ANOMALIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 2 March 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

ANOMALIES.

It is impossible for a person who gives any attention to the position of modern women to escape the various anomalies which appear. A, is a young lady who recently left a comfortable position in a domestic sphere to become a shop assistant, in order to better herself. This is how it pans out. In the domestic sphere A. had at least two afternoons a week to herself aud one whole day a month. In the shop she begins work at eight in the morning and never finishes before six in the evening, and twice in the week has to work in the evening up to eight or ten o'clock. In the one sphere she received ten' shillings per week with board and lodging, equal to 17/6 or £ 1 per week. In the shop she receives 12/ per week, out of which she must pay at least 2/ per week for travelling- expenses to business, 6/ pelweek to a relative for board and lodging-, and the remainder, 4/ per. week, she has for paying for lunch each day and clothing herself. The united testimony of reformers familiar with city life, touching the condition of many young- women who are employed in shops, offices, etc., is that they could not possibly allow themselves the luxuries of dress and entertainment that are usual without living in part at the expensive of a relative or friend, or being dishonest, or earning money by methods that are ttnmentionable. In an article, written on "London Lady Workers: How They Live," after giving a number of instances, the writer says: "The salary they are offered is less than that earned by the charwomen, who get their meals given to them wdien out working. What must be the feelings of the girl brought up as a lady who has to live as a charwoman and dress like a lady?" In our colonial cities this difficulty does not exist to the same extent as that to be found in the world's metropolis.

In no direction masculine is a man expected to do what is required from a woman industrially. No man employed in a grocer's shop is taken into a tailor's with the belief that he will prove an expert tailor. A man expert as a boiler maker would not receive a hearty w-eloome in a newspaper office; and yet thousands of women are expected to leave positions on their marriage which have no relation whatever with matters domestic, and are expected to take up all the duties pertaining to home, wifehood, motherhood. Little room for blame is there that in a very high percentage of such cases the experiment proves a huge failure. It is an experiment which no man of business would be mad enough to attempt. It is sometimes urged that an adult daughter can assist her parents by working in shop, office or factory. In many cases this may be so; but often we are confronted with this anomaly, that for a side, over-worked wife and mother double the amount is paid for doctor and medicine that is earned by the daughter. In such cases where does the profit come in? _ \nother anomaly in woman s life is that while she works laboriously and continuously in many cases she receives no wages. a