WHY WOMEN HAVE TO WORK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 522, 1 June 1909, Page 3

WHY WOMEN HAVE TO WORK.

HUSBANDS, WHO ONLY LIVE TWENTY YEARS x The need .for every, woman to have'a , trade,; or:..ppfessibn' ; ather .'. finger, 1 tips,■ whether.- sho,be-married or single, was em-' pbasised at a. recent .meeting -of :■ the Royal -■- Statistical Societyj; when ;.Miss'B, L. Hutch: ■'. ins read a paper 0n..-Statistics of' Women's '-■; - Life;.', and / Emplbyitient,,/,/Mis3/ Hutchins .''brotigh't/-several interesting ;;.p6ints\;, before: the. members',of /tho '.spdety. ;;She .proved v by.'; statistics "'that i tho.enormous increase -in ■ /women',workers": is l ,due /to//the/; high/male ': death: rate.V jEven~in. the event ,of -marriage, a woman can only .rely on being provided 'Vior .dMinga .period:'oF. twenty -'years; 1 / At :,;;the"';end ,of- that time she . may; be back in , the field; of labbiir'; again twith "eMnomic ; .' Belt-depondence" a:, stem, necessity. //*' :.-//. .•••; -"The ■disprbportibnate /fiuinber /of. 'women is .-mainly/due/to-jtheir 'lower {death; rate," / the: lecturer , number- -.of ,' boys born oxcccds tho li'untbor, of girls by about 35 to '40 per 1000,-' but/more boys ..die 'at '■■-. birth or soon,>after. ' Thore arQ 130 womoi .: old- enough;. to/claim an'old';'age : pension' to .':: every: ; 100.'• men." ; Marriage,:'. according : >'to •;/Miss Hutchins, ■? is istill; the most- important ■ and 'extensively.;;'' followed, occupation ' for : women; ': .and;/grantingall/wives are . sup- / j ported' by ..their' . husbands,.' provides for :w t^ ent ? ' y'*ars /.orily;j between :tho.a|e3 -of 35 ;and' 55/- Beforb '35 ;and;after.ss ,'a very large /'proportion.;are.: not: 'thus, provided.for.; "Very ~ few women aro capable of'. realising, their ;:.full/economic ..value,'! / said/; Miss Hutchins in commenting ion, the .low pay:for -.women's work. „ •' ■J - -. -The/conditions: and "traditions', of women ./, havo 'been evolved during, long- periods when . /they. :have ..worked/;for/.homb arid children /'rather,. than;;fbr'..'wagbs /"and/earnings..'/Marriage' 13 not a lifelong provision for 'the 1 average woman. It is. only a provision, for , tho best- ;years -of life—those -'years)' in fact' ill which a woman is:Ordinarily.,.jnost': capable , of teking .cars .of 'horsolf. , The husband is, ■■■ 5 in .'cases; swopt; oft in ! middle life,, and ; in the Mustrial. classes'.he'has- usually Ino't /'- had very, much chanco of saving a compe- :; tonee' -fori.-'his ,:,A ; certain -proportion of womfen,--; therefore,*.','arb- -forced- ;to ; reroiiter .: the, labour market, and. the-.pcculiar anomaly. .of the Woman -Worker's...career, 'is /that.'.she ,' ..starts-; at. fourteen;'or;' fifteen.--ih "a : world of -• profitmaking .; 'arid : cbmpotitivb : ;industry, ~ leaves ; it, -and comes:-back :to' it again after .' a , ap . 3 ? °f' twenty .years ,or so. ,