WHY THEY WORK

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 53, 6 March 1929, Page 11

WHY THEY WORK

WOMEN OF AMERICA

-BURDEN OF THE HOME

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

NEW YORK, 28th December

The army of 2,000,000 married women itij the United States who go out to work •are burdened by injustice and face prejudice, in the opinion of Miss Mary Anders m, Director of the Women's Bureau, department of Labour, Washington, whe so expressed herself in her latent report.

"Those who come in close contact witji these workers know," she says, "that they work from necessity—the necessity of "■ economic pressure. The number of mar-: ried women who work because they do)' pot like to stay at home, or because they wish to follow careers is so small that it does not count, in the sum totaJ. Yet, periodically, there is agitation for re-, of married women workers from their hardly won positions." ' The cost 6f living survey showed average earnings of husbands of families ill the labouring class to be below the iflinimura "health and decency" standard for working men's families by a considerable, sun). Various organisations have set th« year's.cost of maintenance for an induetrial worker's family,, at sums ranging, from £360 to £400, exclusive of vacations, unemployments,; and "'savings. The annual" earnings of an unskilled male worker last year averaged £223. The average cavuings of skilled workers were £309, given SO weeks' employment during the year. . "Iv view of these facts, it can readily' be understood;"' Miss Anderson concludes, "why the -wives and mothers ia : these families go out to seek paid employ-" ment. It is not freedom but absolute. necessity that forces them to help eke" out the family income." '

It is interesting to note in coujunction with Miss Anderson's observations that the New York and New Haven railway had decided to dispense with the services .of its married women employees at the beginning of the New Yeari owing to the large number of married men out of •work. ' ■ , ''•