WOMEN WAGE-EARNERS:

THEIR PAST, THEIR PRESENT,AND THEIR FUTURE.

BY

HELEN CAMPBELL,

AUTHOR OF "PRISONERS OF POVERTY," "PRISONERS OFPOVERTY ABROAD," "THE PROBLEM OF THE POOR,""MRS. HERNDON'S INCOME," ETC.

With an Introduction

BY RICHARD T. ELY, PH.D., LL.D.

Professor of Political Economy and Director of the School of Economics,University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.

BOSTON:

ROBERTS BROTHERS.

1893.

Copyright, 1893,

BY HELEN CAMPBELL.

University Press:

JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

A BOOK FOR

Alice,

FRIEND, HELPER, AND COMRADE.

INTRODUCTION BY RICHARD T. ELY
AUTHORS PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I A LOOK BACKWARD
CHAPTER II EMPLOYMENTS FOR WOMEN DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FACTORY
CHAPTER III EARLY ASPECTS OF FACTORY LABOR FOR WOMEN
CHAPTER IV RISE AND GROWTH OF TRADES UP TO THE PRESENT TIME
CHAPTER V LABOR BUREAUS AND THEIR WORK IN RELATION TO WOMEN
CHAPTER VI PRESENT WAGE-RATES IN THE UNITED STATES
CHAPTER VII GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR ENGLISH WORKERS
CHAPTER VIII GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR CONTINENTAL WORKERS
CHAPTER IX GENERAL CONDITIONS AMONG WAGE-EARNING WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES
CHAPTER X GENERAL CONDITIONS IN THE WESTERN STATES
CHAPTER XI SPECIFIC EVILS AND ABUSES IN FACTORY LIFE AND IN GENERAL TRADES
CHAPTER XII REMEDIES AND SUGGESTIONS
APPENDIX FACTORY INSPECTION LAW
AUTHORITIES CONSULTED IN PREPARING THIS BOOK.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WOMAN'S LABOR AND OF THE WOMAN QUESTION.
INDEX

INTRODUCTION

BY RICHARD T. ELY,

DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, POLITICAL SCIENCE, AND HISTORY,UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON.

The importance of the subject with which the present work deals cannotwell be over-estimated. Our age may properly be called the Era of Woman,because everything which affects her receives consideration quiteunknown in past centuries. This is well. The motive is twofold: First,woman is valued as never before; and, second, it is perceived that thewelfare of the other half of the human race depends more largely uponthe position enjoyed by woman than was previously understood.

The earlier agitation for an enlarged sphere and greater rights forwoman was to a considerable extent merely negative. The aim was toremove barriers and to open the way. It is characteristic of the earlierdays of agitation for the removal of wrongs affecting any class,

...