§ 1.The Number of Women engaged in Industrial Work.--The evils of "sweating" press more heavily on women workers than on men. It is not merely that women as "the weaker sex" suffer more under the same burden, but that their industrial burden is absolutely heavier than that of men. The causes and the meaning of this demand a special treatment.
The census returns for 1901 showed that out of 4,171,751 females engaged in occupations about 40½ per cent. were in domestic or other service, 38½ per cent. in manufactures, 7 per cent. in commerce, chiefly as shop-assistants, 4 per cent. in teaching, 3 per cent. in hotels, boarding-houses, etc., and 7 per cent. in other occupations.
The following table gives the groups of occupations in which more females are employed than males:--
| Occupational Groups | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| Sick nurses, midwives, etc. | 1,092 | 67,269 |
| Teaching | 61,897 | 172,873 |
| Domestic service | 124,263 | 1,690,686 |
| Bookbinding: paper and stationery manufactures | 42,644 | 64,210 |
| Textile manufactures | 492,175 | 663,222 |
| Dress manufactures | 336,186 | 689,956 |
| -------------------- | ||
| 1,058,257 | 3,348,216 | |
| All other occupations | 9,098,717 | 823,535 |
| -------------------- | ||
| All occupations | 10,156,974 | 4,171,751 |
The manufactures in which women have been gaining upon men are the textile and clothing trades in almost all branches, tobacco, printing, stationery, brushes, india-rubber, and foods.
§ 2. Women's Wages.--Turning now to women engaged in city industries, let us gauge their industrial condition by the tests of wages, hours of labour, sanitary conditions, regularity of employment
The following is a list of the average wages paid for different kinds of factory work in London.
| Artificial flowers | 8 to | 12 shillings. |
| Bookbinding | 9 " | 11 " |
| Boxmaking | 8 " | 16 " |
| Brushes | 8 " | 15 " |
| Caps | 8 " | 16 " |
| Collars | 11 " | 15 " |
| Confectionery | 8 " | 14 " |
| Corsets | 8 " | 16 " |
| Fur-sewing | 7 " | 14 " |
| Fur-sewing in winter | 4 " | 7 " |
| Matches | 8 " | 13 " |
| Rope | 8 " | 11 " |
| Umbrellas | 10 " | 18 " |
These are ordinary wages. Very good or industrious workers are said to get in some cases 20 per cent, more; unskilful or idle workers less.
It must be borne in mind that these sums represent a full week's work. The importance of this qualification will appear presently.