SNOW: THE SERVANT tURI. PROBLEM. 35 



clerk, though this is noticeably true only in the great stores of the 

 large cities. In the establishment of a well-known Kansas City 

 firm, one of the largest dry-goods stores in the West, young women 

 are given the same advantages as men, with salaries ranging from 

 ^15.00 a month, or $3.75 a week, to $3,500.00 a year. 



In another house the range of wages is from $3.00 a week to 

 $1,500.00 a year. On securing a position in this store, young 

 women are frequently told, "You can come on trial at such a price; 

 it will depend on you how rapidly your wages are advanced." 

 This has, however, upon many no effect, and the higher positions 

 certainly require an unusually shrewd business faculty. It is for 

 the great class of girls who do not possess such ability that we 

 desire to make domestic service attractive as well as profitable. 



The life of a dry-goods clerk is by no means an easy one. Of 

 the three clerks who expressed an opinion on tlie subject, all 

 preferred clerking on account of social standing, one considered 

 the work of both employments equally arduous, and two greatly 

 preferred the position of servant, leaving out of consideration the 

 question of social prejudice. One young woman acknowledged 

 that in the latter occupation she could make more money, have 

 easier work, and more time to rest and improve her mind. 



In one of the stores visited, clerks are provided with stools and 

 may sit down if they have time, but an opportunity seldom comes. 

 At another store they are never allowed to sit down. 



Clerks are required to work in the evening during the winter 

 holidays, for two or three nights a week during several weeks 

 before Christmas, and every night through three weeks of invoic- 

 ing; also on Saturday evenings throughout the year, and at any 

 other time when new goods are received or when the pressure of 

 work is especially great. It is true that they have all of Sunday, 

 while servants have only half a day, but this is more than made up 

 for by "the afternoon out " through the week — and of such privi- 

 leges town servants receive many. 



Again, let us compare the servant's position ^vith that of workers 

 in factories and shops of all kinds in the cities. 



From statistics taken from the report of the Commissioner of 

 Labor for 1888, it may be seen that the average yearly expense for 

 board and lodging for 277 girls in twenty-five different trades is 

 $164.80. Adding this to the average income of servants, 

 according to table No. i above, we have a total income of $310.01. 



According to other statistics in the above mentioned report, 

 gathered from twenty-two of our largest cities, the average yearly 

 wages of 13,822 women representing 337 trades is $272.45. This 



