The Sunday Oregonian., October 13, 1912, SECTION SIX, Page 5, Image 73

y-TTT7 SFXDAY OREGONTAN. PORTLAND. OCTOBER 13,. 1912.
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HAVE- BECOME THE PROBLEM IN ALL COUNTRIES WHERE
CIVILIZATION FLOURISHES
HAT of the Superfluous Woman T
The Query Is not put Jestfully.
nor In a spirit of mirth. It Is
presented in all seriousness and with
the hope that an adequate answer may
speedily be offered. For the Superfluous
Woman Is ever on the Increase, and
"with her Increase the Question of what
she is to do becomes dally more acute.
And her problem Is serious. Not only
Is it of import to her, but to every
member of the opposite sex as well. For
the Superfluous Woman must live. No
one may deny her that right. She Is
equally entitled, with her more fortu
nate slater, to a roof tree and hearth and
the means whereby she may enjoy
them.
Hence, as' the State has not yet made
provision for such as she, and, as it is
at present conducted. Is apparently no
nearer so doing; than it was half a cen
tury ago. she must needs look out for
herself. The result Is that In the keen
competition of today some one must
surfer, and not seldom It is one of the
masculine gender.
Necessarily this is bo, because until
recent years It has been men who have
held practically all the positions in
every branch of commerce and industry.
Every year, however, sees a more near
ly equal proportion of men and women
engaged in the various pursuits through
which a livelihood Is gained, and it will
not be many years. If the present an
nual increase is maintained, before the
sexes will be nearly evenly divided In
every branch of endeavor.
And what Is the Superfluous Woman?
Why Is she superfluous?
Does she not perform her part in the
scheme of modern life?
She Is a Worker.
First of all, it must be understood
that the so-called superfluous woman is
never the feminine parasite, who pro
duces nothing, the female drone, who
depends on some male to give her all
that she has. This class can never be
come large enough to create a danger
to the state for obvious reasons.
Nor is she the social parasite of her
sex, who constitutes a menace to the
health and morals of every large com
munlty, although the same elemental
causes that have brought the superflu
ous woman into being have in part been
responsible for the existence of her
weaker sister the preponderance of
the female population over the male.
On the contrarys, the superfluous
woman is essentially a worker. She Is
only superfluous in that she has no part
In the reproduction of the race.
Taking refuge in generalities, she Is
one who, because of her natural love
of independence, or through her In
ability, for whatever reason, to find
the mate she desires. Is thrown entirely
upon her own resources' and compelled
to earn her own living without other
aid than her own talent and wit. And
she must, of necessity, continue to ex
1st as long as the feminine element of
the population outnumbers the male In
the present proportion.
Meanwhile the situation, viewed In
Its broader aspects, becomes yearly
more dangerously acute. The necessi
ties which confront the superfluous
woman at every turn bring about two
results.
One is, that being compelled to gain
a livelihood at all hazards, she is rarely
ible to receive full value for her labor.
This is doubly unfortunate In that it
reacts upon her own standards and be
cause it creates an unfair and,, at the
same time, a false competition for those
who are already in the field.
But the other result, while not at
once apparent, is, after all. by far the
more Important of the two, because of
its far-reaching effects. For the super
fluous woman creates others of her own
kind by reason of the fact that her
competition prevents men from marry.
lng, as it compels them to work for a
wage insufficient to support both them
selves and a family.
Shortage of Htubanda.
And this condition, if carried to its
logical conclusion, will result, in an
other generation, in a competition be
tween feminine workers that will still
further reduce their earning capacl
ties.
Educated and intelligent women all
over the world who have studied the
subject have recognized the importance
of these questions. Socialism and eu
genics have been discussed as a means
to relieve the situation. But when every
angle of the problem has been consid
ered, and every solution offered, there
Is still one fact unchangeable, unde
niable and unalterable to be faced.
All over the world the female nonu-
latlon predominates over the male, this
Delng tru6 In greater degree in civilized
countries than in savage or barbarous
ones. Consequently, there are not
enough husbands to go around.
And where there are not enousrh hus
bands to go around, and where male
relatives. If there are any. show no
eagerness to come forward and put
their shoulders to the wheel. It neces
sarily follows that there must be super
fluous womanhood.
Formerly she was apt to fade gently
lnxo aeucate and anemic splnsterhood
as a governess, companion, or in some
subordinate, self-effacing position, but
this Is not true today. Nowadays wo
men are vigorously Independent in mind
and body and have a growing self-reliance
that well matches the boasted
quality of their masculine competitors.
- Hence it is that the superfluous wo
man has begun to think for herself, to
seek a solution of her own problem; one
that presents fewer difficulties for her
and minimizes the competition.
How can I best fit into the struggle
for life?" she asks herself. And eventu
ally, it Is to be hoped, she will find her
own answer.
But while many professions are ODen
to mo modern woman there is none
that is not crowded to capacity. Be
sides this, to many in fact, the great
majority there is neither time nor op
portunity to acquire the knowledge
necessary to practice a profession.
wnat Is learned must be learned dur
ing the hours of actual labor. And this
knowledge, as a general rule. Is nec
essarily extremely limited, often ex
tending no farther than the- perform
ance of the dally task.
In Massachusetts efforts have been
recently made to ascertain statistics
concerning the poorer classes of super
fluous women In that state. More than
16.000 women and girls In candy facto
rles, department stores., laundries and
cotton mills were found to be earning-
less than 6 a week, out of a total of
considerably less than twice that num
ber whose earnings were investigated
by the commission.
These were the average rank and
file, regular "year - in - and-year-out"
army of women wage earners, many of
whom had been working at their re
spective trades and in their respective
positions for periods ranging from 10
to 30 years.
The exact percentages of the work
ers who were employed for less than
this meager sum was C5 per cent
the candy workers, 40 per cent of the
laundry workers, S8 per cent of the
cotton operatives and 30 per cent
saleswomen. Of about 600 minors (un
der 18 years old) employed In retail
stores, two-thirds averaged less than
(4 a week and 96 per cent averaged
less tnan fo a week.
The average earnings In the factories
and laundries were less than these
figures.
Misfortune of the Snrplne.
These figures are interesting to the
student of sociology because of the
prevalent notion that the wages of la
bor correspond by an invisible but in
fallible economic law to the earnings
or productive capacity of the laborer.
Out of the fullness of an experience
which Included a study of the 16,00
women and girls above referred
the active secretary of the minimum
wage investigation In Massachusetts
concludes and states that "there is no
such law.
More especially among the unersran
Ized'and lower grades of labor wages
are the result of tradition and of slisrht
competition rrom the employing point
oi view.
It will readily be seen that the mi
perfluous woman, who has received no
special training and who has no mean
of obtaining it, face:i a serious sltua
Hon and one that does not readily pre
ser c a Boiution.
The report of the Massachusetts
commission lays stress on the fact that
great numbers of women and girls
nave Deen rorced into channels of nub
lie .industry in the Dresent eeneration.
lie number In vital need of work ex
ceeds the demand, and the women In
the harder grades of labor are larelv
compenea to take whatever wage they
can get for whatever strength or skill
tney nave to sell.
ine iacK or organization among
women leaves tne case one of Individ
ual bargaining power between the out
or-work woman and the factory
store manager. The modern commer
ciaj zeal lor economic management
causes many of the managers to beat
down the wages of the more helpless
employes to a point which In manv
cases has been a source of surprise and
nonest sname to the owners of the
ousiness, when the matter had been
forcibly brought to their attention by
disinterested representatives of the
public conscience.
ine commission further points out
mat tne wages Dear little or no rela
tion to the value of the workers' out
put, or to the selling price of the eoods
a..d this is more than borne out by the
.'acts which have now been reduced tn
statistics.
-rtjiyming wnicn otters even a par
tial solution of this problem should be
given serious consideration, and the
superfluous woman of America, eager
to solve the problem of existence, might
ao wen to tans a lesson from her Eng
lish sister.
In England the superfluous woman
exists In even greater numbers than in
-lie United States, and her problem has
oeen an even more serious one, owing
to the myriad prejudices and precedents
with which the English are wont to
hedge about their commercial, social
and industrial life.
So the English woman has taken to
gardening. Always an enthusiast in
the realm of horticulture, it is only
within the last few years that she has
taken it up as a profession. And al
ready she has won signal success, find-
ng the new method of earning a livine
both satisfactory and remunerative.
Both as workers in home gardens
and as teachers of gardening combined i
with nature study In schools there Is a
growing demand for women's services.
Several of the great English estates
have women as head gardeners, though
-Jim
- -- .irr-,r.'
of course this Is a higher branch of the
worK tnan the average woman can
hope to aspire to.
nut there is nothlner In trardenine
that a woman can't do. Even the rough
er work is not too severe upon her,
and In the lighter tasks, such as weed
ing and pruning, she excels her mascu
line competitors. Her natural inclina
tion, however, is generally in the di
rection of planning and Improving, and
in this 8 lie easily leads the field.
Market gardening has - attracted
many of the English women, who have
entered this branch of endeavor, but
for this some capital is required, and
nursery gardening has the same draw
back. But what many have found most
profitable, and. at the same time most
pleasant In its nature, is snecialzlng
In violets or some other popular
flower.
New Fields for Women.
Two women may go into partnership
to run a little violet farm, and be as
sured that they can make a good an
nual Income. On the other hand, as is
now being done in England, attention
may be given to the development of
the making -of perfumes as an Industry
of more than pigmy proportions.
Then there is the French intensive
gardening, which, however, requires,
more technical and expert information'
than the average woman without
means can readily obtain. Of course it
goes without saying that some study
the more the better should be made
of the science of gardening before it
engaged in, but this can be gained
in a dozen different ways.
Naturally, it should be begun in
small way at first, until certain of the
prime essentials of the work are under.
stood, but this may be done before and
after working hours. A simple knowl
edge of botany Is also an invaluable
asset.
In England many schools where the
science of gardening and as an art
taught have been established, and
it would be a splendid thing if several
could - be founded here, where girls
who would be compelled eventually to
earn their own livings might learn the
business thoroughly.
Jobbing gardening has proved most
profitable for the English women, and
is perhaps -one of the best branches
of the work to enter, in that it re
quires little or no capital to begin.
The first object of the work is to take
town and suburban gardens and attend
to their care and upkeep precisely as
does the nursery . man's Jobber, but to
Improve their conditions and develop
their possibilities as he generally Is not
able to do.
And here Is a field where the Amer
ican woman, once she has mastered
some of the details of the gardener's
art, would be generally successful. 8he
could put her natural taste Into prac
tical service, maintain her health and
have for herself a comfortable Income.
It may be that the suggestion will
be made use of by some member of the
'fc. -T-f 31:
1. r -th, r-',ts'
Tte: Feriiinine; Parasite.
olass unjustly
women."
But the problem,
main for most:
What shall she do?
dubbed "superfluous
after all. will re-
ICS
60ME0fTHE01JIP5ANDJE51SrR(mN50FTHL-NEWM
'erse Tales From Humorous P
ens
IX A MINORITY.
A ease was being tried In the West
of England, and at its termination the
Judge charged the Jury, and they re
tired for consultation. Hour after hour
passed, and no verdict was brought in.
The Judge's dinner hour arrived, and
he became hungry and Impatient. Upon
inquiry he learned that one obstinate
Juryman was holding out against 11.
That he could not stand, and he ordered
the IS men to be brought before him.
He told them that in his charge to them
he had so plainly stated the case and
the law that the verdict ought to be
unanimous, and the man who permitted
his Individual opinion to weigh against
the Judgment of 11 men of wisdom was
unfit and disqualified ever again to act
in the capacity of Juryman. At the end
of this excited harangue a little
squeaky voice came from one of the
Jury. He said: "Will your lordship al
low me to say a word?" Permission be
ing given, he added: "May it please
your lordship. I am the only man en
your aide." Exchange.
LONDON'S MUSICAL TRAINING.
Jack London, when on a recent visit
to New York, was introduced to a mu
sician in one of the popular Broadway
caies.
"I am a musician in a small way.
said London. "My musical talent was
once the means of savins: my life."
The musician was at once very much
interestea.
"How was that?" he asked.
"There was a great flood In the town
of my boyhood." explained London.
"When the water struck our house my
father got en a bed and floated with
the stream until he was rescued."
"And -your" queried the musician. .
"Well," smiled London J'l accom
panied Mm on the piano." Judge.
ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT
Oeorge Washington Johnson stood
before an avenging Judge, and realized
that all the evidence was against him.
says the Popular Magazine. It was the
same old charge.
"But." said the Judge with a per
plexed frown, "I don't understand,
Johnson.- how it was possible for you to
steal those chickens when they were
voojtlng right under the owner a win
dow and there were two vicious bull
dogs In the yard."
"It wouldn't do you no good, Jedge,
foh me to 'splain how I caught 'em,"
replied the successful culprit. "You
couldn't do it If you tried forty times,
an' you might git a hide full of buck
shot de ve'y fust time you put your laig
ober de fence. De best way for you to
i to Duy your chickens In de mar
ket."
FOOLISH QUESTION.
Dubblelgh's car lay flat on its side
and deep In the mud in the freshly
plowed field, having skidded off the
road, through the low stone wall to
get there.
"Ah!" cried a passerby from the
roadside. "Had an accident?"
Dubblelgh tried to hold his tongue,
but the strain was too much for him.
"No, of course not." he replied coldly.
Tve Just bought a new car- and
brought my old one out here to bury it.
Oot a pickax and a shovel in your
pocket you could lend me? I can't
seem to dig very deep with my motor
horn." Harper's.
ALL HIS.
Senator Vardaman, so the story goes.
once rentea a plot of several acres to
one of his black neighbors. The land
was to be planted in corn, and the
Senator, then ex-Governor, was to re
ceive one-iourtn. The corn was duly
harvested, but the Senator did not re
ceive his fourth. Meeting the negro one
day, he said:
"Look here, Sam, have you harvested
your corn?"
"Yes, sah. boss, long 'go."
"Well. wasn't-I to get a fourth?"
"Yes, sah, boss, dat's de truf, but dar
warn't no fo'th. Dar was ies" threa
loads, and dey was mine." Judge.
OUT OF BABES' MOUTHS.
crooked business, said to a Boston re-porter:
' A BrOadwnV rtfft fa tn Tr.. f,,io.t.
in a nasty lie bv the head hook lr..n.r
the other day.
M V son.' said thu hnnV.,i 1
emnly. "do you know what becomes of
boys who deceive and prevaricate?
' ACe youngster looked at the shabby
old bookkeeper, sneered and answered:
" 'Of course, I do. The boss lifts 'em
right out of the starvation, pen-pushin'
class, makes 'em department heads and
takes 'em into the firm before they're
iv. vv asnington, D. C, Star.
HOW IT ORIGINATED.
"I spent my vacation in beautiful
Wlscasset." said Jerome S. McWade.
the Duluth capitalist, according to the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat. ''Wlscasset,
you know. Is famous for having origin
ated the immortal phrase, 'The woods
is iuu or em.'
"This is the story:
"A very deaf old man was shooting
squirrels out Wlscasset way. A
stranger happened along and said:
" 'Mr. Man. which is the road to Wls
casset? "The deaf old man falling to under
stand, answered:
"'Thar's one that's a squirrel
settln' up thar on that three! See him?
" 'I didn't ask you about the squir
rels,' said the stranger, impatiently. "I
asked you, durn it all, which was the
roaa to vviscassetr
" Tep," said the deaf old hunismui
excitedly. 'Yep, thar's another, too. Just
a peeKin- outen that knot hole.'
Then the stranger, losing his na-
uence, roarea :
" "You're a fool"
" "Yep. the woods Is full of 'em,
the old man, complacently."
Quips and Flings
ild
HIS NEARLY-EDUCATED SON.
"Your studies are cost In' me a heap
o money," observed his rustic father,
reaching down in his Jeans for another
roll to slip to his nearly-educated eon.
"I know it, father," replied the son,
with considerable emotion. His emo
tion did not prevent his pocketing the
wad, but he went on talking. Just as
it mere naa oeen no interruption.
men ne smuea sweetly, assumed a
puzzled expression and added: "An T
don't see why my studies should be so
expensive. Why, dad. I try to study
just as iittie as possiDle." Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
TOO LATE.
"Are you going fishing tomorrow
morning?" asked the rural citizen.
"No," replied the man from town. "So
long as i can't go fishing today I won't
bother. I never yet fished without learn
ing that they were biting fine yesterday."
"Cholly received a letter this morn
lng from Gladys Maud. He consumed
an hour in reading it." "Was the let
ter very long" "Not very long. He
spent most of the time looking for
page z. Birmingham Age-Herald.
Harassed Prisoner Pray, great chief,
why do you keep your servant tied up
so long?
Cannibal King A thousand pardons,
dear missionary, but we are waiting
for the consignment of paper bags
from Sydney. Sydney Bulletin.
Housewife (to tramp) I don"t ap
prove of people begging. Any man can
find work if he looks hard enough.
Tramp Alas, mum, dat's Just de
trouble; I'm such a hard-looker dat no
one will give ma a Job. Philadelphia
Record.
"My uncle only, left me 5000. Won
der if I could break the will?" "Sure
tning. He must have been crazy to
leave you anything." Boston Post.
"And so, after inviting your friends
to a game dinner, you were not served
with any part of the bird!"
"Oh. yes; I got the bill." Smart Set.
"There isn't one man in a million
who would be so mean to his wife and
children as you are." remarked the
wife, bitterly. "Now, that's what I
admire In you, dear," ventured the hus
Dand, slowly, "you have such a head
lor figures. Harper's Magazine.
p
Bowler All ready for the bowling
season, l thought you were going to
make extensive Improvements in the
alleys this Summer? I don't see any.
Proprietor Great Scott, man. the
alleys will be .fully six and a half
inches closer to the bar than they were
last year. Puck.
Mrs. Wabasha I thought when I mar
ried you that you were original.
Mr. abash And am I not?
Mrs. Wabash No, you use the same
excuses for staying out late that all
my other husbands used. New Orleans
Picayune.
"Do you car lor Esperanto?" lie
asked the sweet young thing, as they
were demolishing plates of cream after
the opera.
"Whlch was he?" replied the sweet
young thing. "The one with the blond
mustache?" Boston Globe. v
"How did the drink go. Fat?"
"Foln, sorr; but, faith, it do be caliin'
for company." London Tit-Bits.
"But. count, you are old enough to be
my father."
"Ah, I wish I were such happiness
to haf such a beautiful lot of money as
your father, has!" New York World.
Hicks Don't you find your flat very
small?
Wicks No; you see I've always lived
within my Income, so I'm used ' to
cramped quarter.
-
."What one thing have that couple In
common?"
"I don't know; unless it is that she is
dove-eyed and he is pigeon-toed." Bal
timore American.
A Pointer For Him. "T suppose, ob
served the tramp, bitterly, "you would
like to have me get off the earth. But
I cannot."
"Have you tried soft soap?" asked
the woman In the blue gingham dress,
dispassionately. Puck.
.
"Life is full of problems."
"Yes, and If I could settle a certain
one of them I wouldn't bother about
the rest."
"What problem is that?"
"Whether or not to drink water with
one's meals. For years I've been read
ing medical opinions on both sides and
I'm no nearer a solution than I was 20
years ago."
Judge What has the prisoner to say
for himself?
Prisoner I have been sent to prison
twice before, your honor
Judge What has that to do with
your getting off this time?
Prisoner I think the court should
show some deference to the popular
feeling against a third term.
Maggie Why did thev make a
change in ministers at your church?
Annie Why, the former one spoke
so often on the responsibilities of mar
riage that none of the unmarried men
in the congregation would propose-
Judge, .
Among the Poets o the Daily Press
RICH.
The love that's in my baby's eyes, the
play times that we have at night.
The Joy that's in my lady's smile, her
cheering words that all is right,
The little home where we abide that
rings with laughter aye, and
song.
I would not risk In any way by any act
that I deem wrong.
There is no price that I would take to
, tinge my loved one's cheeks with
shame.
To rob them of their pride in me, and
dull the eyes with love aflame
There is no profit that I'd take to
cloud my home- now sunshine
filled.
No sum of gold that could bring back
the laughter once it had been
stilled.
They do not ask that I be rich, they do
not urge me to be great.
To climb the mountain heights of fame
or claim the honors of the state.
They ask me merely to be kind; they
' want me only to be true.
And in return they give me love when
each long day of work is
through.
I'll keep my home a dwelling place for
merry laughter and for song;
I would not risk one little smile by
bartering' with what is wrong.
Til keep those eyes aglow with pride.
unto their love I'll fondly cling;
For though I may be poor In purse
In Joys I'm richer than a king.
Detroit Free Press.
A CITY STREET.
Note: The following old poem was
read the other day In Congress. It
pictures a situation which is true of
every city and town where so-called
improvements' are the order of the
day.
They took a few old brloks
And they took a little tar.
With various Ingredients
Imported from afar.
They hammered it and rolled it,
And they then went away
They said they had a pavement
That would last for many a day.
But they came with picks and smote It
To lay a water main,
And then they called the workmen
To put it back again.
To run a railway cable
They took it up some more,
And then they put it back again
Just where it was before.
They took It up for conduits
To run the telephone,
And then they put It back again
As hard as any stone.
They took it up for wires
To feed the 'iectric light.
And then they put It back again.
Which was no more than right.
Oh, the pavement's full of furrows.
There are patches everywhere;
You'd like to ride upon It,
But It's seldom that you dare.
It's a very handsome pavement,
A credit to the town.
But they're always diggln of It up
Or puttln' of It down.
The Pathfinder.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS.
The baby takes to her bed at night
A one eyed rabbit that once was whttei
A watch that came from a cracker, I
think;
And a lldless inkpot that never held
. Ink.
And the secret is locked in her tiny
breast
Of why she loves these and leaves the
rest.
And I give a loving glance as I go
To three brass pots on a shelf In a row:
To my grandfather's grandfather's lov.
lng cup
And a bandy legged chair I once picked
up.
And I can't, for the life of ma, make
you see
Why Just these things are a part of
me!
J. H. Macnalr, In London Spectator.
THE APATHETIC CITIZEN.
There was a young fellow of Cadis
Who said, "What a blessing free trad
is;
But it's not my ambition ,y
Co turn politician
So let's go and talk to the ladies,"
A Lyttel Books nf TrnTI isrssjy