
and aa tips were received, the real wage,
were considerably In ecea of the nottil
nal. The faiiory workers earned from
M to IU, and In every case were living
al botna The saleswomen receive I from
I to 119 -the average being 7 lit a week
Thai itiie whn received 14 IHed at home
with her parents Tlta ihnrna (lrl re
t eld IS a wees, ami the trained nurses,
who had no difficult? tn securing ecstge
meiifa. nia.la trout 3l upward a week
when wiii king
1h women t'letnseltea d- a, if rompia a
ef this wasn't at i ener;l tn
W'toan foil it I'f.t mo 11,1 irt tt bard en
If a weea. Another atrrlhel tier fall at
tins tti part tit wf ten titl'na. went
tit tl.tttit soniit yea' 'wt h her
father, and fr a M-u kepi hi'H.a t r M it
Afiarward h enteiaj a at.ti. Km s
St p. as l'e i tr was t. t s t'i an-l
lha Witra l-wt ftt'itt! ' Jts tela Is
ttrrihxt as kwlttg 1 air even ,t rarw
hr eww Im-'tg at a ttl w -mait. it .ne
baHly fa.'Bahlis l,t atcriha tr d twnrtl
m the ai ti.nt et bff intiiifa a a ,:.'
I'Sltll
NSati. k nii It a ai,-f,vi n s't.-r
i"in I 'a wsgea ant t t 1. Ma
aai.ti t"nta h,t hat a tt t'.t
avtu that amusg ua stiki
