Women Workers v. Men

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 146, 7 June 1892, Page 4

Women Workers v . Men

In the most primitive condition of society, women continually do more work than men. Among thesoorer classes, though* the woman does not till the son 1 or carry the hod,' it is the proverb, universally employed - nnd; deeply believed in, that a woman's work is never done. Eight Hours' Bill, if it were to become law to-mor-row, would not shorten the hours or slacken the bonds of the men's wives. The husbands require a greater amount of actual physical force for! their work, and have relatively more fatigue; but they come home to rest, or they go to their evening resort, whether it be a prim and respectable workingman's dub or the less estimable public-house— to rest ; but the wives' work is never done. In the higher classes^ the balance of labour is, of course, different A but the woman who regulates and rule* over a household, either the smaller One which requires constant supervision I or the great one with all its responsibilities, has not an idle life any more than the husband has, who may happen ;o be a professional man, or an ordinary labourer in the common ways of life. Yet the men constantly break down from overwork, and- the women tery rarely, if ever. The same thing holds with a better iand aore genuine comparison in \ the ranks, for instance, of literary people which nowadays contain 1 almost as many women as men. , .Once-pjore, it is the man who breaks down from the constant strain of work.' Ijfhe is a small performer on the pen j he gets writero'; cramp 'j otberwise: ho breaks down in health, has to be tdken abroad, or perhaps to. give np,wrijting altogether to preserve his lifee-while the woman, bis contemporary, goes on serenely with a smile, piling up volume after volume with the measured and sedate force of a day la- ; bourer. ; „.., ..._- . : - r r-, : . - y