Full text of Annual Report of the Director of the Women's Bureau : 1931

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
W. N.DOAFC.SweUry
WOMEN'S
BUREAU
MARY ANDERSON. Director

THIRTEENTH

ANNUAL

REPORT

OF

THE

DIRECTOR OF THE
WOMEN'S BUREAU
FISCAL YEAR
ENDED JUNE 30

1931

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON: 1931
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. Washington. D. C.




Price 5 cenU




CONTENTS
Introduction
Special studies
Wage-earning women and the i n d u s t r i a l conditions of 1930
Women i n the cigar and cigarette industries
F l u c t u a t i o n of employment In the radio i n d u s t r y
The employment of women i n slaughtering a n d meat packing
A survey of laundries and t h e i r women workers i n 23 cities
The employment of women i n the pineapple canneries of H a w a i i
Other studies
The i n d u s t r i a l experience of women workers at the summer schools,
1928 to 1930
Household employment i n Philadelphia
A c t i v i t i e s of the Women's B u r e a u of the U n i t e d States
Oregon legislation f o r women i n industry
Studies i n progress
Work of the research division
I n d u s t r i a l accidents
Wages of women i n 13 States
W o r k i n g conditions handbooks
S a n i t a r y d r i n k i n g facilities, w i t h special reference t o d r i n k i n g
fountains
T h e i n s t a l l a t i o n and maintenance of toilet f a c i l i t i e s i n places of
Women's place i n i n d u s t r y i n 10 Southern States
Outline f o r group study of women i n i n d u s t r y
News L e t t e r
Special memoranda prepared and inquiries answered
Specific problems related to the health of employed women
Labor legislation f o r women i n 1030-31
Division o f public i n f o r m a t i o n
:
Exhibits
Motion pictures
Conferences
Publications
Standards f o r the employment of women
Oomment and recommendations




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THIRTEENTH ANNUAL

REPORT

OF THE

DIRECTOR OF THE WOMEN'S BUREAU
U N I T E D STATES D E P A R T M E N T OF L A B O R ,
WOMEN'S BUREAU,

Washington^ July 15^ 1931,
H o n . W . N . DOAK,

Secretary of Labor.
SIR : The thirteenth annual report of the Women's Bureau, for the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1931, is submitted herewith.
INTEODUCTION
I n compliance with its authority under act of Congress to investigate and report upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of women
in industry, the Women's Bureau has continued its policy of securing,
by scientific methods, information on the wages, hours, and conditions
of employment of America's working women and making i t available
to the public in nontechnical form.
. A t the moment, i t is not too much to say that the bureau's chief
interest, like that of other economic organizations, is the depression
and its effects, and within the past 12 months several reports of
unusual significance bearing directly on the disturbed condition of
industry and employment have been completed. Chief among these
are two that anticipated somewhat the depressed period: (1) A
study of women in the cigar and cigarette industries, from a field
survey in 1929-30, made because of the effects on their employment
of the introduction of machines; and (2) a study of fluctuation of
employment in the radio industry, made as soon as 1929 employment
records were available, because of the constant complaint of such
condition by women interviewed in another connection; while a t h i r d
was a house-to-house canvass in the industrial wards of South Bend
and Mishawaka, Ind., made in August and September of 1930, to
secure the recent industrial histories of wage-earning women as a
background for specialized surveys to show the effects of industrial
changes. Each of these reports constitutes a definite contribution to
the material being sought by economists, legislators, employers, social
workers, and prognosticators.
SPECIAI STUDIES
Wage-earning women and the industrial conditions of 1930. ( I n preparation for printing.)
As a background for the specialized surveys that should comprise
the bureau's study of the effects on women of new methods of work,
a survey was made i n August and September, 1930, of the industrial




1

274 REPORT OF T H E DIREOTOR OP T H E W O M E N ' s

BUREAU

th Bend, Ind., and the adjoining town of Mishawaka,
city of South
comprising practically one communitj^. This locality was selected
with the advice of a consulting committee composed of Miss Mary
van Kleeck, director of industrial studies, Russell Sage Foundation,
Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth, consulting engineer, and Mr. Lawrence W.
Wallace, engineer, a member of the committee on technological
employment of the United States Employment Service.
When the field work began, business was far below normal, and
the survey designed to secure the women's industrial histories resolved
itself into a study of unemployment and part-time employment.
A l l told, 3,245 women reported on their employment status earlier
in the year, that is, the preceding 12 months, and at time of survey.
The study was concerned primarily with individual women, but
included in the schedule were questions having to do with the
family—sex and age distribution and employment status. The
number of families of two or more members that reported was 2,576,
comprising 11,316 persons.
I t had been customary i n these families for large proportions of
the members to be gainfully occupied. Taking the families of 2 to 6
persons, which constituted 78.4 per cent of all. the total membership
of these families, adults and children, was 7,849, and 4,740 of these
persons (60.4 per cent) ordinarily were wage earners and had been
employed at some time within the past 12 months.
A t an earlier time within the 12 months, only 219 families had
been dependent upon 1 wage earner each, but at the time of interview
there were 765 in which only 1 person was working. For all but
five of the latter, the relationship of the sole wage earner was
learned; in 371 cases i t was the husband or father, in 228 cases it
was the wife or mother, in 120 cases i t was a daughter, i n 20 cases
i t was a sister or other woman, and in 21 cases it was a son or other
man.
I n 134 families i n which the husband was not employed, the wife
was the sole wage earner. I n one case the wife of a man laid oS
applied at the same place and was given his job at half his hourly
rate. (This policy was confirmed later by the company.)
I n about 100 cases a woman was the only person working in a
family of five or more members. I n 108 families there was no one
working, even part time, and in 1,214 families, although there was
some one at work, no one had a steady job.
About one-third of the women had escaped lay-offs, but the other
two-thirds lost an average of six and one-half. weeks per woman.
The lowest average was for women in the wearing-apparel group
(four weeks); more than 250 women in the plants making auto^^ inobiles and parts had been totally unemployed for an average of
'f nine weeks. Saleswomen, clerks, or restaurant and laundry workers
averaged two months or more of idleness.
Of all women reporting, about 18 per cent had been idle from two
<to six months, and 83 women had worked less than half the year.
Seven hundred women had been reduced only i n number of days
worked per week; but both hours per day and days per week had been
curtailed for more than 1,100 women.
Some 1,700 women reported reduced earnings. More than 60 per
cent of 1,195 women i n manufacturing industries had had a 20 and



EEPOET OF T H E DIRECTOB OF T H E W O M E N ' s B U R E A U

3

under 60 per cent decrease in earnings. These decreases had been
brought about principally by the reduced hours already referred to,
but reduced rates or reductions in both hours and rates had been only
too frequent. '
Comments from the schedules run like this:
Rate cut f r o m 40 qents to 28 cents a n hour.
Wage rates c u t f r o m 3 cents to 2 cents a dozen.
Wages $20 a week when w o r k was good. When i t got slack they c u t rates
from 45 cents t o 30 cents an hour. Earnings now about $5 t o
a week.
Rate cut 50 cents t o 40 cents a thousand. F o r m e r l y on f u l l time, earned $15
to $16. T h e n on p a r t time, reduced to $10 to $12; and now, since r a t e cut, t o $8.
I n Norember was m a k i n g around $20 a week. Sometimes as l o w as $5 t o $6
a week now.

And there are scores of similar comments i n other schedules.
Many clerks, saleswomen, and domestic and personal-service workers
had had cuts in the rate per hour, per day, or per week.
Schedules from employers malang wearing apparel provided wage
and hour data for 2,315 women on the pay rolls in a week of September, 1929, and for 2,036 on the pay rolls in a week of September,
1930. I n 1929 the median of the earnings—^half the women being
above this point and half below—was $18.21; in 1930 the median
was $13.25. I n 1929 the median of the hours of work was 45.7;
in 1930 the median was 39.2. Only 9.8 per cent of the women were
paid less than $10 during the selected week in September, 1929, but
in 1930 almost one-fourth of them (23.4 per cent) received less
than $10.
Wage and hour data were reported for 111 women employed in
certain laundries i n September, 1929, and for 91 in 1930. The median
of the week's earnings showed less of a decline than did that for the
clothing industry, being $13.04 in 1929 and $11.59 in 1930. I n 1929
only 11.7 per cent of the women were paid less than $10; in 1930,
31.9 per cent received less than $10. Median hours had declined
from 45.2 to 39.7.
Wearing-apparel industries predominate, but adding to those the
320 women in plants making automobiles and parts and the 111 i n
laundries gives a total of 2,746 women whose earnings and hours
worked for a week i n September, 1929, were secured. The median
earnings were $17.80. I n September, 1930, 2,483 women were reported, and these had a median of $13.35. The median of the hours
had fallen from 45.1 to 39.2. I n 1929 only 9.9 per cent of the women
were paid less than $10 for the week, while in 1930 the earnings of
about 24 per cent were.below that figure.
Women's comments on seasonality are illustrated by the following:
F o r short periods w e speeded a l l day, evenings, a n d Sunday to keep u p w i t h
orders, a n d then there w o u l d be w h a t seemed l i k e i n t e r m i n a b l e days w i t h no
work.

The questionnaire called for information-on the women's industrial
experience during the past five years. The work histories were
limited to this brief period because this would be ample material for
a general occupational background in a study of recent trends in
industry. Special emphasis was placed on the 12 months immediately
preceding the interview, stressing changes in operations, variations
in wages and hours, lay-offs, both permanent and temporary, and parttime employment. For 1,444 women reporting on number of sep


4

EEPOET OF T H E DIRECTOE OF T H E W O M E N ' S BUEEATJ

arations, such separations had been more frequent i n the past 12
months than in all the 4 years preceding.
^
^
Nearly four-fifths of the women had worked in only one industry
during the past 5 years; about one-third (1,051) had been employed
4 to 5 years in only one line of work; almost two-thirds had had only
one job during the 5 years; and 70 per cent of those who had begun
work at least 5 years before had.never changed their.jobs.
Home buying was the custom in some parts of South Bend. Realestate developments had made i t alluring. Families i n the clutch
of installment payments were terrified lest they lose their , homes and
all they had put into them.
Of 1,145- families supplying data on home ownership, 22 per cent
owned their homes, 34 per cent were buying, 31 per cent were renting,
and the remainder lived in lodgings. Thirty per cent of the families
that owned their homes usually had three or more wage earners. Of
those buying, less than 20 per cent had that many.
One schedule reads:
Husband was l a i d off i n M a r c h a f t e r 17 years w i t h one firm. H a s h a d no
steady w o r k since. E i g h t i n f a m i l y . T w o other f a m i l i e s now share t h i s house
so as to cut down the rent f o r all.

Fifty-three of the unemployed married women had had to take
their families and go to live with relatives, and 12 widows had
become dependent on their children. The comment of one young
woman was: " We've all moved home and are living off the old folks."
About 44 per cent of the women were married, and practically 10
per cent were widowed, separated, or divorced. T h i r t y per cent of
the married women, in contrast to 17 per cent of the widows and 14
per cent of the single women, were unemployed at time of interview.
Some firms had made i t a policy to release married women first, then
single men and women, and men with families last.
I t seemed to be the opinion of residents of the community that
employment was only slightly below par before the spring of 1930.
I n answer to the inquiry as to steadiness of employment i n the first
half and in the second half of the 12-month period, about 57 per cent
of the women had worked the whole of the first six months but only
32 per cent had worked the whole of the second. Heaviest reductions
had taken place in the summer of 1930, largely in the clothing industry. The automobile cut began i n 1929 and the data show
improvement.
Of 481 women out of work for industrial reasons who replied to
the question "Are you looking for w o r k ? " about three-fourths said
"yes," and practically one-sixth said " I t is no use; there is no work
i n town."
Women in the cigar and cigarette industiies.
Cigars.—As a part of the bureau's general survey of new methods
of work and their effects on women workers, a study was made in
1929 and 1930 of women in the cigar and cigarette industries.
D u r i n g the past decade the change from hand to machine work in
cigar manufacturing has been marked. The introduction of the
automatic cigar-making machine, which turned out on an average
3,000 cigars a day, was slow at first; but as cheaper labor could be
used i n operating the machine, its universal use became only a matter



EEPOET OF ^ H E DIRECTOB OF T H E W O M E K 'S BUEEAXX

5

of time. As the number of machines increases, the number of
workers employed in cigar making is materially reduced, and men
are replaced by women to a great extent. W i t h i n the next few years
thiB greater bulk of cigars probably w i l l be a machine-made product.
Use of the machine has closed down many small plants scattered
over the country, and concentration of production is now carried on
in large plants, mpdernly equipped and run with up-to-date economies. This is illustrated i n the present study. Although the hand
plants were very much in the majority, the size of flie machine
plants was greater. I n 16 of the 17 plants in which machine work
was carried on, there were 300 or more employees; while in only 9 of
the 76 plants in which all or most of the work still was done by hand
were as many as 300 employed. I n 6 of the 17 machine plants there
were 500 but less than 1,000 workers, and i n 4 there were 1,000 or
more. I n 15 of these 17 plants, women iormed from 75 to 95 per cent
of the employees.
Furthermore, machines are available that automatically sort cigars
into the various shades of color, and other machines wrap cigars in
tin foil.
Ninety-six plants in 11 States were included i n the cigar study.
These supplied pay-roll data for 22,579 women. Of 14,097 white
women in the cigar-making departments (only one negro was there
employed), almost two-fifths (38.6 per cent) made the product by
machine.
Cards calling for age, marital status, and other personal information were filled in by 11,666 women, more than half of those reported
on the pay rolls, and by 2,516 for whom no pay-roll data were
secured. Year's earnings were obtained for 514 women who had
worked for at least 44 weeks of the year immediately preceding the
copying of the records.
_
I n addition to the obtaining of information through visits to the
factories, home visits were made to 1,150 women who had been employed in cigar plants and had been deprived of their jobs. From
these home visits, much valuable information regarding the women's
work histories, number of jobs held, periods of unemployment,
reasons for leaving jobs, and changes in the industry has been made
available. Some of these women at the time of interview had been
reemployed in the cigar industry, some were engaged i n other work,
and others still were unemployed.
Of the women reporting on personal cards i n the factories, 13,846
gave information as to their age. More than one-half (52 per cent)
of these women were less than 25 years of age, one-third were 25 and
under 40, and only one-seventh were as much as 40. Of the group
under 25, well over one-half were under 20 and one i n four were
under 18.
A somewhat smaller group (12,543) reported as to nativity and
color. Three-fourths were native born. Of the native bom less than
one-tenth were negro.
Almost all the women giving personal information reported as to
marital status. Exactly one-half were single and practically twofifths were married J only about 11 per cent were widowed, separated,
or divorced.- ^ •
^
' Of those who reported the time they had worked i n the trade, about
one-fourth had been employed less than 2 years, about the same pro


6

BEPOET

OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M E N ' S BTJREAtT

portion 2 but less than 5 years, a slightly smaller proportion 5 but
less than 10 years, and nearly three-tenths had been employed for 10
years or more.
For practically all the women, the method of payment was reported. Almost one-eighth of the white women were paid on time
rate, almost seven-eighths on piece rate, and the remainder on both
time and piece. About one-fourth of the negro women were paid
on time rate and nearly all the remainder on piece rate.
For the 20,824 white women for whom pay-roll information was
available, the median of the week's earnings—half receiving more
and half less—was $16.30. The range of medians was,from $11.40
for those in the shipping department, through stripping, leaf, and
packing, to $17.90 i n the cigar-making department, where more than
two-thirds of the white women were employed. For the women
making cigars by hand, the median was $16.65; for those operating
machine's, $19.90. The median earnings for the whole group of
negro women (1,755) were $10.10. They varied little for those in the
leaf and stripping departments, i n which all but 15 of the negro
women were employed.
Although the median shows much regarding the standards of wage
payments made to women, the specific amounts received are more enlightening. Slightly over one-sixth of the white women received
less than $10 for the week, almost one-fourth $10 but less than $15,
three-tenths $15 but less than $20, and the remainder $20 or over.
Among the negroes, almost one-half earned less than $10, somewhat
fewer earned $10 but less than $15, and the remainder $15 or over.
For practically seven-eighths of the white women with time worked
reported, records were by the day. Of these, nearly five-sixths had
worked on five days or more. For the whole group^^of such workers
the median of the week's earnings was $17.15 and for those who
worked on five and one-half days i t was $20.10.
Of 2,211 white women with time worked reported in hours, threefifths had worked for 48 hours or more. The median earnings for
the group as a whole were $14.40, and for those who worked 48 but
less than 54 hours they were $16.70.
For over five-sixths of the negroes with time worked reported the
records were in days. The median of the week's earnings for the
whole group was $9.95, and for those who worked five and one-half
days i t was $10.85.
Of the negro women whose records were i n hours, more than fourfifths had worked 48 hours or more. The median earnings for the
whole group were $12.70, and for those who worked 54 but less than
60 hours they were $13.40.
For the white women who worked f u l l time—^that is, on five days
or for 40 hours or more—^the median earnings were $17.95. For tne
negro women working f u l l time, the median earnings were $10.70.
Week's earnings and age were available for 11,394 women, 10,687
white and 707 negro. The median of the earnings of this group of
white women was $17.55. As age increased, the median earnings
increased from $8.55 for those less than 16 years of age—found
largely in one plant and engaged i n learning one proces&^o $19.05
for those 20 but less than 25. From that on the median shows a




REPORT OP T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M E N ' S BTJEEAU

7

decrease. For the group of negro women the median was $10.55,
the highest being $11.10 for those who were 20 but less than 25.
A close relation was noted between week's earnings ,and the time
that the women had worked in the trade. For the most part, as
experience increased, earnings progressed also. About one-fourth
of those who earned less than $5 per week had been less than six
months in the trade, but less than 3 per cent of those who earned as
much as $20 a week nad been employed so short a time.
Pay-roll records for one year were secured for 514 women who
had worked at least 44 weeks of the year immediately preceding the
interview. Of these, about one-sixth earned less than $600, almost
three-tenths $600 but less than $800, more than one-third $800 and
under $1,000, and about one-fifth $1,000 or over. Those in the
stripping department had the lowest year's earnings, and those i n
the making department the highest.
To determine whether the women who had lost their jobs in cigar
factories were reemployed there or were being absorbed into other
industries, and to secure other pertinent information regarding the
women workers, visits were made to the homes of 1,150 women who
had been deprived of their jobs in cigar factories i n 1925 or since that
date. A n analysis of the data shows the effects on the women of
the abandonment of factories, through transfer of plants to other
localities, or through the merging of plants, and also the changes
within still existing factories due to the introduction of machines.
Most of the displaced women-were experienced cigar workers
and a large part of them were well past their youth. Of the 1,085
reporting on the time employed in the industry, one-half had been
so employed for 10 years or longer, almost one-fifth for 20 years or
more. Three-fifths of the women reporting were 30 years of age
or older; almost one-third were 40 or more. Since they had been
deprived of their jobs, 1 in 8 of the 1,150 women replying to the question concerning their employment status said they had had no work.
Almost seven-eighths of those who had subsequent jobs had lost
some time due to other industrial reasons.
The readjustment had caused about three-tenths (29.4 per cent)
of those reporting amount of time lost due to industrial reasons
to lose 50 per cent or more of the time since their first lay-off. Even
in cities in which some opportunities for work in cigar factories still
existed, over one-fourth of the women who found subsequent employment had lost 50 per cent or more of their time.
Of those who had some other employment, more than one-third
had never been able to return to the trade i n which they were experienced. Even those who were able to return to their trade could
not always find work in the particular occupation i n which they
were experienced. However, more than one-half (52.7 per cent) of
the jobs taken by the displaced women had been i n cigar malnng,
nearly three-tenths had been in some other branch of manufacturing,
and, with the exception of a few scattered miscellaneous occupations^
business ownerships, and home work, all the remaining jobs were i n
stores, laundries,^ hotels and restaurants, or other domestic and
personal service.
A comparison of wages before and after such change shows a drop
for the women who remained i n the cigar industry and a much



8

REPOET OF T H E DIRBOTOK OF T H E W O M E N ' S

BUBEAtJ

greater decline for those forced to accept work in which they were
not experienced.
Cigarettes.—^In the cigarette as well as i n the cigar industry there
have been many changes in the processes of manufacture due to the
introduction of machines. These machines have made possible the
.production of,
quantity, of .cigarette'^
proportionate increase i n the working force. During the past 30 years
the output of cigarettes has increased almost 40 times.
This survey of women working i n cigarettes covered 12 factories,
i n 5 cities, i n the 3 States of Kentucliy, North Carolina, and Virginia. Pay-roll data were obtained for 5,798 women, 3,668 white
and 2,130 negro. Cards giving personal information were filled in
bv 2,012 of these, and by 385 others for whom no pay-roll data were
obtained.
Of the 2,397 women reporting personal information, all but 19
reported on their nativity. A l l but 5 of these women were native
born, and one-eighth of the native born reporting color were
negroes.
More than two-fifths of those who reported as to marital status
were single, almost as many were married, and the remainder were
widowed, separated, or divorced.
Of those reporting, almost one-half were under 25 years. The
age distribution was similar to that of the women working i n cigars.
More than one-fifth of those who reported the time they had
worked in the trade had been employed less than 2 years, about
one-fourth for 2 but less than 5 years, and slightly more than onehalf for 5 years or more. More than 10 per cent had worked i n the
trade for 15 years or more.
Very different proportions of the 3,668 white and 2,130 negro
women for whom pay-roll data were obtained were employed in the
specified departments. I n the leaf department were found about
one-sixteenti of the white women, as compared with 96.9 per cent
of the negro women. Almost one-fourth of the white women were
in the making department, while less than one-third of 1 per cent
of the negroes were so employed. Nearly tw<J-thirds of the white
women worked i n the packing department, where only about 1 per
cent of the negro women were employed.
More than one-half of the white women were timeworkers and
about two-fifths were pieceworkers. The median of the week's earnings of the white women who were paid on a time basis was $15.60;
of those on piecework, $18.65. I n the leaf department, the median
earnings were higher for those who were paid a time rate, and
lower for those on a piece basis, than for the whole group. I n the
making and packing departments, the pieceworkers received the higher earnings. W i t h less than two-fifths of the negro women on timework and nearly three-fifths on piecework, the timeworkers obtained
higher median earnings for the group as a whole, and those who
were paid at piece rates had considerably lower median earnings^
For the 3,668 white women, the median of the week's earnings was
$17.05, the range being from less than $1 to $37. Less than onetenth had earnings below $10, nearly three-fourths received $10 and
under $20, and the remainder $20 or over. The lowest median was
for those'in the leaf department, $11.35, and the highest for those



9

REPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OP T H E W O M E N ' S B U R E A X J

in the packing department, $17.75. The median earnings of the
2,130 negro women were $8, the figure for those in the leaf department, in which most of them were employed.
Of the white women reported, about two-fifths had time worked
recorded by the day; for more than one-half it was by the" hour.
Among the negro women the proportions were very similar.
The median of the week's earnings of the white women with records in hours was $15.65; for those with days worked reported,
$18.70. For the negro women with records by the hour, the median
earnings were $8.55; and for those by the day, they were $8.45. For
both white and negro women with records by the day, the maximum
was received by those working on 5% days.
The median earnings for the 1,819 white women for whom age
also was reported were $17.85. The term median, as explained
previously, means that one-half earned more and one-half earned
less than the amount specified. The lowest median was $14.35, f o r
the girls 16 and under 18 years of age, and the highest was $18.50,.
for those 25 and under 40. From that on, as the age increased^
the median earnings decreased. For the white women in the making
department the median earnings were $16.10, and for those in the
packing department, where the largest proportion were employed,
t h ^ were $18.95.
Of the women who had been deprived of their jobs in the cigarette
industry a smaller proportion—about, two-fifths—than of those in
cigars had been employed in the industry for 10 years or more.
A larger proportion of younger women in cigarettes than in cigars
had been separated from their jobs, for only something over twofifths of those reporting in cigarettes, as compared with three-fifths
of those in cigars, were 30 years of age or over; only one-sixth were
40 years or more. Of the women who reported, as to their employment status since losing their jobs in the cigarette industry, more
than one-fifth had not been reemployed in any line of work since
that time and only about 4 per cent had been employed all the time;
almost three-fourths of those who had found work had been employed
only part of the time. Of those who reported the time lost due to
industrial reasons, more than two-fifths had lost 50 per cent or more
of the time that had elapsed since they lost their jobs.
As compared with the women who had lost their jobs in cigars, a
much smaller proportion of the women who had been employed in
cigarettes found subsequent employment in the same industry. Only
about 8 per cent had worked exclusively in cigarettes, and another
small proportion had worked i n the cigarette and other industries
as well.
The women who had been deprived of their jobs in cigarettes had
experienced the same reduction i n wage on subsequent jobs as those
who had been displaced in cigars. The median earnings for the last
cigarette job for 170 women who had lost their jobs i n the cigarette
industry were $21.05, while for 96 of these who reported their fii'st
work and earning i n some other industry the median was $14.10.
Those 30 years of age, or more had sulfered a greater loss than, had
the younger women.
Pluctuation of employment in the radio industry.
The attention of the Women's Bureau was first directed to the employment situation in the radio industry in the latter part of 1929




10

REPORT OF T H E DIREOTOR OP T H E

WOMEN's

BUREAU

by statements of young women who were or had been employed in
plants making radio receiving sets and tubes. Attracted by promising newspaper advertisements, these women had found various kinds
of work in radio factories, where employment had been, on the whole,
satisfactory while trade was good, and they could work a f u l l week
but later, when they lost their jobs, or had work for only a smal.
part of the week, they realized how precarious is employment in the
radio industry.
To get a picture of employment in the industry as a whole, plants
engaged in the manufacture of receiving sets, tubes, other parts, and'
accessories were visited i n Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. As
radio manufacturing is concentrated largely around the cities of New
York and Chicago, much of the valuable information acquired was
furnished by plants in these districts. Altogether, employment data
were obtained!^ from 26 firms making receiving sets, from 15 making
tubes, and from 10 making parts or accessories. Authorities of the
United States Department of Commerce and of the Badio Manuiacturers Association agree that figures presented i n this report cover
£rms that produced 80 to 90 per cent of the sets and at least 90 per
cent of the tubes made in 1929.
W i t h permission of the employers, whatever records the individual
firms already had in the way of labor audits were copied, but in
several instances original compilations had to be made of employment^ records or weekly pay-roll books so as to obtain the primary
data. Personnel manager^ pay-roll clerks, and auditors were helpful, occasionally doing the routine counting of names on the pay roll
or otherwise preparing the information desired. Without such assistance the study could not have been made.
I n the majority of radio plants i t was possible to get figures for at
least 2 years, and in some cases the records went back for 5, 6, and
even 8 years.
The greatest difficulty was caused by the lack of uniformity in the
available records. There were daily sheets of employment, weekly,
semimonthly, and monthly records, and some were based on average
employment while others were for one definite date.
I n this study the three main branches of the radio-manufacturing
industry, sets, tubes, and parts and accessories, are treated separately. W i t h few exceptions, a tatle and chart for each firm showing
the numbers of 'men and women employed from month to moiith appear i n the appendix. The number of years covered varies from firm
to firm, depending on the data that were available in the offices and
occasionally upon the number of years the firm had been i n operation.
. I n all cases the peak months were August, September, and October,
1929. I n September as many as 55,000 persons were working in 24
factories, making receiving sets, and the number was practically as
great in October, but by December about 32,000 were no longer employed. I n the plants whose figures are reported by sex, the per
cent of decline was 57.5 for total employees, 53.1 for men, and 63.5
f o r women.
A l l told, in 1929 more than 42,000 men and women employed duri n g the peaks i n 38 receiving-set and tube factories were off the payroll lists at the ensuing dates of minimum employment.



REPOHT OF T H E DIREOTOE OF T H E W O M E N ' S BTJEEAXJ

11

The difference was proportionately greater in the radio-set than in
the radio-tube factories, and the total number of women affected was
much larger than the number of men.
There is monotony in the regular rise and fall, occurring year after
year, in the emj)loyment curve of each individual firm, emphasizing
the extent to which radio labor is subject to seasonal lay-offs, a condition that has prevailed since the beginning of the industry and that
shows no signs of improvement. Radio, like automobiles, is often
referred to as being one of the newer industries that are absorbing
labor laid off by the slack in other lines. But i f such industries, i n
turn, are to make very irregular and intermittent demands for employees, the result w i l l be a greatly enlarged supply of shifting labor,
moving about as one industry after another offers them a few weeks'
work.
That such extreme fluctuation is not unavoidable is shown by the
employment figures of a firm where the manufacture of radio sets is
combined with that of another article, to which the workers are
transferred when radio work is slack. The steadying effect on employment is striking, no plant approaching this one in regularity.
I n 1929, the per cent that the minimum employment formed of the
maximum was 70.4 for men in this plant and 68 6 for women; i n the
same year the best figure in any plant making only radio products
was 58.3 per cent for men and 42.8 per cent for women.
The employment of-women in slaughtering and meat packing. ( I n
press.)
A significant study completed during the year deals with the employment of women in an important woman-employing industry—
that of slaughtering and meat packing. The request for this study
came from a volunteer committee of the National Conference of
Social Work, and was incident to the fact that in an industry subject
to such great irregularity i n the receipt of raw materials, considerable
fluctuation in employment and frequent changes in daily and weekly
hours take place and seem almost unavoidable in some departments,
though manaj^ements have exerted much effort toward the regularization of conditions. Because of these facts, members of the social
agencies that desired the survey had found themselves continually
meeting economic distress in their communities. How generally
such problems obtained, the extent of the fluctuations affecting employment and earnings of women, and the family situation and
family responsibilities, economic and personal, of these women had
not been ascertained previously.
The report describes occupations and working conditions; presents
tabular material showing lay-offs and other separations, and fluctuations in employment, hours, and earnings w i t h i n the period of a year;
correlates earnings with hours and other personal factors; and' analyzes data on family responsibilities, economic status of the families
of women employed in tliis industry, and the task-and-bonus system
in operation in a number of plants. ;
Data were collected in 34 plants in 13 cities in 9 States. A week's
record was copied from the companies' pay rolls for 5,101 women.
This included in each case some or all of the following: Hours
actually worked, any time on vacation, rate of pay; and actual earn


12

REPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O K E K ^ S B U R E A U

regular, bonus, and guaranteed. The year's earnings of a
selected group of 2,003 women who had worked from 44 to 52 weeks
were taken from the pay rolls.
The employment records of the firms were consulted to ascertain
the personal history of the women then employed—their nativity,
time in the United States i f foreign born, race, age, and marital
status. These data covered 6,133 women. ,
To obtain a more complete picture of the workers' general economic
status, family responsibilities, and industrial history, including past
jobs, periods of unemployment, and irregularity of work, visits were
made to the homes of 897 of the women for whom information had
been secured in the plants, for the most part i n Chicago, East St.
Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, and St. Joseph. Opportunity was
afforded for comments on the present job and reasons for working.
Data taken for 1,904 women in three localities—Sioux City, St.
Paul, and Ottumwa—represented every woman on the pay roll within
the year, whether for 1 week or 62, and included her earnings and
hours worked in every week employed and the record of her lay-offs
and other breaks in employment.
Of the 5,873 women with nativity and race reported from the employment records, more than one-half were native white, about onethird foreign born, and about one-eighth colored (including a very
few Indians). Of the foreign torn with country of birth reported,
60 per cent were of Slavic origin—from Czechoslovakia, Lithuania,
Poland, Russia^ TJkrainia, and Yugoslavia.*
Of 5,785 whose ages were ascertained, more than two-fifths were
20 and under 30. Of 5,789 whose marital status was obtained, more
than one-half were married and' over one-tenth were widowed,
separated, or divorced.
Testimony to the fact that women are not mere transient workers
is shown in reports on industrial experience made by 760 women
visited in their homes. Of these, more than one-half had worked in
meat packing 5 years or longer, nearly one-fifth having a record of
10 years or more.
' . i :.
The median, of actual week's earnings taken from the pay rolls for
5,093 women was $16.85—one-half receiving more , and one-half less
than this amount. The range was from less than $5 to $40 or more,
neither extreme being representative. ^ Practically one in three of
the women (32.5 per cent) were paid less than $15, one-tenth of all
(10.3 per cent) receiving less than $12.^ The median for native
white women was $16, f o r foreign born $18.75. for colored $16.55, a
variation due largely to differences in occupation: Of 4,959 women
whose average o f actual hourly earnings was reported, nearly onethird averaged 30 and under 35 cents, one-fourth 35 and under 40
cents, and about one-fifth 40 and under 45 cents. "
Some form of bonus payment was found to be very largely i n use,
although one large firm and most of the smaller firms had only the
usual time work and piecework systems. Of 5,101 women reported,
nearly three-fourths were employed i n firms having the task-andbonus system in some departments, and of these over three-fourths
had received a bonus in the current week. There was found a lack
on the part of the workers of a general understanding of the bonus
system in use, and this sometimes engendered distrust of its adminis


K E P O R T OF T H E DIEEOTOB OF T H E WOMEN-'S B U R E A U

13

trators; in addition, there ^as considerable evidence to the effect that
the system had proved as unsatisfactory as piecework in producing
the strain due to excessive speed.
I n practice, the 40-hour guaranty, instituted some years ago in an
attempt to minimize the irregularities incident to the industry,
applies rather infrequently to women, since most of the departments
in which its payment is most necessary usually employ men, and the?
existence of the guaranty introduces an incentive toward more careful planning, more frequent shifting of workers from a slack to a
busy department. I n the current week for which earnings were
taken, which was not at the peak season of the year, over threefourths of the women reported had worked more than 40 hours.
The median of the year's earnings of 2,003 women whose names
had appeared on the pay rolls i n at least 44 weeks of the year studied
was $899. Of these, 1,573 had worked 50 weeks or longer, with a
median of $919. Of 1,817 women i n 24 plants whose policy was to
grant vacation with pay after specified terms of service, about onethird had received such vacations, in the great majority of cases of
a week's duration.
Data were secured on the fluctuations in employment, hours, and
earnings of 1,904 women in Sioux City, St. Paul, and Ottumwa—all
those whose names had been on the pay rolls at any time within the
year of study. The same type of data were secured for 739 women i n
East St. Louis and Omaha^ The numbers employed i n the minimum
week in the four largest of these cities ranged from 54.5 per cent to
72.1 per cent of those employed at the maximum. I n Sioux City and
St. Paul the minimum numbers of hours worked per woman in any
week were re^ectively 65.3 and 78.4 per cent of those i n the maximum week. Correspondingly, earnings per woman in the minimum
week in these two cities were respectively 66.2 and 77.9 per cent of
earnings in the maximum week.
Both in Sioux City and in St. Paul, over 80 per cent of the women
reported had had some breaks in employment in the year, and 29.8
and 36.1 per cent of the women, respectively, had been off the pay
rolls for 27 weeks or more. I n Sioux City more than half, and in
St, Paul almost half, of the breaks in employment with cause
reported were due to the women being laid off. About 40 per cent of
the women in Sioux City and about 31 per cent of those in St. Paul
had been laid off at some time, and in each city somewhat over onetenth of the lay-offs were followed by an absence of 36 weeks or
longer.
Almost all the plants visited provided cool drinking water. The
common cup was used very rarely, but only three of the plants
visited had installed bubblers of a sanitary type throughout the
entire establishment.
I n all food industries, and particularly in certain departments i n
meat packing, frequent washing of the hands is important. AM the
plants visited had both hot and cold water, although i n some cases
the type of equipment was crude; the sausage, smoked-meat, slicedbacon, and canning departments usually had washing facilities in
the workrooms as well as in the wash or toilet rooms. A l l establishments provided soap i n some or aU of the workrooms, and threefourths of them made some provision of individual towels. I n certain cases only common towels were provided.
75758—31
3



14

BEPOET OF T H E DIRECTOR OP T H E W O M E N ' s

BURBAtT

Some sliced-bacon departments had rigid requirements i n regard
to uniforms. Some plants did laundering for some or all departments, or offered a rough-dry service; but there were cases where
the service was so poor that few cared to use it. I n a few instances
girls complained of the cost of uniforms; in some establishments
dresses, aprons, rubbers, heavy shoes, and caps were sold to workers
at cost or less..
Of the 28 plants for which toilet facilities were reported, 21 had
a satisfactory ratio of toilet seats—that is, one to every 15 women
employed; however, some of these were unsatisfactory because their
location was inconvenient to large numbers of women.
A l l the plants reported had cloak-room facilities for their employees, though in all but four the dressing room was combined
with another service facility, usually lunch room and lavatory, sometimes entailing uncomfortable crowding. Only four had separate
rest rooms; eight had no rest facilities whatsoever.
A l l plants provided some lunch-room facilities, and in all but a
few i t was possible to obtain at least a hot drink. I n about threefourths of the establishments cafeterias furnished a variety of foods
at low prices.
The first-aid and medical services i n the plants ordinarily were
superior to those commonly found in industr^r. The meat-packing
industry shows a high incidence of minor accidents, due chiefly to
knife cuts or punctures; falls, too, are likely to occur, owing to the
slippery floors. I n addition, there are the strains of constant standing and of work at high tension. The continual immersion of
hands in water, excessive dampness and humidity in some rooms,
and frequent poor ventilation constitute health hazards that are
hard to measure because their effects are cumulative.
A survey of laundries and their women workers in 23 cities.
Among the bulletins that have come from the press in the past 12
months is the study of power-laundry work, made with the cooperation of the Laundryowners National Association. Practically
20,000 women were at work in the 290 laundries surveyed.
More than four-fifths of the women whose nativity was reported
were native born; negroes constituted one-fourth of all. Unlike
most manufacturing industries, a larger proportion of the women
were at least 40 years of age than were under 20. Women who were
or had been married constituted about two-thirds of the white and
seven-tenths of the negro women.
Less than 9 per cent of the women worked as much as 10 hours a
day and about three-tenths had hours of 8 or less. Not far from
one-half had weekly hours of 48 or less. This unusual condition was
•due largely to the inclusion of certain Western States.
For the white women reported as working f u l l time on the payroll records copied, the median of the week's earnings was $17.80;
for the negroes i t was $10.25.
Besides the usual inquiries, the inspection of working conditions
covered heat and humidity and the guarding of machines. Onethird of the plants had no artificial ventilation. I n the temperature readings, taken by means of a sling psychrometer, one-fourth
of the dry-bulb readings were 80® or more. Only 7 plants had flatwork ironers without guards, but 92 had unguarded extractors and
44 had unguarded presses.



15

EEPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E

WOMEN"'s

BUREAU

The employment of women in the pineapple canneries of Hawaii.
The employment status of women i n the pineapple canneries in
Hawaii was the subject of a survey by the Women's Bureau in 1928.
Seven canneries that together produced about six-sevenths of the
total pack of that year were visited. They employed over 9,000
workers, about one-half of whom were women.
The average workday during the busy season was 10 hours, with
all overtime—and 9 in every 10 women exceeded 60 hours in the week
of peak employment—paid at the rate of time and one-half. That
only two of the canneries surveyed had excessive overtime indicates
that extremely long hours are not an. inevitable accompaniment of
the canning industry.
Working conditions in the Hawaiian canneries were found generally to compare most favorably with those on the mainland. The
buildings were modern, airy, clean, and well equipped.
F i f t y per cent of the women were under 20 years of age, extra help
during the peak months being largely school pupils.
The median of the earnings for a busy week i n July in the
Honolulu plants was $9.90; the median of a month's earnings on the
island of Maui was $20.75. I n the absence of cost-of-living figures
it is not possible to pass on the adequacy or inadequacy of such
earnings.
OTHER STTJDIES
The industrial experience of women workers at the summer schools, 1928
to 1930. ( I n press.)
The bureau has collaborated with the Affiliated Summer Schools
for Women Workers in Industry—at B r y n Mawr, Barnard, Wisconsin, and the Southern School i n North Carolina—^in a study of the
work history and economic status of 609 students attending the
schools in 1928, 1929, or 1930. The program of the summer schools
requires a continuous analysis of the problems of women workers
in industry and the relation of those problems to their industrial
background.
A considerable number of these women were foreign-born garment
workers in New York City; another group were southern textile
workers. That they were a relatively mature and experienced group,
probably at the height of their earning power, appears from the fact
that their average age was 24.6 years and the average of their years
in industry was eight. Seven-eighths of them were in the manufac^
turing and mechanical industries, principally the clothing trades and
millinery. More than 39 per cent were union members.
For about 600 women who reported the weekly wage rates of their
latest jobs, the median—^half receiving more and half less—^was
$21.38; for the various vears i t was $21.67 in 1928, $23.15 in 1929,
and $20.15 in 1930. The proportions of the women who earned
under $16 in these three years were, respectively, 18.2 per cent, 20.8
per cent, and 26.2 per cent. The totals of a year's earnings, based
on wage rates and weeks worked, averaged $861 in 1928, $887 i n 1929,
and $793 in 1930. Part-time employment—^largely due to the garment trades—had been more general in 1930 than i n the earlier years
studied, the proportions of women who had experienced i t being
56.6 per cent in 1928, 58.7 per cent in 1929, and 71.5 per cent i n 1930.



16

KEPORT OF T H E DIREOTOB OF T H E W O M E K ' S

BUKEATJ

Small numbers of women had part-time weeks for practically the
entire year, but the average was 12.7 weeks in 1928, 13.9 in 1929, and
14.2 in 1930.
Almost 70 per cent of the women lived at home or with relatives.
Of 459 reporting on contributions to the family support, only 10.7
per cent were not giving such assistance; half the women were contributing 50 per cent or more of their earnings, 2 i n 5 of these turning
in all they received.
Household employment in Philadelphia. ( I n preparation for printing.)
The bureau has cooperated with the women's problems group of the
social order committee of the Society of Friends in a study of household employment in Piiiladelphia and environs. The employers'
questionnaire, covering in detail their requirements and how they
are met, the hours of work, wages paid, living conditions, and various
employment policies, with sex, age, nativity, and other information
concerning their employees, was returned by 954 householders, who
together employed 2,833 men and women, almost three-fourths of
whom were women. That the employees should average 2.97 per
employer indicates that a large number of households were far from
representative of American homes in general, though the range was
from a " family " of one person with five full-time employees and
two day workers to the family of seven persons having one day
worker.
More than two-thirds of the women employees were at least 30
years of age; just over one-half were single.
Three-fifths of the women lived at the place of employment, most
of them having rooms of their own and the use of a bath. Almost
one-half of those whose recreation quarters were reported upon had
no room but the kitchen in which to receive friends.
Over-all hours, from the beginning to the end of the day's work,
were long; nearly three-fifths of the women had an over-all of at
least 12 hours. Actual hours at work were tabulated for 630 cooks,
general houseworkers, waitresses, chambermaids, and nursemaids;
nearly three-fifths worked 10 hours or more, about 1 i n 12 working
at least 12 hours.
About three-fifths of the women were paid by the week, about
one-fourth were day workers, and the remainder were paid by the
month or the hour.
The largest group of women living in were paid from $14 to $20
a week.
The wage paid most generally to day workers—84.1 per cent receiving such amount—was $3 and under
Contrary to the generally accepted conclusion that household employees change jobs frequently, more than two-fifths of the 1,103
women for whom this was reported had been with their present
employers two years or more.
A study of noncommercial employment agencies made in conjunction with this survey showed that they had accomplished very little
in the standardizing of hours and living conditions, but some of them
had made an effort toward the standardization of wages.
The writer of the report has no hesitation i n saying that there is
far too little efficiency among household employers, and that the need
is clear for applying principles of scientific management to homemaking duties.




17

REPORT OF T H E DrRECTOR OF T H E W O M E N ' S B U R E A U

Activities of the Women's Bureau of the United States.
A bulletin describing in small compass the history, methods, and
accomplishments of the bureau is a reprint of an article prepared by
the assistant director for presentation to the Second Pan-Pacific
Women's Conference, in session in Honolulu in August of p30.
Amended slightly to make i t suitable for general use, and comprising
but 15 pages, this constitutes an informative handbook for wide
distribution.
Oregon legislation for women in industry. ( I n press.)
I n 1929 the bureau published, as part of its Bulletin 66, the history
of labor legislation for women in Massachusetts, New York, and
California. I n the present study the history of such legislation in
Oregon from its earliest days to the present year is made available.
A l l legislation affecting employed women is covered, special attention
being given to the origin, administration, and effects of minimumwage legislation in the State, the author of the present report having
been secretary to the original industrial welfare commission.
STUDIES I N PROGRESS
Work continues on the bureau's chief study of the past year, human
waste in industry. This many-sided survey pertains to new methods
of work and their effects on women workers. I t covers on the one
hand industrial changes that make for displacement and unemployment, and on the other hand conditions that make for physical deterioration, by fatigue, speeding, monotony, occupational accident or
disease, and other health hazards.
I n process of tabulation and of continued field survey is a study of
office employment in businesses having large numbers of clerical
workers.
The statistical findings in the study of the effects on women's health
of spray enameling in certain industries are being analyzed and put
into report form.
About 20,000 questionnaires sent out by the National Federation
of Business and Professional Women's Clubs and returned by members in 4:7 States and the District of Columbia are now in the bureau
for tabulation. The chief emphasis is to be placed on the status of
the woman of 40 years of age or more.
WORK OF THE RESEARCH DIVISION
The study of material obtained from sources other than that of
field investigation has been an essential factor in the development of
the Women's Bureau. These sources are of the two types ordinarily
used in research work: Primary and secondary. The former includes
such material as statutory enactments, correspondence with ofiicials
and other authorities, and the use of original records, published and
unpublished; the latter is made up la;*gely of data derived from the
factual studies of other agencies and from publications containing
information on some aspect of the employment of women.
During the year, research activities have included five main types
of work: The preparation of major reports for publication; the compiling of memoranda of a less exhaustive character; the continual
observation and notation of changes in statutes and rules affecting
employed women; the issuance of a monthly news letter; and the



18

KEPORT OP T H E DIREOTOR OF T H E W O M E N ' s

BUREAU

answering of inquiries involving some special research and arrangement of material.
Industrial accidents.
The bureau's study of industrial accidents, in which were compiled
the accident data published by sex during the eight years 1920 to
1927 by the States in which injuries to men and to women were
presented separately, came from the press. The experience with
mdustrial injuries in 21 States shows that large numbers of women
are injured while at work; for example, in 1927 or the latest year
reported, the women injured were over 5 per cent of all injured
persons in 9 of the 21 States, and in 1 State as many as 7,000 women
had been compensated for injuries in one year. Furthermore, a much
larger proportion of the women injured than of the men were under
21 years of age.
Most of the accident reports published failed to give the sex of the.
injured. Of the 21 States that did so report in the period studied,
the data varied so greatly in character that hardly any States could
be compared, and aggregate data are out of the question. Much of
this variety could be avoided by compilation and analysis i n the
standard form recommended by the International Association of
Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, the unrevised draft of
which is available in Bulletin 276 of the United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Reporting as far as possible in such a uniform way
would give tremendous imjjetus to cooperative efforts for accident
prevention. Minimum requirements in this respect would appear to
be classification of complete and comparable data by sex, age, industry and occupation, cause, nature and location of injury, and extent
of disability.
The bulletin constitutes the first of a series of studies on this subject, of which the succeeding number, now in preparation, w i l l contain
data on women's industrial injuries for 1928 and 1929.
Wages of women in 13 States.
. The great majority of the State surveys made by the Women's
Bureau have included the earnings of women ascertained directly
from plant pay rolls. The continued demand for a general assembling of such information, together with the fact that available data
on women's wages are very fragmentary, led to the publication of a
bulletin presenting the findings of the bureau in 13 of its State
studies, covering 100,967 white and 6,120 negro women in 1,472 factories, ^ores, and laundries.
Considerable proportions of the numbers of women reported by the
1920 census in certain of the important industries are included in the
study.
The surveys from which the data are derived covered various
localities and a varied period ranging from 1920 to 1925. Therefore,
the figures given can not be said to represent the exact sums receivable at some other period. The relationships shown between the
earnings of women and other correlated factors are too uniform to
admit of doubt as to their thoroughly representative character; and
the general indications that the report gives are of great value in
regard to women's wages.
White women in inanufaeturing,—Earnings by hours worked were
reported for 29,030 white women i n nine industrially important



KEPOET or T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M E K ' S B U R E A U

19

States. On the whole, the higher earnings were received by the
women with the shortest hours and the lowest earnings by those with
the longest hours.
The proportion of full-time workers ranged i n the various States
from about 26 to about 55 per cent I n 10 of the 13 States less than
half the women had worked f u l l time in the week covered. I n all
but one State the earnings of the full-time workers were considerably
(9.5 to 26.7 per cent) above the average. I n each State a large proportion of the women (44 to 63 per cent) worked undertime. Overtime workers constituted from less than 0.5 to as much as 22 per
cent of all; i n 11 States the per cent was less than 10, and in 6 of
these i t was less than 5.
Both rates and earnings were reported for 13,240 women. The
proportions of women who had received less than their rates ranged
from about 33 per cent in one State to YO per cent i n another. The
median of the earnings was 1*2 per cent below the median of the
rates in the State with the least difference and 16.2 per cent below i n
the State with the greatest difference.
I n 10 of the 13 States more than one-half the women i n manufacturing were pieceworkers; in 4 of these more than three-fourths. I n
general, the week's earnings of pieceworkers were higher than those
of timeworkers, but there was definite indication of the great irregularity of piecework earnings.
Earnings and age were correlated for 39,141 women i n maufacturin^ industries. I n every State, from about one-half to almost twothirds of the women were under 25. The women 20 and under 25
constituted from 20 to 30 per cent of the total. The proportions of
women who earned $15 or more showed a slight decline after 30 years
and a marked decline after 40.
Earnings and experience were correlated for 35,670 women i n
manufacturing industries in 11 States. I n 4 States more than 20
per cent, and i n 7 States from almost 10 to almost 20 per cent, had
been 10 years or more in their trade.
Year's earnings were secured for more than 8,000 women who had
remained with the employer the whole of the past year and had
worked at least 44 of the 52 weeks. The medians ranged from $400
in one State to $915 in another. I n the four States having medians
of over $800, more than 20 per cent of the women had actual earnings
of $1,000 or more i n the year.
Correlations of the same general character were made for the
smaller numbers of women in stores and in laundries. ^
Negro women in factories and lavmdries,—^Earnings hy hours
worked were reported for 3,141 negro women i n manufacturing and
for 2,958 in laundries. Two-thirds of those i n manufacturing were
in cigar and tobacco factories.
The proportion of full-time workers ranged from about 22 per cent
to about 57 per cent in manufacturing and from 21 per cent to 66
per cent in laundries. Median earnings of full-time workers ranged
in manufacturing from $6.23 to $10.90 per week, and in laundries
from $5.95 to $11.63. The proportion of women working undertime
ranged i n manufacturing from 36 per cent to 65 per cent and i n
laundries from 25 per cent to 61 per cent I n oue State no overtime by negro women was reported; in others i t affected up to 22



20

REPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OP T H E W O M E N ' S BUREAXJ

per cent of the women in manufacturing in one State and up to 51
per cent of those in laundries in another.
The median of earnings was below the median of rates in manufacturing by from 2.4 per cent to 14.6 per cent and i n laundries by from
3.9 per cent to 17.5 per cent. Earnings were nearer to rates in
laundries than in manufacturing.
Piecework predominated in manufacturing and timework m laundries. I n manufacturing, the medians of the earnings of timeworkers ranged from $4.95 to $12.38 per week; of pieceworkers, from $3.93
to $10. The medians of timeworkers in laundries ranged from $5.6G
to $9.89. I n three States where there were enough pieceworkers
in laundries for the computation of a median, earnings were from
about 10 to more than 60 per cent above those of timeworkers.
Earnings and age were correlated for 838 negro women i n manufacturing and for 1,434 in laundries. Among the former, 24.8 per
cent were under 25 years and 28.2 per cent were 40 or more; among
the latter, 44.1 per cent were under 25 and only 15.6 per cent were
as much as 40.
Earnings of negro women in manufacturing bore little relation to
experience. I n laundries, women who had worked 5 arid under 10
years earned from 8 to 12 per cent more than those who had worked
1 and under 2 years.
For 172 negro women in manufacturing and for 297 in laundries,
year's earnings were secured. The medians in the various States
ranged from. $263 to $563 in manufacturing and from $306 to $550
in laundries.
Working: conditions handbooks.
Three of the major reports published or in progress at this time
relate to certain phases of conditions under which women work and
are intended to constitute, when in published form, general handbooks of the best available, standards and practices on the subjects
covered. I n each case, a resume of State requirements is given and
such recommendations as are based on scientific study of the subject
are reviewed. Most helpful cooperation in the preparation of these
handbooks on working conditions, and of the material on accidents
already discussed, has been given the bureau by State officials.
Sanitary drinking facilities with special reference to dHnking
fountains,—One of the recommendations made by the bureau early
in its history, and still valid, is t h a t ' ' Drinking water should be cool
and accessible, with individual drinking cups or sanitary bubble
fountain provided." I n line with this, the bureau has published this
year a study pi sanitary drinking facilities, with special reference to
drinking fountains, which develops and amplifies this subject by the
suggestion that drinking fountains should be angle-jet and should be
designed and constructed to meet the standards of the American Public Health Association, and by additional suggestions regarding the
proper location, maintenance, and use of drinking facilities. I n this
connection, a review is given of bacteriological examinations of
drinking .fountains showing that all vertical-jet fountains retain
disease germs from the water that flows back upon the orifice, and
even many angle-jet fountains can be contaminated by improper use.
Individual drinking cups may be satisfactory i f furnished free by the
employer. I f such cups are of paper, the supply should be adequate ]



REPOET OF T H E DIBEOTOIt OF T H E W O M E N ' s BUEEAXr

21

they should be protected from dirt or other contamination, and means
of disposal should be provided.
The Women's Bureau reports show that the drinking,, facilities
offered to employees in places where women are employed require
more careful attention than they are receiving. Of 1,506 establishments inspected in 21 States, 56 per cent had either no drinking facilities or c o i ^ o n drinking cups. Although bubbling drinking fountains were in use in over 40 per cent of the plants, angle-jet fountains
(the only kind that can be kept sanitary) were used exclusively in
]ess than 4 per cent. Since such conditions prevail, i t seems important
that labor and health authorities take some action to prevent the use
of insanitary facilities.
The importance of this publication is attested by the support i t has
received among technical experts in the field of sanitary engineering.
The significance of the following letter is clear:
The S U R G E O N

Bureau

G E N E E A L ,

of the Puhlic

F E R B U A B Y

26,

1 9 3 1 .

Department,
Washington^ D . C,
S I R : B y direction of the secretary, I acknowledge receipt of your memorand u m of the 4th instant, o u t l i n i n g 10 essential features w h i c h you suggest should
serve as a guide i n f u t u r e installations both i n Washington and throughout the
United States.
I n reply, you are advised t h a t specifications f o r d r i n k i n g f o u n t a i n s to be
installed i n the f u t u r e by t h i s department w i l l be i n accordance w i t h the essent i a l features suggested.
Respectfully,

Health

Set^vice, Treasury

(Signed)

Assistant

FERRY K .

Secretary

H E A T H ,

of the

Treasury.

The bureau has included in this handbook summaries of the statutes
on the subject—primary sources of State regulation—and has examined the published reports of State departments of labor and boards
of health in order to ascertain what laws, rules, regulations, orders,
or recommendations are in existence. Further, direct correspondence
was carried on with the State agencies to verify the findings and
obtain any other information available. I n addition, such standards
as have been adopted or indorsed by national public health and engineering authorities were examined in detail.
The study shows that in 45 States and the District of Columbia
the responsible agencies have recognized the importance of sanitary
drinking facilities by making some prohibition of the use of the
common cup, although in 5 of these the provision does not apply to
manufacturing and mercantile establishments, so that in these States
most places of employment are omitted. I n 18 States and the District
of Columbia the boards of health or departments of labor have taken
the additional step of recommending the use of angle-jet rather than
vertical-jet drinking fountains, although in no case is this a statutory provision.
the installation and maintenance of toilet iacilities in places of
employment, ( I n preparation for printing.)—This handbook is
intended to §ive a summary of State requirements on the subject
of toilet facilities in work places, and to indicate the standards considered important for the health and comfort of the employees. For
each State, a summary is given of the regulations on this subject—
whether i n the form of statutes, rules or orders, or recommendations—and, in addition, the establishments covered and the authority
responsible for enforcement are indicated. Analysis of the provi


22

BEPOET OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M E N ' S BTJREAtT

sions as to.adequacy, privacy, and sanitary construction and maintenance is intended to indicate the most satisfactory standards to
be sought.
Women's place in industry in 10 Southern States.
' A t the invitation of the National Women's Trade Union Leafs^e,
the director of the bureau addressed that organization in convention
at Greensboro, N. C., in March of the present year. This opportunity was used to present a brief review of the history of industry i n
the South, something of its economic background, the changed conditions in the employment of women, and the present trends i n hours,
wages, legislation, and the abolition of night work. This address
has been published by the bureau in pamphlet form for distribution.
Ontline for group study of women in industry.
I n response to a considerable demand for material on the situation
of women in industry, prepared in such form that i t can be used by
groups desiring readable information on this subject, the bureau
nas prepared a series of short papers to be published together i n bulletin form. The material is so arranged that i t can be used either in
part or entire, and references are given that can be followed further
by those desiring fuller information. The subjects covered are designed to give an idea of what the wage-earning woman is doing; the
industrial world in which she works; her hours of labor, her wages,
and other matters of importance to her health and welfare.
News letter.
Throughout the year, current activities relating to employed women
in this and other countries have been reviewed i n the monthly News
Letter. The information given in this form includes legislative
enactments i n the various States and countries, and the findings of
investigations relative to hours, wages, working conditions, occupations, budgets, and health and safety problems; trade unions; notes
on conferences and meetings of interest; changes in personnel among
women labor officials i n the States; and other current material obtained by correspondence and by the constant following of publications touching matters that affect employed women.
Besides the material sent out in the News Letter, the bureau is
continually compiling and sunamarizing, in such xorm as to be
available for use, reports of investigations and other data touching
various phases of the subject of the employment of women and the
general economic and industrial situations affecting their work.
Special memoranda prepared and inquiries answered.
I n addition to the preparation of major reports, and the following
of legislative sources, research material has been collected, evaluated^
anal^rzed, and arranged in answer to the many requests for information in regard to a great variety of matters connected with the employment of women. Data have been compiled for an average of
approximately 25 such inquiries a month. These have come from
all parts of the United States and from other countries as well;
they, have come i n each case with considerable frequency from
officials of the Federal and the State Governments, employers and
employers' associations, labor organizations, newspaper and magazine editors, professors or other officials connected with schools,
school systems, colleges, and universities, from libraries, educational




REPOKT OF T H E DIKECTOR OF T H E W O M E N

BUREAU

23

research organizations, and various national and local groups interested in the conditions under which women work.
SpeciflG problems related to the health of employed women.—
Several memoranda have been prepared during the year on various
phases of the health and general welfare of employed women. One
of these has to do with rest pauses, the granting of which is a policy
included in the standards recommended by the bureau. Arrangement for such pauses appears especially important on repetitive and
monotonous jobs such as those on which many women are employed.
The bureau has summarized briefly findings on this subject from six
sources, five of which were published in 1927 or thereafter. On the
whole, conclusions from the experiments made were to the effect
that the introduction of regular rest pauses, after scientific study of
the operation, generally results in the improvement of quality and
quantity of output, the estimate being made that such a policy is
capable of producing an increase in output varying from 2 to 10
per cent; one notable experiment showed a marked decrease in
absenteeism and turnover after the institution of rest pauses.
Another matter of great importance to the general well-being of
women workers is that of an annual vacation with pay. The bureau has brought together brief summaries of the findings of 6
studies on this subject, 1 of which is a comprehensive survey, including data through 1927, the other 5 being made since that time.
Another problem of importance to the employer, to women, and
to society in general—and one on which increasing attention is being
focused—is that of a time allowance before and after childbirth
without loss of job. The bureau has summarized the laws or orders
on this .subject existing in six States, including the length of time
granted before, the time after, the industries covered by the law,
and for four States the penalty for violation. The time allowed by
these laws runs up to eight weeks. Other countries provide longer
periods, up to a year being allowed in at least one and 12 weeks or
more in nearly half the cases; foreign laws frequently provide for
an additional allowance of time where there is medical testimony
that the case so requires.
Material was prepared by the bureau for the study of legal protection of female workers, from the point of view of medicine and
social hygiene, being made in various countries by the Medical
Women's International Association. This included a review of legal
prohibitions of women's employment in injurious trades; statements
as to the number of States known to require some physical examination for entrance to certain trades (6 States); number making seme
provision for accident insurance (44 States); number requiring
posting of notice of known dangers to health under certain conditions (5 States); and available findings as to the special susceptibility of women to poisoning by benzol, lead, carbon monoxide, and
in other ways.
LABOR LEGISLATION FOR WOMEN I N 1930-^1
A n important activity of the division of research is the following
of the progress of labor legislation in the various States and the
keeping of a detailed record of any action that relates to women.
W i t h legislatures meeting in all but four States in 1931j many bills
were under consideration that directly affected working women.




24

EEPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M E N " ' s

BUREAU

Though little positive action resulted, in more than half of the States
better regulation of daily and weekly hours was attempted; and in
a number, efforts were made to prohibit the work of women at night
or to amend existing night-work legislation. A few legislatures
had minimum-wage or fair-wage bills before them; and i n some,
efforts were made to restrict the employment of married women.
North Carolina replaced its old hour law, applying to men and
women and providing an 11-hour day for both and a 60-hour weekly
limitation for women but not for men, with a new law applying only
to women and continuing the 11-hour daily provision but reducing
weekly hours to a maximum of 55. The law covers factories, manu'
facturing establishments, and mills, and exempts seasonal industries
and agricultural work.
I n New York an amendment to the overtime provision of the law
relating to women's hours of work in mercantile establishments
passed l)oth houses of-the legislature without a dissenting vote. The
amendment assures better means of enforcement by requiring that
a copy of the overtime notice, which must be posted, shall have been
delivered to the commissioner of labor four hours before the beginning of overtime work. I t also reduces the amount of overtime
allowed and at the same time provides flexibility for the merchants
in conducting their business. This is achieved by allowing the
employer three elections of schedule each year instead of one, by
permitting one 10-hour day in the 48-hour week i f weekly hours are
not increased, by allowing a limited amount of overtime with the
48-hour week provided an equal amount of time off is given under
specified conditions, and by making special provision for inventory
outside of regular store hours.
, The wording of the Arizona 8-hour law has been revised and an
exemption added for women in railroad yard offices in which not
more than three females are employed. Arkansas has exempted
railroads whose hours are regulated by Federal law.
Two new orders having the force of law and affecting women in
the motion-picture industry have been issued by the California
Industrial Welfare Commission. One of these, amending an order
of 1926, regulates working conditions and provides a basic 8-hour
day for " e x t r a s " (defined as performers who receive a wage of $15
or less a day or $65 or less a week), with regulation of pay for overtime allowed in case of emergency up to 16 hours. The second of
the 1931 orders provides a basic 8-hour day, 6-day, 48-hour week for
all other women employed i n the motion-picture industry who are
receiving $40 a week or less. Time and one-half must be paid for
work over 8 hours and up to 12 and double time for any hours in
excess of 12.
The Louisiana law, effective in July, 1930, reduced women's hours,
with certain exceptions, from 10 a day, 60 a week, to 9 a day, 54 a
week. I n Maine the hour law was amended to allow laundries to
employ women more than 9 hours a day. The maximum 54-houi
week, however, still governs.
*
^ I t was thought that impetus would be given toward legal restriction of night work of women by the voluntary action of the Cotton
Textile Institute in eliminating women and minors from night
operations in their mills. Undoubtedly increased agitation for such
legislation followed this action, particulafly in the South, but no new
laws have yet been enacted. On the other hand, Nebraska amended



KEPOBT OF T H E DIKEOTOB OF T H E W O M E N ' S B U R E A U

2 5

its law to permit the employment of women from 6 o'clock i n the
morning until 12.30 at night instead of until 10 o'clock, as had been
the case. Daily and weekly hours—9 and 54—are unchanged.
Furthermore, an amendment to the night-work law of Porto Rico
permits the employment of women in the packing, canning, or refrigeration of fruits or vegetables—excepting those who are pregnant—
between 10 o'clock at night and 6 o'clock in the morning, i f they
have not worked during the day and i f the hours of labor do not
exceed 8 a day and 48 a week.
I n Massachusetts the legislature authorized the appointment of
an unpaid commission to investigate the operation of the minimumwage law and to report to the general court by the first Wednesday
in December, 1931. A n act of the Massachusetts General Court
provides a penalty for the employment without monetary compensation of any woman or minor in any factory, workshop, manufacturing, or mercantile establishment.
The minimum-wage law of South Dakota was amended to require
that the wage shall be paid in cash or check. Another enactment i n
the same State authorizes the secretary of agriculture to enforce the
laws relating to the employment of women and children and to file
complaints against violators.
I n Oregon a State welfare commission has been set up by 1931
legislation to supersede the board of inspectors of child labor and the
industrial welfare commission. The commissioner of the bureau of
labor is designated as the secretary and executive officer.
The North Carolina Legislature has authorized the reorganization
of the department of labor and has established within the department
a division of standards and inspection that in part is empowered to
study and investigate special problems connected with the work of
women, to enforce the laws, rules, and regulations governing their
employment, and to conduct research and promulgate rules and
regulations governing work places and working conditions in general.
I n addition to a law requiring the provision of suitable seats for
women workers, New Mexico has adopted legislation creating a labor
commissioner and a labor and industrial commission of three members. The duties of the commissioner include inspection of places of
employment and enforcement of labor laws, violations to be reported
to the district attorney for prosecution.
DIVISION OF PUBLIC INFOEMATIOIT
W i t h the steady progress of bureau activities come increasing demands for information about its work and all matters pertaining to
wage-earning women. As many such requests are from sources desiring technical and statistical material in simple form, i t is necessary
to interpret data collected in the bureau's studies and investigations
and contained in its reports, and in many instances to translate such
data into popular form, with emphasis on the human-interest aspects.
Such popularization of facts and figures is the work of the division
of public information.
Three series of articles—one entitled " Uncle Sam and the Woman
Worker," another a group of eight articles on the bureau's statistical
methods and studies, and the third a series of nine entitled " Fact
Finding with the Women's Bureau "—were prepared for newspaper
use. The last named has been issued as a bulletin, to be sent out i n



26

BEPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M B I T ' S

BUREAU

response to the large number of requests for information about the
bureau's activities and to extend common knowledge on the subject
of women in industry. Several radio talks on the bureau's work, on
the problems of women workers, including unemployment as i t affects
women workers, and on women in Government service, were prepared
and delivered by the Director or used by the Secretary of Labor. A
special Labor Day message was sent out. I n all, about 50 articles
were prepared in this division.
Exhibits.
The preparation and circulation of exhibit material, such as models,
motion pictures, maps, charts, posters, and folders, has always formed
an important feature in the bureau's program. The need for such
equipment is evidenced by the many requests for exhibit material
constantly coming to the bureau, due largely to the increasing stress
that is being laid upon visual education and to the fact that certain
classes of persons unaccustomed to considering statistical and technical material, and unable to grasp its significance, w i l l readily grasp
the essentials of problems presented pictorially. These displays are
lent free of charge, the borrower paying transportation charges on all
material that can not be mailed under frank. Certain wall exhibits
are not only sent free but given for permanent use. A l l exhibits are
used intensively and extensively, going to every State i n the Union
and occasionally to foreign countries.
Because of the destruction of certain models and mechanical equipment at the time of the fire in the bureau last summer, effort has been
made during the year to replace the losses. Accordingly, a new travel
sign or motologue, with legends descriptive of the bureau's functions
and certain problems within its scope, has been purchased and is now
available for use. New film projectors have been added to the
bureau's equipment.
A display that has been prepared and w i l l be ready for circulation
in a few weeks is entitled " Steps to Safety and Efiiciency for WageEarning Women." Another deals with the woman worker i n the
South, this having been prepared for and used at a convention in
North Carolina i n March, since which time it has been kept i n constant circulation in the various parts of the country.
A series of charts based on data collected by the bureau from
5-and-lO and other limited-price shops in many parts of the country
during the period 1920 to 1928 has been printed and is being distributed to all who request the material.
The circulation of sets of large colored wall maps illustrating labor
laws for women i n the individual States has always constituted an
important feature. Distribution of this type of material w i l l continue, and in addition i t has been arranged to have small maps for
desk use or as illustrations in periodicals and newspapers.
Still another type of exhibit, of which use is made in many ways,
comprises pictures of women i n various industrial processes, illustrating good working conditions found in up-to-date establishments.
These pictures are actual photographs taken in plants throughout
the country. A file of these pictures is maintained in the bureau in
order that copies w i t h appropriate captions may be given or lent to
individuals, periodicals, and organizations for illustrative and educational purposes. Approximately 50 pictures of this type have been



27

EEPORT OF T H E DIRECTOR OF T H E WOMEN"'s B U R E A U

made recently under the supervision of bureau representatives and
will be added shortly to its files.
Motion pictures.
The bureau's three motion pictures have been unusually active.
The requests for their use have numbered 151 during the year. A
new picture of approximately three reels is in process of preparation
and w i l l be available for distribution in the early fall. This is
entitled " Behind the Scenes in the Machine Age."
CONFERENCES
During the past year the bureau was represented at the following
conferences or conventions:
Second Pan-Pacific Women's Conference, Honolulu, August, 1930.
New England Federation of Women's Clubs, New Haven, September, 1930.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Association of I n d u s t r i a l Accident Boards and Commissions, W i l mington, September, 1930.
American Federation of Labor, Boston, October, 1930.
President's Unemployment Committee, Washington, October, 1930.
Society of I n d u s t r i a l Engineers, Washington, October, 1930.
D i s t r i c t of Columbia Unemployment Committee, Washington, October and November, 1930.
Association of I l l u m i n a t i n g Engineers, Richmond, October, 1930.
W h i t e House Conference on C h i l d H e a l t h and Protection, Washington, November, 1930.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Committee, Philadelphia, November, 1930, and
January, 1931.
N a t i o n a l Catholic W e l f a r e Council, Washington, December, 1930.
A m e r i c a n Association f o r Labor Legislation, Cleveland, December, 1930.
N a t i o n a l Committee on Employer-Employee Relationships i n the Home, Washington, January, 1931, and New York, A p r i l , 1931.
Conference on Permanent PrevenUves of Unemployment, sponsored by Protestant, Catholic, a n d Jewish social-service organizations, Washington, January,
1931.
N a t i o n a l Women's T r a d e U n i o n League, Greensboro, M a r c h , 1931.
Commission on I n t e r r a c i a l Cooperation, A t l a n t a , March, 1931.
N a t i o n a l Council of the League of Women Voters, Washington, A p r i l , 1931.
Unemployment Conference of the Young Women's C h r i s t i a n Association, Pittsburgh, A p r i l , 1931.
-Governmental L a b o r Officials, Boston, May, 1931.
Eastern Interstate Conference on L a b o r Legislation, H a r r i s b u r g , June, 1931.

The last named, called by the Governor of Pennsylvania, was
especially significant because, for the first time i n history, authorities
of the various States (10 were represented) met for the purpose of
discussing uniform labor legislation and the possibility of formulating and recommending necessary minimum standards for the protection of workers.
PTJBIICATIOKS
The bulletins issued from the press this year aggregate more than
730 pages. Three others are i n the form of galley proof. These
bulletins are as follows:
No.
No.
No.
No.

78.
80.
81.
82.

No.
No.
No.
No.

83.
84.
85.
86.

A Survey of Laundries and T h e i r Women W o r k e r s i n 23 Cities. , 166 pp.
Women i n F l o r i d a Industries. 115 pp.
I n d u s t r i a l Accidents t o Men and Women. 48 pp.
T h e Employment of Women i n the Pineapple Canneries of H a w a i i .
30 pp.
F l u c t u a t i o n of Employment i n the R a d i o I n d u s t r y . 66 pp.
F a c t F i n d i n g w i t h the Women's Bureau. 37 pp.
Wages of W o m e n i n 13 States. 213 pp.
A c t i v i t i e s of the Women's B u r e a u of the U n i t e d States. 15 pp.




28

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF T H E W O M E N ' s BXTREAU

No. 87. Sanitary D r i n k i n g Facilities, w i t h Special Reference to D r i n k i n g Fountains. 28 pp.
No. 88. The Employment of Women i n Slaughtering and Meat Packing. ( I n
press.)
No. 89. The Industrial Experience of Women Workers at the Summer Schools,
1928 to 1930. ( I n press.)
No. 90. Oregon Legislation for Women in Industry. ( I n press.)
Pamphlet Women's Place i n Industry in 10 Southern States. 14 pp.

STANDARDS FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN
The bureau continues to recommend its reasonable standards of
hours, wages, working conditions, and employment relations, and
feels a growing confidence in its ability to furnish guidance and be
of genuine assistance in putting such suggestions into practice. These
standards, agreed upon for t & employment of women on Government contracts during the war, and indorsed by representative employers and working women alike, are briefly as follows:
Honrs.
A day not longer than eight hours.
A half holiday on Saturday.
One day's rest in seven.
A t least 30 minutes allowed for a meal.
A 10-minute rest period i n the middle of each half day without lengthenln^^
the day.
No employment of women between midnight and 6 a. m.
Wages.
Rates based on occupation and not on sex nor race, the minimum to cover
cost of healthful and decent living and to allow for dependents.
Working conditions.
Cleanliness.
Good lighting, ventilation, and heating.
Machine guards, handrails, safe condition of floors, devices for drawing off
dust and fumes.
Fire protection.
First-uid equipment.
A chair for each woman. Change of posture—neither constant standing
nor constant sitting.
Prevention of overstrain and of overexposure to dust, fumes, poisons, and
extremes of temperature.
Sanitary drinking and washing facilities.
Dressing rooms, rest rooms, lunch rooms.
Adequate toilet arrangements—one toilet to every 15 workers.
General.
- A personnel department, responsible for the selection, assignment, and
transfer or discharge of employees.
Women in supervisory positions and as employment executives w^here women
are employed.
Provision for workers to share i n control of conditions of employment.
Opportunity for workers to choose occupations for which best adapted.
No prohibition of women's employment except i n occupations proved to be more
Injurious to women than to men.
No work to be given out to be done at home.
Application to and cooperation w i t h Federal and State agencies dealing w i t h
labor and conditions of employment.

COMMENT AND EECOMMENDATIONS
' ^ e r e has never been a time when studies of employment conditions, of occupational shifting, migration, displacement, of the
effects of such factors as sex, age, and training were needed so much
as now. The bureau feels very seriously its responsibility toward



KEPORT OF T H E DIEEOTOB OF T H E W O M E N - ' S B U R E A U

29

America's women, at work or temporarily unemployed, who now
constitute 2 in 9, instead of 2 in 10 as in the year 1920, of all persons
gainfully occupied in the United States. Furthermore, i n the 13
years of the bureau's existence the members of the stafiE have acquired
a considerable understanding of the employers' problems and points
of view. The bureau appreciates, more than could an agency not
acquainted with the field, that many employers have given much
thought and effort to programs designed to protect their workers
from the uncertainty of employment that has developed as a result
of mechanization and so-called efficiency systems. Unfortunately,
however, the bureau knows also that the majority of employers have
not reco|^ized either the gravity of the problem or their own responsibility in its solution.
I n a national crisis brought about partly by changes and dislocations in industry that have thrown on the labor market hundreds
of thousands of unemployed men and women, i t seems reasonable that
the Federal department that is charged with the duty of studying
just such conditions as these should hesitate seriously to curtail its
activities. Bather, i f in any way possible, its activities should be
doubled or trebled.
As regards the Women's Bureau specifically, the large numbers of
employed women (to repeat, 2 of every 9 employed persons),
their importance as mothers of the race, as breadwinners i n homes
having no employed men, and as a labor supply considered cheap and
plentiful by employers whose business straits call for economies, make
it incumbent on the Women's Bureau, the ^only agency definitely
charged with activities in this field and authorized to act i n their
interest for the Federal Government, to pursue its studies of what
industry is doing to American women—how they are affected
by its changes in methods of production, its migrations and consolidations, its demands and compensations, its hazards, its replacement of men by women, and of both men and women by machines.
I n this purpose of finding out what is happening to working
women, the bureau's studies are of vital importance. The examination of employers' pay rolls and employment records is a privilege
extended to few investigators. The frank answers by women interviewed i n their homes r e ^ r d i n g their family responsibilities and
economic status, their reactions to the recent upheavals in the industries they had looked upon as providing their life work, and confidences along other lines yield valuable human statistics. Correlated with age, marital status, nativity, and other personal
information, they constitute a body of facts not i n the possession of
any other agency, whether private, State, or Federal, and exceedingly
important to the industrial and economic welfare and development
of the United States i f we believe that the homes form the basis of
our national well-being.
I n the past, the Women's Bureau has been so handicapped by insufficiency of funds that i t has not been able to consider the launching
of certain types of study until the present year, when, through the
interest of the President, additional funds were made available.
Examples of these types of study, each part of the broad inquiry into
human waste in industry, are (1) The effects on women of new
methods of work, frequently referred to as technological changes i n
industry, and (2) the effects on women of combinations of com


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BTJEEAU

panies or plants and of the moving to new locations of factories or
operations. Obviously, such studies must be planned on long range^
and some assurance must be given that they can be carried on to at
least a reasonable degree of completeness.
Women employees' progress (or decline) from one occupation to
another, on the one hand, and the compensations of the considerable
number who have remained 10, 15, or 20 years in one line of work,
on the other hand; the extent to which women leave home in search
of jobs or to follow their jobs when industries migrate; what becomes
of women displaced in the evolution of industry—all these are inquiries of great importance, not only to working women but to the
Nation, and more properly the duty of the Women's Bureau than
of any other agency.
Among the conditions of employment that should be the subjects
of study are certain factors contributing to fatigue, such as piecework and other systems conducive to speeding, problems of strain as
increased by changes in methods of payment, air conditions, lighting,
lifting, and posture at work. The study of the effects on women of
work involving the use of toxic substances must be continued, as must
other important inquiries to w^hich the bureau has devoted some attention in the belief that i t would serve women better by looking into a
number of conditions that called for correction rather than by devoting all its energies to studies along two or three lines.
; Piecework has repeatedly been recommended as a subject for stu^^
i n the bureau's annual reports. Clearly related to health and emciency and of vital importance to the worker, the employer, and the
-community of which these form a part, this matter should be given
scientific attention at the earliest possible date.
For years the bureau's recommendations have suggested also a
study of women's posture at work, including the possibility of combining a fair degree of comfort with unhampered efficiency i n a chair
of^ practical design and inexpensive construction. Machines are
being designed constantly without any consideration for the operators' comfort, though attention to this would add little to costs and
would abundantly pay in efficiency. The bureau has been requested
by the Association of State Departments of Labor to undertake such
a study, and a number of firms have urged i t to do so.
There is gi-eat^need of authentic information—collected and presented without bias—on the subject of the employment of married
women. . A l l material gathered points to the fact that large numbers
of married women must share the husband's responsibilities. Research makes very clear that many thousands of married men are
employed at wages below the level necessary for the maintenance
of a family, and the necessity of rising above the lowest subsistence
level must be met by other resource.
May I sav in closing that i t is the bureau's earnest desire to cooperate in the perfecting of an efficient organization that shall make
impossible any overlapping of activities among the various bureaus of
the department. A comparison of the publications of the Women's
Bureau with both Federal and State reports w i l l show that there has
been no duplication, even with a loose application of the term, i n the
past.
Respectfully submitted.
M A R Y A N D E R S O N , Director.