Equal Pay.

White Ribbon, Volume 10, Issue 118, 15 March 1905, Page 7

Equal Pay.

It has been said that by its treatment of woman is to be estimated the measure of civilization of a country, and it is also proverbial that Britishers pride themselves on their love of justice. The present agitation on behalf of equal pay for equal work is, however, continually bringing to light facts that do not speak loudly for either the civilization 01 the justice of Antipodean Britishers. Particularly in our public schools is the injustice meted out to women apparent. In one of our large city schools the inequality of men’s and women’s salaries in proportion to the work expected of them has been calculated in the following manner. The teachers concerned, it should lie said, do not include the head master and head mistress, but are those who simply have charge of classes:—Two male assistants have charge of 89 children, and receive salaries amounting to £*365, or £\ is. per head for each scholar. Four women teachers have charge of 316 scholars, and receive salaries amounting to or £\ 2s. per head for each scholar. Of course as partial excuse for this state of affairs it will he stated that the women teachers are in charge generally of the lower standards. But the fact that the children in these classes are younger in years and lower in attainment and intellectual capacity in no wise lessens the arduousness of the work. Rather is the wear and tear on the teacher greater. Some day, too, we shall lie wise enough to recognise monetarily with our human plants what the nurseryman does with his seedlings, i.i., the fact that the more tender the plant the greater the need of skill and study on the part ot the attendant and trainer.

A curious instance of the effect of inequality of pay for equal work was brought to light in an American town

a few years ago, and is noted and commented on by a Boston paper as follows : A young woman, dressed as a man, was working in a restaurant where she had good wages, when a detective noticed that her ears had been pierced and caused her arrest. In court she explained that she was supporting an invalid mother as well as herself, that she had worked for some time in a restaurant where her wages were only 5 dols. a week, hut learning that the men in a similar establishment received 10 dols. a week, she determined to disguise her sex and win the better wages, as by so doing she could procure for her mother many comforts that her former slender salary would not permit. Despite this reasonable excuse, the girl was detained in prison for some time, and her release was only secured by the interference of some powerful officials, who were interested in the case. These curious instances of sex concealment, which appear from time to time, are constant illustrations of the evil results of discrimination against women in the matter of payment for services rendered, and are therefore of interest as accumulating testimony to the many reasons for giving equal wages for equal work without regard to sex.