WOMEN'S WAGES
AND RENTED ROOMS BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY At Ihe Nt",v South AYales Heard U'Trade lnquiiy concerning women's wages last week, a Iniiv memlx'r <>;' ihe mediee! psufcssion, who ;i'!;c;l that her name would no! in; disclosed, staled sli; had 'nasi considerable experience aiiioitg-l pupils of primary public schcok She found that in the infant w.-lioob tiiere was pre.'.-tic-niiy no ililference in the phy-'ii|Ue and mentality of hoys m.d girls up (•:> lheir eulraisce into the pubic scho::'. Froia I hen on io Ihe leaving nsv c! !' or J(i the difference between Ihe l.oys am! girls, h(ul» in reg.ird lo physical ■•■!."en'jl!i and men!,iliiy, was marked and progrtiisive. This she attributed to the fact liiai the bays had I'sno for recreation ntier school hours, wliiis.il Ihe girls iiad lo help with lo'jno-lio duties. This >vh- carried on ii.ii) the industrial Hie. When a girl had lo do her own washing and irciiing and cooking ah her rooms niter w.irkicg hours she carried ihe fatigue of the work tig day over Ihe weck-eml. lY.iiyne was a form of i ell poisoning, and was progressive, and this continual work ir-i iuwiriob'y io- s phy.-fcnl :e-
iomiuemlcd llial the minimum wage fhou'ii include provi-ioo for week-end I'-ei ee,ti:m aud relaxation in Ihe shape of theatres i.r pieiurc shoi.s-, also .i". annual holiday of r.i lea'l scvii da vs. in regard to clothes, it was cssr-nlia! Hint '•'iris should be decently bur cot elaborately dres-eil. Girls were victims of their nervous system far more than beys, and clolhiv had a decidcd cffec-l on a girl's mentality, and she oii'lVred •.•.hen she felt shabbily dressed. It nb'oliile'y i'"i e--'.",ry fhe I a girl :eicu!d be eliie lo proy'dc i'f.ieienl dental treat went, but in regard to Ihe eyes free freaimenl could f-e had from Ihe opticians in the Sydney. Prince Alfred, and oilier ho*ni'a!s. There was grave ihieger of wonnn winkers becoming inefficient'—or of losing (heir ollic'oiicv for ■:> lime—during the critical nerioil the ages of 'lo and 511. H: was, therefore., of importance that some sort of insurance should be provided for unemployment daring this period, as well asi for the total dValiility to follow laier. S
Aliw J fir.dies, organiser for Ihe TTolel, Cluh. and RMaurant Waitresses' I'nion, recalled, said Unit; of tho LTiOO members of her iiii'-m fully ft.") per cent, lived in rooms. That, was an allowance fur meals was inelurled in their nward. .t|,r-:. Alary Dcnsy, a nar'inghurst beardinghouse-kreper. said that she had a decided objection to take girls, as they were far more trouble than men. They were more at home than men, nnd were alway ; ; cooking or using gns for wasl'.ing and ironinir. and they could not elford lo pay for the extra gas. She would not take girls <h lodgers any cheaper than men, and she would always give men Ihe preference.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 69, 15 December 1919, Page 15
Word Count
473WOMEN'S WAGES Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 69, 15 December 1919, Page 15
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