These girls usually begin as helpers. The system which was found in several of the factories seems to be a source of grievous complaint among the girls. The helper is supposed to receive about one-third of the piece rate given to her machine girl, but the firm does not hold itself responsible for the helper's earnings. She does not appear on the pay roll and must settle her account with the machine girl whom she helps. As the helper is usually an 8-hour girl and the machine operator a 10hour girl (since the validation of the 10-hour law), the helper is entitled to but one-third of four-fifths of the combined earnings-which are computed entirely upon a piece-rate basis. As this rate varies with each grade of work, and the machine girl works on several grades each day, the arithmetical equipment of the helper, or folder, as she is often called, is taxed to its utmost-and more-to hold her own in the calculations. Further complications set in when time is lost by either girl or when three girls work in teams, two of them being 10-hour girls and one an 8-hour girl. If the statement of one of the managers is correct that most of these helpers come from about the fifth grade in the parochial schools, it is not a matter of great marvel that they grow discouraged, bargain with the machine girl for a flat wage, or drop out altogether. The manager just quoted complained of the great number that "drop out after the first few days or weeks of employment. For every nine that come, nine go out." A careful count for a period of six months showed that, though a hundred new hands had been received, at the end of the period the whole force did not exceed the total number at the beginning-about 300. That this manager was not overstating the case is shown by the frequent and alluring calls in the daily papers for "girls 14 and 15 years for pleasant work in a box factory-$3 while learning."

Some of the firms offer bonuses to their employees to bring in "new hands" in case such hands stay at least a month. Naturally there is great pressure upon the girls to bring in their younger sisters-if they have any-as the mathematical problems are eliminated when a machine girl has a sister as helper, since the entire pay envelope goes into the same family. A few firms employ men and women to canvass the homes of wage-earning families in search of new hands or deserting employees, as even girls over 16 are often difficult to keep at work. The complaint most frequently made by such girls is that they are accused of "shortages" in count, which they are obliged to make up before getting credit for their work. As in most cases, the girls are not given a chance to recount disputed output, the accusation is a prolific source of dissatisfaction in some of the establishments, and may be an equal cause with the long hours for the alleged drifting tendency among the women employees.

Only a brief reference to the character of the occupation is necessary to a full understanding of the degree of strain represented by

the schedule of working hours. Practically no operations performed by women in the ordinary paper-box factory require constant standing in order to maintain the average output. At times the boxes on which the girls are working are so large as to necessitate standing, but as the grade of work is varied during the day a change of position is feasible from time to time. Upon careful observation on the part of the representatives of the Bureau in the 11 factories scheduled it developed that whereas in one factory girls engaged in a given occupation. stood all or most of the time, alleging that such position is necessary to maintain the level of production, in other establishments girls busy at the same occupations were seated at their work. It was noticeable, however, that when women were operating the machines known as ender, tube roller, tube cutter, paper slitter, or thumb hole cutter, they were usually standing, as also were the women engaged in the process known as "peeling," which consists in knocking off scored corners or edges of the boxes with a hammer.

There is no intention to discuss here the question of dangerous machinery used in the paper-box industry, but only to call attention to the fact that there are machines, the operation of which is attended with more or less danger, and that accidents do occur, particularly with the machine known as the "corner stayer," where there is obvious danger of catching the fingers between the anvil and the descending press. The obvious guard against such an accident is the steel thimble provided by the firms but not invariably used by the girls. Furthermore, the use of the thimble is not a guaranty against accident, but simply a precaution, as it permits the finger to be withdrawn quickly in case the thimble is caught between anvil and press. There are other machines whose operation by women or children is attended with some danger, but the corner staying machine is chargeable with a large proportion of such accidents as occur to women in the box factories. As the chances for accidents are probably more or less affected by the length of the working day, particularly where any degree of physical strain or concentration is required, there is some significance in the working hours up to January 1, 1910, as presented in both the establishment summary and the individual

tabulations.

vidual tabulation at the end of this article show the compensation It should be remembered that the earnings as set forth in the indionly for the busy season recorded and do not represent the normal earnings throughout the year. This tabulation shows that of those working an average of from 8 to 12 hours per day during the busy season approximately 40 per cent earned less than $6 per week. As in most industries, the rate of compensation is fairly uniform

for help. When the suggestion was made to one employer that a

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higher rate of pay might increase the supply of female labor, he replied: "We can't offer more wages, because that would take help away from our competitors, and would be considered as stealing help, and not fair business policy."

Naturally, since the validation of the 10-hour law in April of the present year, this demand for help has been greatly intensified. Officials of the 11 scheduled establishments were closely questioned as to methods of meeting the rush-season demands under the restricting law. As has been intimated before, none of the firms report a decrease in orders this year. Two of the larger firms notified their customers early in the year of the probable restriction of the working hours. As a result, instead of running only a half day during the summer months these firms maintained a longer schedule on Saturdays. The objection to anticipating orders on the part of both the manufacturing and the purchasing firms seems to be the difficulty of storing goods. The double-shift system does not seem to be in favor as yet in the paper-box factories; in fact, there is great difficulty in maintaining a full quota for one shift. Some firms may resort to Sunday work, though it is more difficult to get girls to work Sunday, and one of the large firms, stating that they had not yet determined how they would meet the situation, declared that it would not be by Sunday work under any circumstances. A number of the firms interviewed avow an intention of taking no more orders than they can fill under the restrictions. Others seem to be taking the orders, but turning the "overflow" to smaller paper-box factories not so overburdened with work.

Inspection of the tabulation of individual reports at the end of this article serves to confirm the statement of the manager who said that young girls were especially adaptable to the paper-box industry. Of the 575 adult women individually scheduled, 226, or 39.3 per cent, were either 16 or 17 years old. This fact alone has its bearing upon the working hours per day and per week.

WOMAN TICKET AGENTS OF THE ELEVATED RAILWAYS.

The elevated railway companies of Chicago employ 284 regular woman agents and an average of about 100 "extras. The regular agents work from 7 a. m. to 7 p. m.-12 hours a day, for 7 days a week. There is no allowance whatever for an occasional afternoon off, or for a Sunday or a legal holiday. If a girl desires such leave she makes request and an "extra" is sent to relieve her, the "extra" receiving the full rate of pay which is deducted from the regular agent's wage. It is quite common for an agent to ask for a half day off on a legal holiday-as Christmas or Thanksgiving-and the "extra" called upon to substitute must respond whenever called, for, while these extras are not necessarily employed continuously (in the case of one company the average earnings of extras amounts

to $35 per month each), they must be prepared to respond promptly; otherwise the chances are that they will not be considered desirable as regulars. In one company extras have constant employment, receiving $1.25 per day, but when substituting for a regular agent (whose pay in this case is $1.70) the extra receives pay at the latter rate. A number of them have been assigned to regular stations, but without the compensation of regular agents, and this is the cause of much dissatisfaction.

The lunch hour brings no relaxation, for the girl must bring her lunch, or send for it, and it is eaten at her station as opportunity occurs. Some of the agents have appliances for heating coffee, etc.

A majority of the roads have a "relief agent" who is constantly traveling, stopping off to relieve the agents along the line for 10 or 15 minutes morning and afternoon. On the lines where there is no relief agent the girl must call upon the colored porter to take her place during a necessary temporary absence.

In spite of the long hours these positions are in great demand. In the office of one of the roads there are about 2,000 applicants on the waiting list. One of the attractions of the position to a girl of ability is the independent nature of the work, each agent being responsible for the conduct of her station. Then, too, the pay, which ranges from $1.70 on one road to $2 on another, is rather higher than the earnings possible in other work of the same character.

The morning hours are generally busy ones for the agent, but there are several hours during the day where in most districts the work is very light, and except for the fact that the girl must remain at her station she may make herself very comfortable, often finding time for fancy work or a magazine, the only stipulation being that she shall not neglect her duty.

The real strain comes during the last 2 hours of the working day when the girl is least prepared to meet it, from 5 to 6.30 or 7 p. m., when the exodus from offices, stores, and factories keeps the agent nerved to highest effort to keep up with the insistent demands of waiting patrons.

The manager of one of the roads describes the successful agent as the one who, under sometimes very trying circumstances, maintains perfect self-control. Her occupation necessarily places her in contact with all classes and conditions of people, and by the exercise of self-control and tact many an unpleasant situation is averted. The management particularly desires the agents to avoid anything like conflict.

Individual reports were not secured for the elevated railway agents, there being no variation of hours, and the rate of pay in each company (except one, where an agent must serve 1 year at $1.70 before receiving $2) being practically uniform.

The employees of four of the companies covered by this report belong to the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Employees of America, and at this time a demand has been made on the part of the union for an increase of pay for the agents, particularly in the congested districts, where the work is very heavy. This change in the wage scale is now under consideration by the management of the roads under discussion. There has been some consideration of three S-hour shifts, instead of two 12-hour shifts, as at present, though an official of the union states that no demand has been made; the night shift is composed of men, who generally receive 5 cents more per day than the women. The president of the company employing nonunion agents is authority for the statement that the direct effect of such a demand would be the discharge of all woman agents and the continuation of the two 12-hour shifts, composed entirely of men. The employment of three shifts (at the same daily rate) would increase the expense to the road by one-half, and for that reason the question is not to be considered; furthermore, he claims that for the wages now given women men could be readily secured.

The following table shows for each railway the number of women regularly employed, with the daily and weekly hours of work and rates of pay:

NUMBER OF WOMAN AGENTS IN THE SERVICE OF THE ELEVATED RAILROADS OF CHICAGO, WITH HOURS OF LABOR AND RATES OF PAY.

a $1.70 during first year; agents at 3 department stores $1.75 each, and relief agents $1.60.
◊ After working 1 year at $1.70 per day.

STEAM LAUNDRIES.

The 9 laundries covered in this report represent very fairly the working hours prevailing in the Chicago laundries that employ from 30 to over 100 women each. The small hand laundries-American and Chinese-are therefore not necessarily represented by the figures here set forth.

The work of a laundry is ordinarily not seasonal, unless an establishment specializes in work that is itself seasonal or depends for patronage on a locality whose residents go away in large numbers for the