COMPETITION.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7265, 13 October 1891, Page 3

COMPETITION.

It is a great advantage for a woman to have learned some trade before her marriage, for she c*n fall back on it afterwards. One English writer says that for a tailor to marry a tailorcss ia equivalent to marrying an heiress in a higher walk of life, and in both cases she is too often exploited ; but if lefta widow the skilled woman can manage to keep an average family without applying either to public or private charity. The classification of factory girls had many grades, rising from the match, rope or jam girls up to the girls who make artificial flowers, fancy boxes or work for bookbinders. The difference of wages is not sufficient for the difference in skill, quickuess and regularity, for the higher lines are invaded by girls of a better class many of whom only work for pocket money, who would never mix with the rough noisy girls over jam pots and in ropo worki. But it is a distinct wrong to the girls who have to earn their own living to have their wages lowered by this pocket monty competition. Th« clerk

who keeps his daughter in Haokney and allows her to go to work for 10 hours a day for 12a of 14s a week is simply making tho omployor a present of the difloiTiice between that and the proper cob of her maintenance. Thore is a good deal of competition in the better factories in Melbourne, »nd with regard to morning or visiting governesses, we aro certain, says the Ago, that many fathoi'H arc far too liberal to tho well-to-do people, who grind down the remuneration of tho educated gentlewoman to whom they entrust tho care of their children. We have known a doctor in large practice toll ii rich patient that she ought not to give moro than L30 a year for tho four morning hours (virtually all tho school day) because it was what ho paid himself. It is a distinct convenience and economy to have the teacher in town come and go, and not to have to provide her with board and lodging ; but if the lady had to provido more than her clothes and fares out of her salary she might starve. None of our writers think thnt the competition of married women at home brings down wages, for unless tho hucband is ill, out of work, or a drunkard, wives will not work at starvation wages. The competition of widows with young children whom they cannot leave, and of poor old women aided by friends or by charity, is accountable for the terribly low earnings of shirt and trouser finishers, of bag making and matchbox making. Anything to koep out of tho " house," and to have a homo, however wretched.