Women Can Earn High Wages

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

Women Can Earn High Wages

The World Needs Them for Positions Which Men CaiinoL Fill

THE. old saying, "Woman’s place is in the home, is no longer true. In the modern world there are places for women among the highly-paid executives, and they are not jobs in which women must compete with men at their own game, but jobs which men could not do. In this article by an American journalist some indication is given of the wide scope of the work which women can do in the world today.

(By

Phillip Inwood.)

'THE world is an oyster, and there is 1 ' certainly a pearl in it for women. According to Mary Roebling, one of America’s leading- bankers, it is as easy for- a clever woman to m.A money as the average man, and expt ence bears out the truth ot what sin says. • Girls and women poured into business during the past two geiwi-aUons. But for many years they weie pen ted to occupy only menial positions. A woman executive was considered an oddity But in this generation - any clever business girl can become an executive, because there is now a nc frontier in business affairs, and tl eie are .new opportunities, out of clever men and women, alike, ate making fortunes. . This new business frontier has developed directly from the purchasing power of women. A genei ation or so ago a manufacturer had to consider only the man s point ot view, but now he must make things tha appeal to women also, and fortunes are being made by those who know what women want. , • , • Consider the kitchen, which is the average woman’s . workshop and laboratory. Let us even concentrate

on the pots and pans we find there. A few years ago, those pots and pans were useful, but they were ugly and commonplace. Today, in a great num be r of even the very humblest kitchens, you will find at least a few pots and kettles that are bright and colourful. Why? Because women like colour, of course—just think of 'the difference between men’s and women s clothing, and you’ll realise that is so. Ind in this way many clever manufacturers of kitchen utensils have reaped a rich harvest out of caterm„ to feminine taste.

Take another example—-in the automobile industry. It is not mere coincidence that ‘beauty of modern motorcars has increased side by side with the increase in the number of women drivers. Shrewd car manufacturers beautified their products largely because they found that increased eyeappeal helped to break down feminine sales resistance. The more women drivers and owners —and statistics show that these have steadily increased, out of all proportion to general totals —the more attractive have cars become.

And it is exactly in helping their male associates to gauge the woman’s angle in business —helping them to sell their goods to this great and growing market of womankind —that lies the first opportunity for girls in business to cease being mere “office wives” and become full-fledged executives in their own right. Consider the ijestauraut business. The average man is quite content to .go to almojt any place where he can get good, clean food at a reasonable price. But women want more than that. The flowers on the tables of good restaurants are not put there to appeal to men—but to women. Suppose a clever girl starts out as a waitress in a restaurant run by a man. Suppose she doesn’t want to be a waitiess all her life. Tactfully—and business girls must show just as much tact in managing their male bosses for the latters’ good as wives are obliged to use in guiding their husbands—our little waitress gradually can assume control of the “woman appeal” of the restaurant. She can advise on the colour combinations, the type of window display and the sort of dishes women like. She can even make valuable suggestions concerning the sort ot advertising copy that will attract women diners. r pilOSE who wish to rise above the hired help level must make a FASHION SNAPSHOTS LONDON, November 11. ’Ij'UR is used to trim many hats. A "*■ red fox-tail is placed from front to back on a tiny toque of black taupe. Veils are almost all in light colours —rose, orchid, mauve. They are mostly bunched at the side or the back of the head, more for show than use. A new fur fabric is coming to the fore, called mokkaskin. It is made wind-proof by a special process, it looks and hangs like real skin. Its reverse side looks like chamois. Mokkaskin shaved lamb can be had in black, brown or beige. Ermine, too, can be copied in this fabric. The new full-length fur coat has a slightly bloused back, which gives it a special elegance. It’s going to be a really be-furred winter. Any length coat from the briefest of boleros to an inch below the frock hem is being worn.

While England thinks of furs, American girls in sunny Florida are making the sun tattoo pictures of their favourite film stars on their backs. A silhouette photo of the film favourite is pasted on the girl’s back, and sb? lies in the sun until she has a good tan. When the photograph is peeled. off the silhouette remains on the shin.

vour ambition. Master your work just as thoroughly as if you knew you were destined to die an old maid. Then 11 you do marry, you'll make a bettei job of wifehood anyway. (2) Sex appeal in business? depends on what you mean by sex appeal. Personal appeal is, of course, important to any ambitious person, male or female. But if it’s your brain you want your boss to concentrate on, dress and act accordingly. (3) Think of yourself as an envoy of womanhood, in you r employers business. This, of course, is not the only- wav for a woman to succeed, but it. is a good way. And it is the logical wav to help your employer invade great and growing market which lives Tn the growing influence of womans taste. Always think of the “woman s angle.” Nine chances to ten, you 11 be able to grasp it better than your employer, because you are a woman. (4) Don’t ask for a raise until, bj many valuable and successful suggestions, you have convinced your boss that you are a definite, money-making asset to him. Then ask for it confidently. (5) Have confidence. A woman in business needs it even more thani a man. Don’t be intimidated by the unjust and obsolete viewpoint that a

definite effort to do so, and the six following rules are very good ones to bear in mind: — (1) Don’t let the thought that you 11 probably get married take the edge oft woman’s work is not worth as much as a man’s, even though she does it just as well. With tact and firmness combat any suggestion that- Jane Brown shouldn't receive as much for her work as John Brown, simply because the Lord made her a woman and him a man. This prejudice is one of the greatest obstacles you’ll have to face — a nd even some intelligent men, bless them, share it. ■

(6) Finally, all the established success rules apply as well for women as for men; don’t worry about how many hours you work. Always learn all you can about the business you are in. Study the job just ahead of you, so that you can do it as well as the man, or woman, who has it. And spend more time at night school than you do at night clubs.

It is quite untrue to imagine that a woman has to make a choice between marriage with motherhood and a career. If a woman can hold down one job well, the chances are she can do another well too—including the job of being a wife and mother. Consequently, a career woman not only has a better chance of achieving wealth than a woman who has no business training, but happiness as well. Historic Gowns Nineteenth Century Replicas at Modern Wedding (“Dominion” Special Service: By Airmail.) LONDON, November 16. MINETEENTH-CENTIj’ RY frocks will be worn by six child bridesmaids at the wedding on November 22 of Lady Mabel Fox-Strangways, younger daughter of the Earl and Countess of Ilchester, to the Hon. Ivor -Guest.

The frocks will be exact replicas of Hie wedding gown worn by the first Countess of Ilchester at her marriage in 1833. This two-centuries-old wedding dress was sent to the dressmaker for her to copy. It is of brocade, with a quaint design of many-coloured musical instruments and liny hats on a cream ground. Nothing quite like this material could be found, so a brocade of a deep stone colour with small bunches of flowers was chosen. Every other detail is being faithfully copied—the fight: waist, the elbow-length sleeves, (.lie luce rutiles, ami the lacing down th<? front of the bodice. Green velvet ribbons are being used for this lacing, and the little attendants will have green hair ribbons to match. Two small page boys are to have suits of leaf-green velvet. The pages will be the bride’s nephews, the Hon. Giles Fox-Strangways, son of Lady Stavordale, and Robin Herbert, son of Lady Mary Herbert. The Hon. Teresa Fox-Strangways, Lady Staverdale’s little daughter, will be one of the bridesmaids. The wedding reception is being held at Holland House. Lady Ilchester’s “country” house in Kensington. The guests will be received in the “old ballroom." the windows of which look out over Ihe extensive gardens and lawns of Holland House.