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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BULLETIN OF THE WOMEN’S BUREAU, No. 48

WOMEN
IN '■'
OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

A STUDY OF HOURS, WAGES,
AND WORKING CONDITIONS

[Public—No. 259—66tii Congress]
[H. R. 13229]
An Act To establish in the Department of Labor a bureau to be known as the
Women’s Bureau

Be it enacted by the Senate and Home of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That there shall be estab
lished in the Department of Labor a bureau to be known as the
Women’s Bureau.
Sec. 2. That the said bureau shall be in charge of a director, a
woman, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, who shall receive an annual compensa
tion of $5,000. It shall be the duty of said bureau to formulate
standards and policies which shall promote the welfare of wage
earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their
efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employ
ment. The said bureau shall have authority to investigate and
report to the said department upon all matters pertaining to the
welfare of women in industry. The director of said bureau may
from tune to time publish the results of these investigations in such
a manner and to such extent as the Secretary of Labor may prescribe.
Sec. 3. That there shall be in said bureau an assistant director,
to be appointed by the Secretary of Labor, who shall receive an
annual compensation of $3,500 and shall perform such duties as
shall be prescribed by the director and approved by the Secretary
of Labor.
Sec. 4. That there is hereby authorized to be employed by said
bureau a chief clerk and such special agents, assistants, clerks, and other employees at such rates of compensation and in such numbers
as Congress may from time to time provide by appropriations.
Sec. 5. That the Secretary of Labor is hereby directed to furnish
sufficient quarters, office furniture and equipment, for the work of
this bureau.
Sec. 6. That this Act shall take effect and be in force from and
after its passage.
Approved, June 5, 1920.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
JAMES J. DAVIS, SECRETARY

WOMEN’S BUREAU
MARY ANDERSON, Director

BULLETIN OF THE WOMEN’S BUREAU, NO. 48

WOMEN
IN

OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

A Study of Hours, Wages, and
Working Conditions

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1926

MEDIAN WEEK’S EARNINGS, BY INDUSTRY

Dollars

20r

SHU

‘fern

*17.70
Sllirij and
«yon*lU

*16.50

General

nwrcanilio

$12.90
glass product*

*11.60
Moat, potf try
azid.
<Uity pj-jducUi

*10.30
Miscellaneous
food product*

*10.15
Miscellaneous
tmnnfocturing

CONTENTS
Part I. Introduction
Scope and method of investigation________________________
Summary of facts,____ ______ ___________________________ .
Conclusions
II. Wages___________
Methods of payment
Week’s earnings__________________
Earnings and-time worked
13
Earnings of full-time workers
19
Earnings and rates,
Weekly rates and scheduled weekly hours_____________
Earnings and experience
26
Earnings by age___________
Year’s earnings
29
Earnings of night workers
31
Earnings of negro workers- _.__ ____
III. Hours_______________ _________ _________ _.,.
Legal hours........______________
Scheduled hours. ____ ______ .___...__ _______ _____________
Daily hours.__ ...........__ ._______________
Weekly hours..__ ...... ....,_____________
Saturday hours. . .__ ...........__ ....._______________
Lunch periods,._________ ...______________
Hours of night workers_____________ ___.____________
Hours of telephone operators.
39
Actual hours worked....,._________________________
Timelost
..__ ____.,_____________________
Overtime..___ _________________
I V. Hotels and restaurants. _ _ ______________ ,__ __________________
W ages. ..............
......... ...._________________
Hours......______________ ________
Irregularity of day’s work.__ _________________________
Daily hours..__ .....______
Over-all hours.._____________ _______
Weekly hours__ ___.___________ _____________________
Meal periods....__________
V. Working conditions............__ ____________________________
General plant conditions.......________
Arrangement of rooms.__ _______
Stairways___ ........._____________________________
Condition and material of floors____________ _________
Cleaning. _ ..... .......__ ........__________
Heating. .___________
Ventilation..._________
Lighting...._________________________________
Seating............_________________________________

ill

Page

1
2

4
6
7
7
9

20
24
29

31
33
33
33
33
34
36
38
39
41
41
42
43
44
47
48
50
51
53
54
57
57
57
58
58
59
59
60
61
61

CONTENTS

Part V. Working conditions—Continued
Pag0
Sanitation
64
Drinking facilities_____ 1_____________________________
64
Washing facilities__ __ _ _;_________
65
Toilets____________ ________________ ________________
67
Uniforms'___________________________________________
71
Service rooms_____________ _____________________ ________
72
Lunch rooms____________________________ ___________
72
Rest rooms
73
Cloakrooms________________________________ ________
75
VI. The workers
77
Age_____________ _____ ______ _______ ____________________
77
Nativity
78
Conjugal condition
78
Living condition and homeresponsibilities_________________
79
Education_________________
81
Appendixes:
General tables
84
Schedule forms
110
TEXT TABLES
Table

1. Number of establishments and number of men and women
employed therein, by industry__________________________
2. Extent of timework and piecework, by industry_____________
3. Median earnings and hours worked, by industry—1924_____
4. Median earnings and hours worked, by industry—1923______
5. Week’s earnings of women who worked the firm’s scheduled
week compared with those for all workers_________________
6. Median rates and median earnings, by industry—1924______
7. Median rates and median earnings, by industry—1923________
8. Relation between actual earnings and weekly rates in manu
facturing establishments andlaundries—1924______________
9. Median rates and scheduled weekly hours, by industry—1924.
10. Median earnings and time in the trade, by industry—1924___
11. Weekly rate and actual week’s earnings of negro women, all
industrie*s—1923 and 1924
12. Scheduled daily hours, by industry
34
13. Scheduled weekly hours, by industry
35
14. Relation of Saturday hours to daily hours, byindustry________
15. Time lost and overtime, by industry
41
16. Weekly wage rates in hotels and restaurants, and accommo
dations furnished by employer in form of board and
room—1924
17. Irregularity of hotel and restaurant days, by occupation_______
18. Length of the day’s work in hotels and restaurants, by occupa
tion--------------------19. Over-all hours of day’s work in hotels and restaurants, by
occupation
62
20. Provisions for seating in establishments visited_____________
21. Inadequacy of washing facilities, by industry________________
22. Adequacy of toilet equipment, by industry_________________
23. Condition of toilet equipment, by industry__________________
24. Use of uniforms in establishments engaged in the manufac
ture or serving of food, by industry_____________________

3
9
14
17
19
21
22
23
25
27
32

46
49
60

63
66
68
70
72

CONTENTS

APPENDIX TABLES
Page

Number I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.

Week’s earnings, by industry—1924----------------------------------Week’s earnings, by industry—1923-------------------------- --------Week’s earnings and time worked, all industries—1924____
Week’s earnings and time worked, all industries—1923_____
Earnings of women who worked the firm’s scheduled week,
by industry—1924
VI. Weekly rates and actual week’s earnings, by industry—1924..
VII. Weekly rates and actual week’s earnings, by industry—1923.
VIII. Week’s earnings, by weekly rate, all manufacturing indus
tries—1924
IX. Week’s earnings, by weekly rate, laundries—1924----------------X. Weekly rate and scheduled weekly hours, all industries—1924.
XI. Year’s earnings of women for whom 52-week pay-roll records
were secured, by industry----------------------------------------------XII. Week’s earnings of negro women, by industry—1923 and 1924.
XIII. Scheduled Saturday hours, by daily hours--------------------------XIV. Length of lunch period, by industry----------------------------------XV. Hours worked less than scheduled, by industry------------------XVI. Hours worked more than scheduled, by industry___________
XVII. Hours worked less than scheduled, by scheduled hours,
manufacturing establishments and laundries_____________
XVIII. Week’s earnings, by race and occupation, hotels and restau
rants—1924.____
XIX. Week’s earnings and days worked, by race, hotels and res
taurants—1924
XX. Scheduled days in hotels and restaurants, by occupation----XXI. Weekly hours in hotels and restaurants, by occupation------XXII. Age of the women employees wdio supplied personal infprmation, by race and industry
106
XXIII. Conjugal condition of the women employees who supplied
personal information, by race and industry---------------------XXIV. Living condition of the women employees who supplied per
sonal information, by race and industry--------------------------XXV. Extent of schooling of the women employees who supplied
personal information, by race and industry---------------------

84
85
86
88
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
105

107
107
108

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
United States Department of Labor,
Women’s Bureau,

Washington, June SO, 1925.
I am submitting herewith a report on wages, hours, and work
ing conditions of women in industry in the State of Oklahoma. This
survey was requested by the commission of labor of that State and in
accordance with the policy of cooperation with State departments of
labor, the Women’s Bureau undertook to make the study in the spring
of 1924. The Women’s Bureau fully appreciates the assistance
received by the State officials in giving it the benefit of their experience
and knowledge of local conditions. An acknowledgment is also
made to the employers who cooperated with the bureau in giving
access to the information.
The study was in charge of Mrs. Hildred M. Hawkins, industrial
assistant, and the report was written by Miss Ruth I. Voris, assistant
editor, and Mrs. Hawkins.
Mary Anderson, Director.
Hon. James J. Davis,
Secretary of Labor.
Sir:

VII

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES
PART I
INTRODUCTION
In 1923 the Commissioner of Labor of the State of Oklahoma asked
that the Women’s Bureau of the United States Department of Labor
make a survey of the employment of women in that State. In
accordance with its policy of cooperation with State departments of
labor, the Women’s Bureau undertook to make the study and sent
its agents into the State during the spring of 1924. Officials of the
State greatly assisted the agents of the bureau who made the study
giving the benefit of their experience and their familiarity with local
conditions. Acknowledgment is also made of the free cooperation
on the part of the employers themselves. Had it not been for their
readiness to supply the information asked for, the study could not
have been made.
Oklahoma is not conspicuous industrially, and such women as are
employed there are distributed throughout the industries, in the
State, in relatively small groups. Such a situation makes more
difficult the acquisition of data for a representative number of women.
Manufacturing industries have not yet assumed any considerable
importance in Oklahoma, which stands thirtieth in order when the
States of the country are rated according to the value of their manu
factured products.1 Nor are the leading manufacturing industries
in Oklahoma—petroleum refining, flour and grist mills, and zinc
smelting and refining 2—such as employ many women.
With this knowledge of the industrial standing of the State, one
is not surprised at the facts disclosed by the occupational census
concerning the number and distribution of the gainfully employed
women. In 1920 there were 94,594 women gainfully employed in
Oklahoma, this number being 13.2 per cent of the total female
population 10 yearn of age or over. In only four States was the
proportion of women gainfully employed smaller than this. Of
these women in remunerative occupations, over one-fourth were in
domestic and personal service, not far from one-fourth were engaged
in agriculture, and over three-tenths were in clerical or professional* *
1 U. S. Bureau of the Census. Fourteenth census: Abstract of the census of manufactures, 1919. p. 280,
table 187.
* U. S. Bureau of the Census. Fourteenth census: v. 9, Manufactures, 1919. p. 1216, table 3.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

occupations; trade, transportation, and manufacturing together
claimed less than one-fifth of all the gainfully employed women.3
Under the group last named come all the women working in stores,
in telephone exchanges, and in factories; women who work in laun
dries and in hotels or restaurants are included under the heading of
domestic and personal service.
SCOPE AND METHOD OF INVESTIGATION

It was impossible, with the time and funds available, for the
Women’s Bureau to make such a comprehensive survey as to in
clude all establishments employing women, but a representative
number of plants in the various women-employing industries were
visited. Factories, stores, laundries, telephone exchanges, and
hotels and restaurants were visited in 25 cities and towns of the
State, the list being as follows
Ada.
Ardmore.
Bartlesville.
Beggs.
Blackwell.
Broken Arrow.
Chickasha.

Claremore.
Dewey.
Enid.
Guthrie.
Hominey.

Mad ill.

McAlester.

Morris.
Muskogee.
Oklahoma City.
Okmulgee.
Pauls Valley.
Ponca City.
Sand Springs.

Sapulpa.
Shawnee.
Tulsa.
Wynona.

Definite information as to numbers of employees and data on
hours and wages of the women workers were scheduled by investi
gators after interviews with employers, managers, and foremen, and
after examination of the pay rolls. In order to obtain accurate and
comparable information, all figures from the pay rolls were copied by
the investigators of the bureau except in a very few cases where the
information was supplied by the firm. The wage information ob
tained included data on the earnings, rates, and hours of work of
each woman for a representative current week. In the majority of
cases, records were taken for the last pay-roll week in April, 1924,
but occasionally, on the advice of the management, another week
was selected. The aim was to secure records of a normal week in
which no unusual circumstance had affected the hours or the earn
ings of the employees. Wherever possible, figures also were taken
for a week in April, 1923, as was the record of year’s earnings for
about 20 per cent of the women in each plant who had been with the
firm during that time and had worked not less than 44 weeks.
With the wage and hour data thus obtained were combined facts
relating to age, nativity, conjugal and living condition, schooling, and
time in the trade, which were obtained from questionnaires dis
tributed in the plants and filled in by the employees.
3 U. S. Bureau of the Census. Fourteenth census: Population, 1020. Abstract of occupation statistics,
p. 498, table 7; p. 502, table 10,

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

In addition to taking the records described, the agents went
through the plants giving attention to the general conditions of
work, such as seating, lighting, ventilation, and sanitary and service
provisions.
A few of the women were visited in their homes, and information
was obtained concerning their home responsibilities and dependents.
The industries included in the survey, the number of establish
ments covered, and the number of employees are given in the follow
ing table:
Table 1.—Number of establishments and number of men and women employed

therein, by indv.stry

Industry

Number
Total
of
number
establish of em
ployees
ments

Number
of men

Number of women
Total

White

Negro

All industries.............................................

172

8,617

4,482

4,135

3,887

248

Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products _. ..........................
Meat, poultry, and dairy products
Other food products________________
Printing and publishing,............................
Shirts and overalls................ ........ ...
Miscellaneous___ _______
General mercantile_______ ____ ______
5-10-and-25-cent stores____ ________
Laundries____________ ____ _
Hotels and restaurants________ ____
Telephone exchanges___________ _______

8
6
10
5
4
11
25
20
32
34
17

1,000
1,121
538
102
116
1,321
896
411
1,005
1,258
849

827
934
310
70
16
971
247
70
298
667
72

173
187
228

185

350
6#

346
646

4
3

707
591
777

653
406
777

54
185

The 4,135 women included in the survey were employed in fac
tories, stores, laundries, telephone exchanges, and hotels and res
taurants. No individual manufacturing industry assumed any
overwhelming importance, but over one-fourth of all the women
reported were working in factories. Not far from the same propor
tion were employed in stores. In short, the distribution of women
included in the survey is characteristic of a region which is not
given over primarily to manufacturing.
In the study of the other tables in this report certain facts should be
borne in mind. For example, five night workers employed in fac
tories are included in this first table, but are not included in any of
the tables on hours or wages. Although there wei*e night workers
in telephone exchanges and in hotels and restaurants, because the
work was continuous in nature, and because many of the night
workers in telephone exchanges had not been so designated in the
records relating to wages and hours worked, this group of workers
in these two industries has been thrown with the day workers.
In the general tabulation of scheduled hours the figures for hotel
and restaurant workers and for the women in the telephone exchanges
have not been included because of the greater irregularity in the
schedules of these workers. For each of these groups, the hour

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

information is compiled separately. For the hotel and restaurant
workers the wages also have been separately tabulated because the
practice of furnishing meals to part of these workers keeps the figures
from being comparable with those of other industries. The wage
figures of the negro women have also been handled separately from
those of the white women because of the marked difference ordinarily
found between the wage standards of these two groups.
SUMMARY OF FACTS
Extent of survey:
Number of cities and towns visitedr__:------------------------------------------Number of establishments visited
172
Number of women employed in these establishments4, 135

Workers:
1. Proportion of negroes
6. 0
2. Distribution of women in industry groups—
Manufacturing--------------------- ------------------------------------ .■----Mercantile 23.
Laundries_____________________________________________
Hotels and restaurants 14.
Telephone exchanges 18.
3. Conjugal condition of—■
2,383 white women—
Single----------------------------------Married__ ,
Widowed, separated, or divorced 20.
154 negro women-—
Single 20.
Married_____________
Widowed, separated, or divorced---------------------------------4. Age of—
2,454 white women—
Under 25 years of age:------------------------------------------------25 and under 30 years of age 13.
30 years of age or over___________________________ ____
156 negro women—
Under 25 years of age------------------------------------------------25 and under 30 years of age--------------------------------------30 years of age or over-----------------------------------------------5. Living condition of—
2,464 white women—
Living independently 14.
Living at home 79.
Living with relatives4
154 negro women—
Living independently 18.
Living at home 79.
Living with relatives4
1.
6. Nativity was reported for 2,586 women, only 12 of whom were
foreign born.

Per cent

25. 9
9
17. 1
3
8

46. 0
33. 2
7
1
46. 8
33. 1

53. 1
9
33. 0
28. 2
27. 6
44. 2

7
6
5. 6
2
9
9

‘Includes those women who lived with relatives other than parents, husband, children, brothers, or
sisters.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Hours:
Hour data for 121 factories, stores, and laundries may be summarized as
follows:
1. Weekly hours—
A schedule of 54 hours for 49.6 per cent of the women.
A schedule of 48 hours or less for 18.5 per cent of the women.
Hours less than scheduled worked by 70.3 per cent of the
women for whom time worked was reported.
Hours more than scheduled worked by 11.3 per cent of the
women for whom time worked was reported.
2. Daily hours—
A schedule of 9 hours for 64.4 per cent of the women.
A schedule of 8 hours or less for 20.6 per cent of the women.
3. Saturday hours—
Saturday hours shorter than the daily schedule for 30.8 per
cent of the women in factories.
Saturday hours longer than the daily schedule for 19.5 per cent
of the women in stores.
Of 776 women in 17 telephone exchanges, 94.6 per cent had a scheduled
day of 8 hours and a week of 48 hours.
For 568 women employed in 34 hotels and restaurants the scheduled hours
of duty on 81.2 per cent of all the working days were 8 or less. Over-all
hours on 36.1 per cent of the days were 10 or more.

Wages:
Wage data for 135 factories, stores, laundries, and telephone exchanges may
be summarized as follows:
1. Week’s earnings.
Median week’s earnings for all industries— April, 1923
April, 1924
White women $12. 15
$13. 00
Negro women
8. 70
8. 20
Median week’s earnings of full-time white workers_____ 15. 00
2. Year’s earnings (April, 1923, to April, 1924)—
Median year’s earnings for all industries, white women, 666. 00
For .406 white women employed in 34 hotels and restaurants the median
week’s earnings in April, 1924, were $11.75; for 185 negro women, they
were $10.10.

Working conditions:
For the 172 factories, stores, laundries, telephone exchanges, and hotels and
restaurants visited—
1. General workroom conditions were as follows—
a. 76 factories and laundries had aisles narrow or obstructed, 25
stores had aisles behind counters too narrow for workers to
pass when seats were down.
b. 32 hotels and restaurants had hard floors (of cement or tile);
59 factories and laundries had floors of concrete, tile, or
brick, and in only 15 of these were wooden platforms or
ruberoid strips provided.
c. Natural light was unsatisfactory for part of the workers in 11
factories and for part or all of the workers in 9 kitchens and
5 dining rooms.
d. Glare from unshaded bulbs was reported for part or all of the
workers in 34 factories, 28 laundries, and 14 store work
rooms.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Working conditions—Continued,
For the 172 factories, stores, laundries, telephone exchanges, and hotels and
restaurants visited—Continued.
.
1. General workroom conditions were as follows—Continued.
e. In 17 factories and 24 laundries, no seats were provided for
women who stood at their work; in 18 factories and 1
laundry seats without backs were furnished for the women
who sat at their- work all of the time.
2. The need for improved sanitation is shown in the followinga. The common drinking cup was found in 79 establishments,
no cups in 8 establishments, insanitary bubble fountains in
25 establishments.
b. There were no washing facilities in 7 establishments, no
towels in 46 establishments, common towels in, 86 estab
lishments.
c. An inadequate number of toilet facilities was reported in 46
establishments, same toilets for men and women in 12
establishments, toilets shared with public in 40 establish
ments,
3. The record of service facilities disclosed—
a. No lunchroom in 97 establishments.
b. No cloakroom in 40 establishments.
c. No restroom in 113 establishments.
CONCLUSIONS

As far as the hours of women workers are concerned, Oklahoma
may be said to occupy a middle ground. Although the limitations
of the State law do away with the evil of excessively long hours, an
8-hour standard has not made great progress and the 6-day week
remains more common than the oka-day week. In the State as a
whole, standards of plant equipment affecting the convenience and
health of the workers have not come up to what they should be.
Although the wage standards of Oklahoma are higher than those
of many communities, there is room for improvement. A median
wage of $13 for all the women surveyed in the State means that
one-half of these women received less and one-half received more
than that amount. When half of the women who were reported as
working the full scheduled week of their firm earned less than $15,
the situation left much to be desired. Industrial activity as yet is
rather limited in Oklahoma, and as the State develops the evils often
found in old establishments may he avoided. A locality that is only
at the beginning of its development has the opportunity and the
responsibility of setting for itself high standards in all the phases of
its industrial life.

PART II
WAGES
Of the various factors connected with the labor contract, probably
none is of greater importance than the amount of money to be re
ceived in return for the service rendered. The workers themselves
ordinarily look upon this as a matter of preeminent importance, and
many labor disputes have centered about the question of the wage
rate. Nor is it unnatural that the worker should concentrate his
efforts in this direction. While some people may think a high wage is
of little value to the worker who has practically no time free for inter
ests other than his job or to the worker who labors under such cir
cumstances that the job exhausts all energy and undermines the
health, still it is obvious that time for recreation and self-improve
ment, and freedom from hazard while at work, are not enough if the
worker receives wages insufficient to make possible some enjoyment
of his leisure or to keep him decently clothed and fed. A large
proportion of the anxieties of wage earners center about the efforts to
make the money in the pay envelope meet the necessary expenditures.
As already stated, because of the marked difference in the earnings
of white and of negro women, the figures for these two groups in the
present study have been kept separate throughout, and the earnings
of negro workers are discussed in a separate section. Also, the wages
of the women working in hotels and restaurants, although taken from
pay rolls, are not strictly comparable with those for the other workers
because of the difference in the practices within the industry itself.
In many hotels and restaurants from one to three meals a day are
furnished to the employee by the firm, while in some hotels workers
receive both board and room. It is difficult to estimate the value
of these accommodations, and yet it must be admitted that the prac
tice has the effect of augmenting the wages of the workers. All
tables in this section relating to wages and rates therefore include
only the women employed in the following industrial classes: Manu
facturing, stores, laundries, and telephone exchanges; the material
for workers in hotels and restaurants is dealt with in a separate
section.
METHODS OF PAYMENT

In many manufacturing occupations the wages of the employees
are figured on the basis of output, the amount earned varying with the
amount produced. Such workers are said to be on a piece-rate

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES
CT2‘OfOr~-CSCOC»IMr*f

«gjj^t--cic5c5ei

Ar cc.nl
0f

wemej?

Under
dollars

5 and
under
10

dollars

10 and
under
15
dollars

15 and
under
20

dollars

20 and
under
25
dollars

25 and
under
30
dollars

30 and
under
35
dollars

35 and
40
under dollars
40
and
dollars
over

AMOUNT or EARNINGS
"Week’s earnings of women employed In factories, stores, laundries, and tele
phone exchanges

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

basis. Other workers receive pay based on the number of hours or
days which they work during the week, while a few may be working
under a combination of the two systems. Table 2 shows the meth
ods of payment followed in the industries surveyed, exclusive of hotels
and restaurants.
Table 2.—Extent of timework and piecework, by industry
Number and pc r cent of women n each specified
ind ustry who were on—
Number
of women
reported

Industry

Timework
Num
ber

All industries......... ................................
Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products
Meat, poultry, and dairy products ___
Other food products....... ........ ................
Miscellaneous

____________________

Per
cent

Piecework
Num
ber

Per
cent

Both time and
piecework
Num
ber

Per
cent

3,449

3,059

88.7

334

9.7

1.6

165
169
221
14
98
320
649
341
695
777

122
134
126
14
25
214
649
341
657
777

73.9
79.3
57.0
100.0
25.5
66.9
100.0
100.0
94.5
100.0

37
21
84

22.4
12.4
38.0

6
14
11

3.6
8.3
5.0

73
81

74.5
25.3

7.8

5.5

Of the 3,449 women for whom the method of payment was re
ported, almost nine-tenths were working on a straight-time basis.
This is partly due to the fact that three of the largest groups—the
women employed in the two branches of the mercantile industry and
in the telephone exchanges—were entirely timeworkers. But even in
the factories of Oklahoma time worked was a very usual basis for
reckoning pay, since not far from two-thirds of the women employed
in manufacturing establishments were timeworkers. The only Okla
homa industry surveyed in which any considerable proportion of its
women workers were on a piece rate was the manufacture of shirts
and overalls, where practically three-fourths of the women were
pieceworkers.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

The material on week’s earnings was copied from the pay rolls of
the establishments visited. The actual earnings of each woman em
ployed were taken off for a week in April, 1924, and for a corre
sponding week in 1923. While the aim was to take the record in
each plant for the last pay-roll week in April, there is some variation
from that date, either because the week specified was not a normal
one in the plant or because the pay roll for that week was not available.
61159°—26t----- 2

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Records of week’s earnings for the late pay-roll period were obtained
for 3,452 white women employed in these industries, and the distri
bution of the women in the various wage groups is given in Appendix
Table I. The median earnings for these 3,452 women were $13; that
is, one-half of them earned less than that amount and one-half
earned more. If the median be taken to represent the standard of
earnings in an industry, a comparison of the standards of the various
industries is possible from the following summary:
Number
of women
reported

Industry

All industries _______________________ _
Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products __
Meat, poultry, and dairy products
_____
Other food products.. .
______ __
Shirts and overalls _ _
__
. __
Miscellaneous.
_ __ ______
General mercantile
__ __
5-10-and-25-cent stores. _
_____ _________ __
Laundries. _____
_
...__
Telephone exchanges.__ ...
________

...
.....

3, 452
173
185
222
100
341
646
341
653
777

Median
earnings,
pay roll in
April, 1924

$13. 00
12.
11.
10.
17.
10.
17.
9.
11.
16.

80
90
30
70
15
35
45
50
50

On this basis, the manufacture of shirts and overalls had the highest
wage standards of the industries surveyed, with a median of $17.70,
while general mercantile establishments and telephone exchanges
came next with medians of $17.35 and $16.50, respectively. The
median of the industry next in order—the manufacture of glass and
glass products—was almost $4 lower than the $16.50 median of the
telephone workers. The industry group lowest in the scale of earn
ings is the 5-10-and-25-cent stores, the median for which was $9.45.
As only 14 of the women reported were employed in printing and
publishing, no median is computed for that group. The earnings of
these 14 women ranged from $5 to $21.
The foregoing figures on earnings relate to all of the women who
appeared on the pay rolls during the week recorded, irrespective of
how much time they actually worked. Consequently the earnings
reported ranged all the way from less than $1 to over $40. However,
the earnings of almost four-fifths of the women fell between $8 and
$20.

The situation in regard to week’s earnings is differently stated in
the following summary, again comparing the standards of earnings
of the various industries:

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Percentage of women earning less than $9
All industries 16. 4
Telephone exchanges
2. 6
General mercantile
5. 3
Shirts and overalls
8. 0
Laundries 15. 3
Meat, poultry, and dairy products 16. 8
Glass and glass products 17. 3
Food products other than those specified 36. 9
5-10-and-25-cent stores 37. 8
Miscellaneous manufacturing 38. 1
Percentage of women earning less than $12
All industries----------------------------------------------------------------Telephone exchanges 10. 0
General mercantile 15. 8
Shirts and overalls 16. 0
Glass and glass products 42. 2
Meat, poultry, and dairy products 51. 9
Laundries 55. 7
Food products other than those specified 62. 6
Miscellaneous manufacturing 69. 2
5-10-and-25-cent stores__________________________________

41. 3

92. 7

Percentage of women earning less than $15

All industries-----------------------------------------------------------------General mercantile 28. 9
Shirts and overalls-------------- -------------------------------------------Telephone exchanges 31. 7
Glass and glass products 79. 8
Food products other than those specified 82. 0
Laundries 84. 1
Miscellaneous manufacturing 85. 3
Meat, poultry, and dairy products 87. 0
5-10-and-25-cent stores 98. 5

61. 6
29. 0

Percentage of women earning less than $18
All industries 80. 9
Shirts and overalls---------------------------------------------------------General mercantilei 54. 5
Telephone exchanges 72. 2
Miscellaneous manufacturing 92. 7
Meat, poultry, and dairy products 93. 5
Laundries______________________________________________
Glass and glass products________________ _______________
Food products other than those specified 96. 4
5-10-and-25-eent stores 99. 1

52. 0

93. 9
96. 0

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTBIES

This summary of the distribution of earnings shows that the
manufacture of shirts and overalls and the general mercantile estab
lishments were the only industries in which any considerable pro
portion of the women had earned as much as $18. While the tele
phone workers, according to median earnings, were one of the more
highly paid groups surveyed, this was due largely to the fact that the
earnings of two-fifths of these women were between $15 and $18,
and a smaller percentage earned $18 or more. Over a third of the
women employed in the three following industries—food products
other than those specified, miscellaneous manufacturing, and 5-10and-25-cent stores—earned less than $9 a week, while over ninetenths of the women in the last-named group earned less than $12.
For the 1923 pay-roll period records of earnings were obtained for
only 2,350 white women, including some women from all the indus
tries surveyed in 1924 except the telephone exchanges. The detailed
figures on earnings are given in Table II in the appendix. The
summary of these figures in terms of medians for those industries
reporting enough women to make possible the computation of a
median is given here:
industry

All industries

Number of
women re
ported

__________________________________

2, 350

Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products __
______________________
Meat, poultry, and dairy products__________ ________
Other food products. ______ _______ __ _________
_
Shirts and overalls _ ..
_ _ _________
___
Miscellaneous. __ _. __
_____________ _______
General mercantile- ___________ _ ___
.
5-10-and-25-cent stores_____
__________ __________ ____
Laundries____________________________________________

130
185
227
114
158
611
333
580

Median
earnings,
pay roll in
1923

$12. 15
13.
11.
10.
16.
10.
17.
9.
11.

15
80
45
70
10
60
30
40

While the median earnings for the women reported during this
week were only $12.15, or approximately 6 per cent lower than the
median for 1924, the difference does not appear to be due to any
consistent difference in wage level for the various industries, but
rather to the lack of figures in the earlier period for women in tele
phone exchanges, one of the more highly paid groups. While the
median earnings were lower in the early pay-roll period in meat,
poultry, and dairy products; shirts and overalls; miscellaneous manu
facturing; 5-10-and-25-cent stores; and laundries, the medians were
higher on the earlier date for glass and miscellaneous food manufac
turing and for general mercantile establishments.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Earnings and time worked.

Up to this point all analysis of wages has disregarded the length
of time worked during the week and considered only the amount of
money which appeared opposite the woman’s name on the pay roll.
The amount earned is not the only fact of interest and an analysis
of earnings -which takes no account of the time required to earn the
amount reported is incomplete.
It is sometimes difficult to obtain any record of the time worked,
and not always can the figures be obtained in comparable form.
For those women whose pay is based directly on the number of
hours worked, exact records in terms of hours ordinarily are obtain
able; but such definite data can not be secured for all timeworkers.
For the workers in stores, attendance reports usually show on how
many days the women were present, irrespective of whether they
remained at work throughout the day. For the pieceworkers, the
problem of getting any record of time worked becomes even more
difficult. The firm finds such a record of no importance in connection
with the making up of the pay roll. Some firms keep detailed hour
records for pieceworkers, but frequently it is impossible to obtain
any figures at all on time worked, even in the rough form of the
number of days on which work was done.
Earnings are tabulated according to the hours worked, so far as
such material is available, in Table III A in the appendix. The
table here presented gives a summary of figures on earnings and
hours worked in the various industries, compiled from unpublished
material.

Table 3.—Median earnings and hours worked, by industry—192If.
Number of women who worked each specified number of hours and their median earnings in—
Manufacturing
Hours worked during the week

All industries
Glass and glass
products

Meat, poultry, and
Other food products
dairy products

Laundries
Miscellaneous

Telephone
exchanges

Total........... ........ ..............

i 1,521

$13.95

130

$12.80

129

$11.65

175

$10.40

258

$9. 50

$9.90

744

$16.60

Under 30______ _____ _
30 and under 39............................
39 and under 44. _____
44_____ ________
Over 44 and under 48
48_____________________
Over 48 and under 50...................
50_..........................
Over 50 and under 52_____ ____
52......... ............
Over 52 and under 54...................
54.............................
Over 54............... ..

132
110
140
49
183
611
51
35
45
3
30
108
24

4. 65
8. 75
12. 55
13. 55
11. 55
17.00
11. 90
11. 55
15.45
0
11. 65
12. 45
14. 35

14
9
9
1
33

0
0
©
0
13.20

5.15
8.50
0
0
15.30

0
0
15. 65
0
0
0

2.75
(!)
11.65
0
11.70
0
14.00

37
23
10
1
43

10
2
32
3
4
13

18
11
31
3
31
2
16

43
46
13
19
59
1
7
13

4. 30
8.30
0
11.50
10.25
0
0
0

1
6
13
2
2
2
7
6
4

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

18
15
63
19
14
598
3
5
3

8.00
11.50
14.80
14.90
0
17.00
0
0
0

9
12

0
0

1
5.

48 and over....................................

907

16. 15

10.5p

14. 85

0
0
0

6
10

0
0

7
10
22

0
0

3
52
2

14.30

12.- 70

11. 30

12.55

12.15
0

615

0
0

17.00

1 Total exceeds the sum of numbers reported in the various industries, since women are included in the total who were employed in industries reporting hours for too few women
to make separate medians significant .
2 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

W O M EN IN OKLAHOM A IN D U STR IES

Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median
of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings of women earning's of women earnings

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

There were 1,521 women for whom a correlation of earnings and
hours worked was possible. These women were employed in all
branches of manufacturing that were included in the survey, and
in laundries and telephone exchanges. The two mercantile divisions
furnished no returns on the subject. After grouping all the in
dustries for which such material was available, a glance at the median
earnings for the various hour groups shows the lack of any positive
relation between the number of hours worked and the amount earned
«o

Cellars

r—

«3
«0

30
and
under
39
hours

39
and
under
44
hours

>0
w

no
«o

O
o

d
»-<

t-4

to*

ITS

»£3

-f
C

CO
T*

«»
R
L
W
1i 10
fc

«
A

Under
30
hours

44
hours

Over
44
and
under
48
hours

48
hours

Over
48
and
under
50
hours

50
hours

Over
50
and
under
52
hours

Over
52
and
under
54
hours

54
hours

Over
54
hours

HOURS WORKED

Median earnings in relation to hours worked of women employed in factories,
■
laundries, and telephone exchanges

during that time. It is true that the amounts earned in the two
shortest periods were the lowest, but after these two groups are
passed there is no regular progression of wages with the number of
hours worked. The highest median earnings were $17 for those
women who had worked 48 hours, while those who had worked over 54
hours had a median of only $14.35. The facts in regard to earnings
are graphically presented in the chart on earnings in relation to hours
worked.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

In only a few cases is it possible to make any comparison between
the various hour groups within any one industry. In the man
ufacture of glass, medians were computed for only two hour
groups—for those women who had worked between 44 and 48 hours
and for those who had worked between 50 and 52 hours. In this
instance the women who had worked the longer hours had also the
higher median earnings. Again in the preparation of meat, poultry,
and dairy products the longer hours were accompanied by higher
wages, so far as sufficient material was available to make computation
of medians significant. Medians are given for four hour groups
in the manufacture of the miscellaneous food products. While the
medians for the two shortest hour groups—both under 39 hours—were low, that for the 44 to 48 hour group was higher than that for
the women who had worked over 54 hours. For the workers in
telephone exchanges there was a fairly consistent increase in wages
with the increase in the number of hours worked, but in this instance
at least it would be expected, since the scheduled hours for all of
these women were the same, and any women who worked less than
48 hours had worked less than their full week.
The figures from the 1923 pay roll show the same general situation
in regard to earnings and hours worked as do those for 1924. Here
also there was no definite relation established between the amount
earned and the number of hours worked during the week.

Table 4.—Median earnings and hours worked, by industry—1923
Number of women who worked each specified number of hours and their median earnings in—
Manufacturing
All industries
Hours worked during the week

Laundries
Meat, poultry, and Other food products
dairy products

Miscellaneous

Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median Number Median
of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings of women earnings
Total...................................................................
Under 30------------------ --------------------------------------30 and under 39------- ------ ------------------------- --------

1496

$11.65

52
42
102
31
64

5.10
8.70
11.10
11.90
13.00
10.25
(2)
11.35
(2)

54________ __________ _________________________
Over 54. ---------------------------•--------------------- -------

23
7
19
12
12
70
26

48 and over.................... .................................................

205

12.65

(2)

12.50
13. 20

$13. 75

5
1
13

0
0

19
23

14. 40

3
2
2
2
13

(2)
(2)
(2)

14. 75

(2)
(!)

129
12
9
35
14
24
6
7
1
5
1

$11.70
0
0

11.45

11. 75
(2)
(2)
(2)
0
«

13
2

12.55

179
28
22
44

5.25
9.00
11.00

4
3
3
16

13.00

11
1
6
4
7
16
24

0
0

10.95

9. 65
13.40

(2)

1
4

12.00

0
0
0

$11.20

$10.10

1
'•

1
5

0
0

6
5
2
17
33

$9. 95
0

(2)
(2)
(2)
0
0

(2)
0
(2)
0

14. 50
11. 65

1 Total exceeds the sum of numbers reported in the various industries since women are included in the total who were employed in one industry reporting hours for too few women
to make separate medians significant.
2 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

W O M EN IN OKLAHOM A IN D U ST R IE S

Glass and glass
products

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

The highest median wage from the 1923 pay rolls, $15.85, was for
the women who had worked only 48 hours a week, while the next
highest median, $13.20, represented the earnings of those women who
had worked longer than 54 hours. The median for the women who
had worked between 44 and 48 hours was $13.
Not only the median earnings, but the dispersion of earnings within
the hour groups, indicate a considerable lack of correlation between
earnings and hours worked. While almost one-fourth of the women
working 54 hours earned less than $10, there were women working
less than 44 hours who received $20 or more. The earnings of the
women who worked 48 hours or over ranged from the $7 to the $30and-under-$35 group.
In discussing the absence of positive relation between hours worked
and earnings, it must be remembered that some of the women who
worked 44 hours, for example, were employed their full scheduled
hours, while others with a week of 44 hours may have lost considerable
time. In general the wages are likely to fluctuate more with the
proportion worked of the full-time week than with the actual hours.
In view of this fact, the earnings of full-time workers are treated under
1 a separate heading.
For 1,562 women employed in factories, stores, laundries, and
telephone exchanges the records showed on how many days they had
worked. When this method of recording time is used, there is a
more positive correlation between time worked and earnings, since
we are in this way ascertaining roughly the proportion of the week
which they worked, except in the case of those who worked on 5y>
days or more. Some of those who worked on 5^ days had been
employed what was for them a full week, but a very considerable
group had not. The frequency table on earnings and days on which
work was done for the 1924 pay-roll period is in the appendix
(Table III-B). The following summary shows the medians for each
group, together with the number of women working the specified
amount of time:
Number of days on which work was done

Total
1...

IX-

2...

2H3___

3A4___
4 X5.._

t>A6___

e>A

7--.
1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Number of
women
reported

Median
earnings

1, 562
17
5
23
6
23
13
48
17
99
69
1, 227
2
13

$12.
2.
0
3.
0
5.
0
8.
8.
10.
10.
12.
0
0

10
65
95
80
35
50
05
70
90

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Information on earnings and days worked based on the 1923
figures may be found in Appendix Table IY-B.
Earnings of full-time workers.
The comparison of earnings with time worked is affected by the
fact, already stated, that of those who had worked for the same
number of hours, some put in a full week while others worked con
siderably below the schedule of the plant, and the amount of money
earned probably bears closer relation to the proportion of the full
scheduled week which the women worked than to the actual number
of hours worked. For this reason it was felt that a record of the
earnings of all those who had worked the exact scheduled time of
the firm would be a worth-while cheek on the general wage figures.
The number of full-time workers and their median earnings are given
in Table 5. The detailed frequency distribution of the earnings of
these women is given according to industry in Table V in the appendix.
It must be remembered that some of the time records of the women
employees were in terms of hours worked, while in other cases time
worked was expressed only in terms of the number of days on which
a woman had been employed. If the scheduled week of the plant
consisted of 6 days and the woman had reported for work on 6 days,
or if 5 days constituted the scheduled week and the woman had
reported for work each day, she was counted as working the full week.
It is probable that in such case her actual working time came very
close to her expected weekly schedule.
Table 5.—Week’s earnings of women who worked the firm’s scheduled week com
pared with those for aU workers
Women who worked
the firm’s sched*
uled week

Median earnings
of

Per cent
by which
median
earnings of
full-time
workers
All
exceeded
workers
those of
all workers

Number

Per cent
of women
for whom
time rec
ord was
available

Full*
time
workers

2,004

65.0

$15.00

$13.00

15.4

2812
44
8
6
108
501
260
425
612

16.3
7.9
21.5
57.1
85.7
35.9
91.9
76.5
72.4
80.5

14.10
(>)
11.00
m
(>)
12.15
18.20
9.80
12. 05
16.90

12.80
11.90
10. 30
m
17. 70
10.15
17. 35
9.45
11.50
16. 50

10.2

Industry

All industries.................................—.............
Manufacturing:’

6.8
19.7
4.9
3.7
4.8
2.4

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Time records were secured either in days or in hours for 3,083
women. Of this number, 2,004, or 65 per cent, had worked the

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

normal week of the firm in which they were employed. About 100
women (3.2 per cent) had worked in excess of their scheduled week.
The median earnings for the full-time workers is compared not
with the median for only those women for whom time was reported
hut with the median for all the women for whom earnings were re
ported. In the case of the following industries—meat, poultry, and
dairy products, printing and publishing, and shirts and overalls—
material was available for too small a number of women to make
comparison of any value. Of 100 shirt and overall workers, time
records were available for only 7 women, and 6 of these were full
time workers.
The median earnings for the full-time workers in all industries
were $15, or 15.4 per cent higher than the $13 median for all of the
women for whom earnings were reported. This is a greater percent
age of difference than obtains in any of the single industries in which
comparison was made, except one. In the miscellaneous manufac
turing group the median for the full-time workers was almost 20
per cent higher than that for all of the women in this classification,
a difference due to the fact that almost two-thirds of the women
with time records had lost some time, thus indicating the reason for
a lower median for this group as a whole. In general mercantile
establishments, on the other hand, over 90 per cent of the women for
whom information on time worked was available had worked the
firm’s scheduled week, and in this industry the median of the full
time workers was less than 5 per cent greater than the median for
all the women in the industry. The full-time median earnings for
all industries were undoubtedly higher than they might otherwise
have been because of the fact that two of the larger and better paid
groups—general mercantile and telephone workers—had an unusu
ally large proportion of women working full time, reducing the differ
ence between their full-time and general medians.
Earnings and rates.

When figures on earnings are given it is sometimes pointed out that
these do not necessarily represent the maximum that the women
might have earned; that for personal reasons or reasons connected
with the running of the plant, they had not been at work the full
week but had been irregular in attendance. Therefore the weekly
rate—the amount which the worker might reasonably expect to
receive if she put in a normal week—is of interest to complete the
story of earnings, in spite of the fact that it is actual rather than
expected earnings with which the worker must meet her expenses.
It would be preferable, for the sake of completeness, if wage rates
could be available for all of the women for whom earnings were
reported. Unfortunately, however, this is not possible. Obviously,
no weekly rates can be obtained for women whose earnings depend

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

entirely or in part upon the amount of output. Rates for timeworkers may be given for the hour, the week, the month, or the half
month. For the purposes of consideration in these tables and com
parison with earnings, all figures on time rates were converted into
terms of the weekly period. Using this method, it was possible to
present wage rates for practically all the timeworkers.
A comparison of rates and earnings was made for 2,977 women. In
printing and publishing, too few women were reported to make a
comparison of medians possible, and that industry is omitted in
Table 6, in which is presented a comparison of median rates and
median earnings. The detailed figures from which the medians were
computed are to be found in Table VI in the appendix.
Table 6.—Median rates and median earnings, by industry—1924

Industry

Manufacturing:

Per cent
by which
actual
earnings
fell below
weekly
rate

Number
of
women
reported

Weekly
rate

Week’s
earnings

i 2,977

$13.90

$13.05

6.1

122
132
126
25
210
629
340
612
767

13.00
12.80
10.90
15.05
12.20
17.75
9.90
12.10
16.90

11.90
11. 55
9. 85
14.50
9.00
17. 30
9.45
11. 70
16.50

8.5
9.8
9.6
3.7
26.2
2.5
4.5
3.3
2.4

1 Printing and publishing reported too small a number of women for the computation of medians and
does not appear separately, but the women in that industry are included in “all industries.”

The median rate for all the women for whom such information was
obtainable was $13.90, and the median earnings for the same women
were $13.05, the earnings falling short of the rate by only 6.1 per cent.
It may seem odd at first glance that a median of rates should fail
to come up to the median earnings of the full-time workers ($15),
but it must be remembered that, to a considerable extent, records are
given for different women in the two cases and that the necessary rea
sons for selection would affect the situation. For example, a much
smaller number of women employed in the two food groups and in
the manufacture of glass were available for the table on full-time
earnings than for the rate table, and these three groups were charac
terized by rather lower earnings than most of the other industries when
wages were considered alone, irrespective of conditioning factors.
Also, it is obvious that the women who appeared in Table 6 must—to
have a weekly rate—be timeworkers, and unpublished figures indicate
that in all industries but one where both methods of payment existed
side by side the earnings of the timeworkers fell below those of the
pieceworkers. Another indication that, on the whole, the lower paid

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

workers probably appeared to a greater extent in the table on rates
than in the table on full-time earnings is the fact that in each of the
manufacturing groups the median earnings of the women for whom
rates were available fell short of those for all of the women reported in
the industry. (Compare Table 6 and summary on p. 10.) Although
this might have been due to more lost time among that particular
group of workers, the figures do not indicate that conclusion and
there is no inherent difference in their industrial situation to suggest
that it would be a probable explanation.
The greatest difference between earnings and rates was found in
the miscellaneous manufacturing group, where the median earnings
fell below the median rate for the group by 26.2 per cent, while the
least difference was shown for the workers in telephone exchanges and
general merchantile establishments.
The figures for rates and earnings for the pay-roll period of 1923
show somewhat less inclination for earnings to fall behind rates than
do the figures for 1924. (Appendix Table VII.) For the earlier
date the median earnings fell short of the median rate by 4.7 per cent.
The greatest difference between rates and earnings, in 1923 as in 1924,
was in the miscellaneous manufacturing group, but in the earlier
period this difference was only 12.8 per cent.
Table 7.—Median rates and median earnings, by industry—1923

Industry

Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products.............. .........................................
Meat, poultry, and dairy products.________
Other food products....... .............. ...........
Shirts and overalls.____ ____________
Miscel laneous............................ .............
General mercantile......... ........... . ..........
5-10-and-25-cent stores. ______ _____ ____________
Laundries— _____________________ __ ,

Number
of
women
reported

Weekly
rate

Week’s
earnings

Per cent
by which
actual
earnings
fell below
weekly rate

11,930

$12. 70

$12.10

4.7

92
145
143
27
62
596
333
520

14. 00
12.75

13.25
11.60

15.25
10.55
18. 00
9*80
12.25

5.4
9.0
5.1

9.20

12.8

9. 30
11.55

5.1
5.7

1 Printing anti publishing reported too small and number of women for the computation of medians
and does not appear separately, but the women in that industry tire included in “ all industries.”

The frequency table in the appendix on rates and earnings for the
1924 pay-roll period, indicates that rates, like earnings, ranged all
the way from the less-than-$4 to the $40-and-over classification.
While there was a difference in the distribution within these extremes
between the two classes of information, there was less difference than
might have been expected. More women earned less than $9 than
had so low a rate, while more women expected to receive amounts
between $9 and $18 than actually received such earnings. The
figures indicate that the earnings of these women were affected by
undertime, but that there was practically no exceeding of rates by

WOMEN IK OKLAHOMA IXDUSTKIES

overtime. Less time was lost by the more highly paid groups than
by the low paid, a situation to be expected, since most of those
workers with high rates were employed in stores and their week could
be shortened only by personal and not by plant- reasons.
The distribution in regard to earnings and rates for the women
employed in factories alone is quite different from that for the women
in all of the industries taken together. There was a considerable
piling up of the number of women with rates at $10 and $12, with
very few women having rates less than $8. The actual earnings,
however, were much more scattered, with the largest groups of
women earning amounts between $8 and $12.
For the women in factories and for those in laundries, week's
earnings were tabulated by weekly rate, enabling one to say what
were the actual earnings of the women who had a specific weekly
rate. These figures are given in Tables VIII and IX in the appendix,
dhe figures, both lor the laundry workers and for the women em
ployed in factories, show a tendency for the actual earnings to be
distributed among the various earnings groups equal to, or lower than,
the rates, but very little tendency for them to exceed the rates.
In a general way the relationship may be seen in the appendix tables,
but the comparison may be more readily seen in the following sum
mary table:
Table 8.—Relation

between actual earnings and weekly rates in manufacturing
establishments and laundries—1924
Manufacturing

Laundries

Number of women whose
actual earnings were—
Weekly rate

Number
of women
reported

Total _
bution _

In same
dollar
grouping
with
weekly
rate

Number
More of women
Less
reported
than
than
weekly
weekly
rate
rate

In same
dollar
grouping
with
weekly
rate

More
than '
weekly
rate

629

376

214

612

146

459

100.0

59.8

34.0

6.2

100.0

23.9

75.0

1.1

3
2
3
34
74
91
20
182
48
78
26
38
9
10

2
1
18
43
65
12
141
30
28
11
19

Under $4______
$0 and under $7.
$7 and under $8.
.$8 and under $9.
$9 and under $10.
$12 and under $13._____
_____
—
_____
_____

$18 and under $19._____
$19 and under $20.
$20 and under $21 _
$22 and under $23._____
__
_____

) and under 3

Less
than
weekly
rate

Number of women whose
actual earnings were—

_____

1
1

3
2
15
28
26
6
37
18
33
15
12
4
8
2
4

_____
1
3
2
4
17
7
4
1

2
4
117
97
74
111
53
41
37
27
6
22
2
7

4
45
20
27
17
14
4
6
6
2

72
75
46
92
38
37
31
21
6
19
7

8
1

2
2
1

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INOUSTBIES

Of the women in factories for whom such a correlation was possible,
practically three-fifths actually earned amounts less than their full
time rate for the week. For only 6.2 per cent was the amount re
ceived more than the rate. For a much smaller proportion of the
laundry workers did the earnings fail to meet the weekly rates, with
the earnings of three-fourths of the women falling within the same
dollar group as their rates. Only 1.1 per cent of these women earned
amounts in excess of the weekly rate.
Weekly rates and scheduled weekly hours.
It has been seen that earnings and actual hours worked were in no
very close relation after the 40-hour group was reached. In Appen
dix Table X figures have been so compiled as to discover whether, in
the case of the women surveyed, there was any positive relation
between the weekly rate of wages and the number of scheduled hours
in the week. As an actual fact, the highest median rate for any hour
group was $16.50 for the women with a 48-hour schedule, while the
lowest median was for those women who worked on a schedule of 52
hours a week. Table 9 presents a summary of the unpublished
material available for each industry.

(

Table 9.—Median rates and scheduled weekly hours, by industry—1924

61159*—26t

Number of women with scheduled weekly hours as specified and their median weekly rates in
Manufacturing

Scheduled weekly hours

Glass and
glass pro
ducts

Meat
poultry,
and
dairy
products

Other food
products

Shirts and
overalls

Miscel
laneous

General
mercantile

5-10-and-25
cent stores

Laundries

Telephone
exchanges

Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me Num Me
ber
ber
ber
ber
ber
ber
ber
ber
ber
ber
dian
dian
dian
dian
dian
dian
dian
dian
dian
dian
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
earn wo earn wo earn
earn wo earn wo earn wo earn wo earn wo earn
wo
ings
ings
ings
wo earn
wo
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
men
men
men
men
men
men
men
men
men
men
Total.............................. 12,971 $13. 90

122 $13.00

16. 50
347
154
54.............. - ............................ 1,182
11

10. 75
12.05
(3)

126 $10.90

25 $15. 05

(2)

(3)

12. 60
15. 50

132 $12. 80

72 $14. 50
7

64 $13. 75

(>)

11.50

12. 50

17
16
14
79

10.30
12. so
(*)
10. 95

20
4

(2)

15.15
c)

210 $12.20
1
8

(J)
0

3
1

(*)
(*)

197

12.20

629 $17.75
3

340

$9. 90

79 $1S. 30
111 18. 45
237

16. 40

33
166

18.20
18.15

609 $12.10
8

(*)

88
252

10. 25
9.65

16 $10. 00
52 10.60
35 12.05
3
<>)
89 13. 50
IS 10.65
0
11
377 12.20

764
1
734

$16.90
0

17.00

2
9
11

0
0

(2)

W O M EN IN OKLAHOM A IN D U STR IES

All
industries

1 Total exceeds the sum of numbers reported in the various industries, since women are included in the total who were employed in industries reporting rates for too few women
to make separate medians significant.
1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

to
Cn

■ WOMEN IK OKLAHOMA IKDUSTBIES

In none of tlie industries in which a comparison was possible was
there any tendency for the higher rate of pay to accompany the
longer week. More often any general tendency existing would
seem to be in the opposite direction.
Earnings and experience.
A correlation between the length of experience and the amount
of earnings may at least suggest the possibilities of increased earning
power held out to the workers in the various industries. Infor
mation on the actual length of time which the women had been in
their various trades is important also to show to what extent they
can be considered as permanent factors in industry, and to what
extent they may be considered as a group engaged only temporarily
in industrial occupations. Table 10 shows the extent of experience
of the women whose records were secured, as well as the median
earnings of those who had been employed the various periods of time.

10.—Median earnings and time in the trade, by industry—1924

Table

Number of women and their median earnings after experience in the trade of—
Under 1 year

All women
reporting

1 and under 2 and under 3 and under 4 and Under 5 and under
10 years
4 years
5 years
3 years
2 years

10 and
under 15
years

15 and
under 20
years

20 y ears
and over

Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi Num Medi- Num Medi Num Medi
Num an ber of an ber of an ber of an ber of an ber of an ber of an ber of an ber of an ber of ftn ber of an ber of an
ber earn wom earn wom earn wom earn wom eafn- wom earn wom earn worn- earn Wom earn wom earn wom earn wom earn
en ings en ings
en ings
en ings
en ings
ings
en ings
en ings
en ihgs
en ings
en ings en ings
All industries.
Manufacturing:
Glass and

2,072 $14. 55

488 $10. 95

262 $11.00

226 $10.90

glass

Meat, poultry, and
dairy products. __
0 ther food products _
Printing and pUbShirts and overalls.

Telephone exchanges..

120 12.10
121 11.20
74
107
345
182
340
711

(h
17.85
12.40
17.50
9.45
12.00
16. GO

25 10.65
35 9.75
2
44
34
104
70
150

(1)
0
12.00
10.80
8.90
10. 45
14.15

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

363 $14.20

14
11

0
0

1 0
24 12.15
17 12.25
53 8.95
33 9.95
91 13.15

11 Cl
24 10.00
2
1

0
0

2a 11.50

17 10. 60
51 8.85
37 11.15
59 14.95

216 $14. 25

ti\

27 11.70
20 10.00
3
13
19
42
49
177

<!>
0
14.50

io. io

11.30
10.30

12
14

C)
C)

1 0
8 0)
9 C)
3C 15.00
13 o
37 11.60
80 16. 70

199 $15.60

391 $10.90

15 12.15
13 0

9 0,
21 13.15

25 13.50
17 14. 50

2 0
8 0
12 0)
24 17.35
10 0
28 11.60
102 17.80

ii 0
10 0
34 15.90
3 0
33 12. 60
78 18.00

225 *15.95

(1)

3
25
12
111
8
74
108

0
18. 75
0

17. 85

13.00
19.65

103 $17.80

0
u 0
4 0
51 19.50
1 0
22 13. 35
6 0

52 $18.20

4 0
2 0
26 19.00
1 0
14 0
4 0

35 $20.50

i
1

0
0)

1 0
2 0
1 0 n
16 25.10
13

W O M EN IN O K LA H O M A IN D U ST R IE S

Total

Industry

Under 6
months

6 months
and under
1 year

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

The distribution of the women among the experience groups indi
cates a very considerable tendency on the part of the women in
Oklahoma industries who reported on experience to remain in their
particular trade for some time. Less than one-fourth of the women
had been employed for a period shorter than a year in the trade in
which they were then working. More than one-fourth had been in
the trade for 5 years or more, while a few had been so engaged as
long as 20 years. Of all the industries, the 5-10-and-25-cent stores
showed the largest proportion of their women emloyees, and the shirt
and overall factories the smaller proportion, who had been in the
trade less than 1 year. Only 2 of the 74 women in the latter in
dustry who reported on experience had been in the industry less than
a year, while 42 of the 74 (56.8 per cent) had been engaged in such
work for 5 years or more. Only 2 women of the 182 reporting
from 5-10-and-25-cent stores had been so employed as long as 10
years. The women in the general mercantile establishments were, on
the whole, an experienced group. Less than one-tenth of them had
been doing such work for less than a year, while almost three-fifths
of them had been employed in stores for 5 years or more, and some
of them for more than 20 years.
For the 2,072 women reporting on earnings and experience there
was a steady increase in median earnings with the added years of
experience in the trade, starting with a median of $10.95 for those
who had been in their respective trades less than one year and mount
ing to $20.50, an increase of 87.2 per cent, in the median for those who
had been in their trade 20 years or more.
In many of the industries too few women were reported to permit
of a complete comparison of earnings for the various experience
groups, but in each case where such figures were available, wages
showed a tendency to increase with experience. The median for the
women employed on meat, poultry, and dairy products who had been
so engaged for 5 but less than 10 years, was only 26.8 per cent higher
than the median for those who had had less than one year’s exper
ience, as against a difference of 48.7 per cent between these two ex
perience groups in the preparation of other food products. The
women who had worked in general mercantile establishments be
tween 5 and 10 years had median earnings 65.3 per cent in excess of
the earnings of those who had worked less than a year, while the
median earnings of those who had remained in the business 20 years
or more were practically two and one-third times those of the inex
perienced women.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Earnings by age.
The following summary shows the relation between the earnings
and the age of 2,215 white women who reported on age:
Age group

16 and under
18 and under
20 and under
25 and under
30 and under
40 and under
50 and under

18_
___ _ _ _ ___________
_ _ __
_ __
20_
_ __
_____ _
________
25_ _
___________ ________ ______________
__ __
30 _________________________ ____ __
_ -__ ______
40_ _
.
_
__
_ .
____
50____
.
___________________ __ _
_
___
60j
13. 95

Median
earnings

$11.
11.
15.
15.
15.
14.

15
95
30
50
30
05

The earnings show an increase with age up to the group who were
30 but less than 40 years of age. At that point begins the decrease
in earnings with advancing years.
YEAR’S EARNINGS

The wage figures quoted in the foregoing discussion have repre
sented the earnings for only one or two sample weeks. The periods for
which records were taken were weeks in which there had not been an
excessive amount either of overtime or of time lost, a week in which
there were no holidays and no shutdown. Figures for such a sample
week show a cross section of the wage conditions of the women in
cluded, but a year is not likely to be made up of 52 normal weeks.
Periods of slack work cause complete or partial shutdowns of plants;
workers necessarily lose some time on account of illness or have inter
fering home duties; holidays shorten some weeks. But the worker
must live 52 weeks whether she receives wages for the whole time or
only part of the year. In addition to the figures for the sample
weeks, therefore, records were taken during this survey to show, for
about 20 per cent of the women on each pay roll, complete figures on
the earnings for the 52 weeks previous to the late pay-roll date.
These women for whom year’s records were secured were the steady
workers of the plants visited, those who had been with.the firm for
at least a year and who had worked during that time at least 44
weeks. In all, such data were obtained for only 459 white women
employed in factories, stores, and laundries. None of these women
had worked less than 44 weeks, and of the 402 for whom reports on
the number of weeks worked as well as on the year’s earnings were
available, almost three-fourths (72.6 per cent) had worked 50 weeks
or more.
Table XI in the appendix gives the detailed figures on year’s
earnings for the women in the various industries. The median year’s
earnings for the whole group were $666. The median earnings in

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

each industry and the number of women for whom records were
secured are listed below, in descending scale, according to the amount
of the earnings:
Industry

Number
of women

General mercantile______ _________ ____
Shirts and overalls
Laundries_______
__
Food products, other than those specified . _
Meat, poultry, and dairy products-.
_
Miscellaneous manufacturing_________ ________
5- 10-and-25 cent stores........................... ..........

128
18 ■
118
47
33
40
59

Median
year's
earnings
<j?914
867

647
613
604
600
510

The range of earnings as shown by the more detailed figures in
Appendix Table XI was from $300 to $1,800, but only one woman
had earnings which fell between $300 and $350, and only eight
earned more than $1,400. The majority of the women (54.7 per
cent) had earnings which fell between $450 and $750, while 36.8 per
cent earned more than $750 and only 8.5 per cent earned less than
$450. The greatest range of earnings was found among the general
mercantile workers and the women employed in laundries. For the
former, earnings for the year ranged from $400 to $1,800, and for
the latter from $350 to $1,600. None of the women employed in
the manufacture of glass and glass products earned over $800, and
none of those in 5-lQ-and-25-cent stores earned more than $S50
during the year.
Since most budgets and statements of living costs are based on a
unit of expenditure shorter than a year, it may be easier to see the
significance of these figures when they are divided by 52, the result
representing an estimate of the probable weekly income. In the
following statement the average weekly earnings thus computed for
the women for whom the year's records were secured ma y foe com
pared with the median of the earnings for the current week of all
the women in each industry:

Industry

Meat, poultry, and dairy products _____________
_
Other food products. _
.. . . _________ .
Shirts and overalls
...
_
Miscellaneous manufacturing_____ ____ _________ _____
General mercantile
____________ _______
5-10-and-25-cent stores__________
_
Laundries
_______

Median
year’s
earnings
divided
by 52

$11

11
16.
11.
17.
9.
12.

62
79
07
54
58
81
44

Median
week’s
earnings,
current
pay rolls

$11.
10.
17
10
17.
9.
11.

90
30
70
15
35
45
50

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA IN DHSlRI'ES

In two industries the average weekly earnings for the picked group
were lower than the week’s median for the larger group, but in the
other cases the average exceeded the median week’s earnings.
EARNINGS OF NIGHT WORKERS

There were only five women working on a straight night shift in
factories, and these women have not been included in either rate or
earnings tables. Three of them had a weekly wage rate of $8 and two
of $10. During the week for which records were taken, none of them
worked as many as 30 hours, and $5 represented the highest earnings
of the group. Women were employed at night in the telephone
exchanges, but, for the most part, the records of night workers could
not be separated from those of day workers, and all the women
employed in telephone exchanges are included in the wage tables,
irrespective of whether they were day or night operators.
EARNINGS OF NEGRO WORKERS

Wage records were obtained for very few negro women—for only
63 other than hotel and restaurant workers. Eight of the negro
workers included in 1923 and nine in 1924 were employed in factories
and stores, but ail of the others were working in laundries. The
earnings of the negro women fell considerably below those of the
white women in both pay-roll periods, the median earnings of the
negro workers being $8.70 in 1923 and $8.20 in 1924, although the
range was almost as great as for the white women. The medians for
the laundry workers were lower than the general median for all
industries, being $8.30 in 1923 and $8 in 1924, indicating somewhat
higher average earnings for the few scattered workers in the other
industries.
The material was available for so few women that no study of
earnings in relation to hours worked or of rates in relation to sched
uled hours was possible. Only 24 of the women were reported as
having worked the full week of the firm. The earnings of these
women ranged from $7 to $16, and the median for even these
full-time workers was only $9.50.
Both in 1923 and in 1924 the earnings of the negro women fell
below their rates. The median earnings in 1924 were $7.70 and the
median rate was $9.25, while in 1923 the earnings and rates showed
medians of $8.55 and $9.20, respectively.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Table 11.—Weekly rate and actual week’s earnings of negro women, all industries—1923 and 1924
Number of women for whom amount
specified was weekly rate and number
for whom it was actual week’s earnings
in—
Amount

Total....................................................................................... .

1923

1924

Weekly
rate

Week’s
earnings

Weekly
rate

51
$9. 20

51
$8. 65

50
$9.25

6
16
18
5
i
i

2
1
1

1
1
3
1

50
$7.70
3

3
1
7
14
9
9
2

Week’s
earnings

1
7
13
16
4
2
2
1

1
11
14
5
5
3
2
1
1

3
1

For 42 of the negro women earnings were correlated with rates of
pay. For 26 of these 42 women the actual earnings fell below the
rates and for 16 the earnings came up to what the women might have
expected in advance. None of the women reported earned amounts
exceeding their weekly rate.

PART III
HOURS
In studying the hours of work in any region, one is really interested
in three phases of the problem: Such standards as may be set by the
law of the locality, the scheduled hours of the plants concerned, and
the number of hours actually worked by the employees of those plants
during a specified period of time.
LEGAL HOURS

Oklahoma may be considered one of the fairly progressive States
of the. country in its attitude toward the length of the working day
for women, so far as the laws of the State go. It is one of 14 States
which have limited the daily hours of women workers to nine, while
only 10 States have made a shorter day the standard.
The laws of Oklahoma limit the day’s work of women employees
in all industries included in this survey to 9 hours, and the week’s
work to 54 hours. The factory inspector may permit a day of more
than 9 hours in case of emergency, if the Saturday’s work is shortened
to bring the week s total within 54 hours. There is, however, an
exception to the law, exempting from this limitation establishments
employing fewer than five women, located in towns of less than 5,000
population.
SCHEDULED HOURS

Information was obtained from employers regarding the daily and
weekly hours actually in operation in the various establishments at
the time of the survey; that is, the number of hours which the women
of the plant were expected to work regularly each day and each week.
The figures tabulated under this heading, “Scheduled hours,” relate,
therefore, only to the normal hours for the women employees of the
plants surveyed and are not affected by any variations in the extent
of plant activity. Overtime and lost time may lead to a considerable
difference between the scheduled hours and the actual hours of work
of the week surveyed, and that subject will be dealt with under the
topic, ‘Actual hours worked.” The hours of workers in telephone
exchanges and in hotels and restuarants are given separate discussion
because of the irregularities existing in the working hours of women
employed in such establishments. For the figures for these industries
see pp. 39 and 47.
Daily hours.
The length of the working day for the women surveyed in Okla
homa industries, with the exception of telephone exchanges and
hotels and restaurants, is shown in Table 12.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Table 12.—•Scheduled daily hours, by industry
Number of establishments and number of women whose
scheduled daily hours were—
Number
reported
Under 8

Industry

Over 8 and
under 9

Estab Wom Estab Wom Estab Wom Estab W om Estab Wom
lish
lish
lish
lish
lish
ments en
ments en ments en
ments en
ments en
All industries................
Per cent distribution...
Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products. .
Meat, poultry, and dairy
products......... .................
Other food products..........
Printing and publishing...
Shirts and overalls.............
Miscellaneous.....................
General mercantile...................
5-10-and-25-cent stores
Laundries..................................

1121

2,762
100.0

8
0.3

173

6
10
5
4
11
25
20
32

187
228
32
100
345
649
341
707

562
20.3

413
15.0

3
6

108
199

38
297
188
260
638

J02

4
1
3

27
62
45
195

4
1

29
5

1
7
2
2

3
266
81
17

1,779
64.4

16
18
29

i Details aggregate more than total because one establishment appears iu more than one hour group.

Records of scheduled daily hours were obtained for 2,762 women
employed in 121 factories, stores, and laundries throughout the
State. Almost two-thirds of the women (1,779) employed in more
than two-thirds of the establishments (85) were scheduled to work
9 hours a day. Owing to the existence of the 9-hour law no women
were employed regularly for a day in excess of 9 hours. Only a little
over one-fifth of the women had a day’s work of 8 hours or less.
The throe industries in which the majority of the women workers
were on a schedule of 8 hours or less are listed below, together with
the percentage of the women in each group so employed.
Per cent

Printing and publishing84. 4
Glass and glass products63. 6
Shirts and overalls________ ______________________________ 62. 0

No women were employed for as few as 8 hours daily either in the
manufacture of miscellaneous food products or in o-10-and-25-eent
stores. Over nine-tenths of the women in laundries worked a 9-liour
day, a larger proportion than in any other industry. Next in order
in the matter of the 9-hour day were the manufacture of foods other
than those specified with 87.3 per cent, miscellaneous manufacturing
with 86.1 per cent, and 5-10-and-25-cent stores with 76.2 per cent
of the women employees so scheduled. The largest proportion of the
general mercantile workers (41 per cent) had a day of between 8 and
9 hours in length, while the rest were almost evenly divided between
an 8-hour and a 9-hour schedule.
Weekly hours.
The length of the scheduled week of the women surveyed in Okla
homa is given in Table 13.

Table 13.—Scheduled weekly hours, by industry
Number of establishments and number of Women whose scheduled weekly hours were-1Number
reported
Industry

Under 44

Over 44 and
under 48

Over 48 and
under 52

Over 52 and
under 54

All industries........... .............................
Per cent distribution_____ ..................
Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products_______ ______
Meat, poultry, and dairy products
Other food products________
Printing and publishing.....................
Shirts and overalls.. _
Miscellaneous__
General mercantile___
5-lO-and-25-eeiit stores.
Laundries...........

1121

i8
6
i 10
5
4
11
i 25
■ 20
i 32

2,762
100. 0

173
187
228
32
100
345
649
341
707

24
0.9

1
1
2

102
3.7

62
40
.......

38
1.4

4
3

102
79

346
12.5

698
25.3

135

2
9

908
100

31
1.1

8
._ .-

1169
5,5

85
19

11,370
49i G

2
3
4

43
108
88
8
268

18
20

256
422

1 Details aggregate more than total because sothe establishments appear in more than one hour group.
? For PurPo3e Of tabulation 29 women working alternate schedules of 54 hours ahd over-f)2-andiunder»M hours have been divided between these two hour groups, 15 women in
the lower group.

W O M EN IN O K LA H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Estab Wom Estab
Estab
Estab*
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
lish
lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lisfch Worn*
en ments en
ments en ments en ments en
ments en
ments en
ments en ments en ments

CO
Ql

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Again in this tabulation we see the effect of the State hour law, for
no women were employed on a schedule in excess of 54 hours. Very
nearly one-half of the 2,762 women employed in the factories, stores,
and laundries of the State were on a 54-hour weekly schedule. The
next largest group was that of the women who were expected to work
between 48 and 52 hours, practically one-fourth of the total number.
The only industry in which there was any considerable uniformity
of hours was printing and publishing, in which all of the 32 women
reported, employed in five different establishments, were working on
a 48-liour week. Over three-fifths of the women surveyed in the
manufacture of shirts and overalls were employed for a 44-hour week,
but all of these women were working in one establisliment. All of the
women employed in 5-10-and-25-cent stores were employed for
a week of more than 52 hours, over three-fourths of them for a full
week of 54 hours. Among the women who worked in general mer
cantile establishments, more than half (56.7 per cent) had a week of
between 48 and 52 hours. The shortest week in the industry was
one of 48 hours; about two-thirds of the establishments, generally the
smaller ones with few employees, had a week of 54 hours. In three
other industrial groups, meat, poultry, and dairy products, miscel
laneous manufacturing, and laundries, a large proportion of the women
were employed a scheduled week as long as was permitted by law.
Saturday hours.
So frequently does the duration of Saturday’s work differ from that
of the other days of the week that Saturday hours have been tabulated
separately and correlated with the length of the other days of the
week. (Appendix Table XIII.) The Saturday half holiday was
found in Oklahoma less commonly than in most of the States thus far
surveyed by the Women’s Bureau. Of 2,762 women employed in 121
establishments, only 305 women, in 16 establishments, had Saturdays
from 4 to 6 hours in length. Table 14 following gives a summary of
the relation of the Saturday to the regular daily hours.
Table 14.—Relation of Saturday hours to daily hours, by industry

Industry

Number
of women
reported

1,065
990
707

Number of women whose
Saturdays, in relation to Number
regular daily hours, were— of women
with no
Saturday
work
Longer
Same
Shorter
328
15
179

732
782
508

5
103

20
—

Even in manufacturing establishments, where one expects to find
the short Saturday, only about three-tenths of the women had a
Saturday schedule shorter than that of other days, and for some of

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTHIES

these the difference amounted to only one or two hours. Five
women were not scheduled for any work on Saturday. For none of
the women employed in the preparation of meat, poultry, and dairy
products was there any difference between the length of the Satur
day’s work and that of the other days of the week. Each of the
other manufacturing industries included at least one plant in which
the Saturday hours were shorter than those for the other five week
days. Less than one-fourth of the women employed in miscellaneous
manufacturing had a Saturday shorter than the other days of the
week, and almost one-fourth of these were still scheduled for a
Saturday as long as seven hours. Nine-tenths of the women em
ployed in the manufacture of shirts and overalls regularly worked a
shorter period on Saturday than on the other days of the week,
although for part of them the shortened schedule meant getting
out only an hour and a half earlier than usual in the afternoon.
There might be expected a tendency for a short Saturday to
accompany long hours on the other days, but the figures for manu
facturing do not indicate such a situation, and only about one-fourth
of the women with the longest hours Monday to Friday had a shorter
schedule on the closing day of the week. The proportion of women
in manufacturing establishments whose Saturday hours were shorter
than their regular daily hours, or who did not work on Saturday, are
listed below by their scheduled daily hours:

Scheduled daily hours

Proportion of
women in
manufactur
ing establish
ments with
short Satur
day or no
Saturday work
■
*
Per cent

Under 8___ _______________
8Over
_______________________________________________ ____________
8 and under 9 .
_ . _______ _ _ ___ _________ _______
9_______________________ ______________ ______________ ______ ______

100. 0

34. 0
81. 6
25. 7

In general the question of Saturday hours in stores is whether the
workers have a day of normal length or whether they must put in
extra hours in order to accommodate Saturday-evening shoppers.
In Oklahoma, however, only 193 women, or less than one-fifth of
those reported in mercantile establishments, had Saturday hours
longer than those for the other days of the week, and for none of
these women was there more than a half-hour’s difference in the
length of the day.
Most of the stores in Oklahoma were open Saturday evenings,
but the hours of the women were kept down to a maximum of 9
hours by arranging the Saturday work in shifts. In some instances

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

there was a difference in the length of the shifts, and the women
alternated their shifts, working perhaps 8^ hours on one Saturday
and 9 on the next. In the tabulating, where a group of women
thus worked on alternate shifts., their number has been divided
between the hour groups given, since on any one Saturday approxi
mately half of the women would be working on the short shift and
half on the long shift. The summary table of Saturday hours shows
15 women in mercantile establishments who worked a shorter day
on Saturday than on the other days of the week. These women
form one-half of a group who had a day somewhat shorter than the
regular schedule every other week.
Although the actual working hours in no case exceeded 9, most
of the stores kept open on Saturday evenings, and the normal day’s
hours were maintained by staggering shifts of workers, by giving long
periods for meals, or by a combination of these two systems.
An example of the Saturday shifts on which the women in one
store worked is as follows: 8 a. m. to 6 p. m., with 1 hour for lunch;
9 a. m, to 7 p. in., with 1 hour for lunch; 19 a. m. to 9 p. m., with
1 hour for lunch and 1 for supper; and 11 a. m. to 9 p. m. with
1 hour for supper.
In another, such an arrangement of working hours as this was
found; 8.30 a. m. to 11 p. m.; 2. p. m. to 6 p. m.; and 7 p. m. to
9.30 p. m., or 10 a. m. to 2 p.m.; and 4.39 to 9.30 p. m.
The first arrangement described affords more convenient hours
for the workers, for three of the shifts had an over-all period of only
10 hours and the fourth had only 11 hours, interrupted by two
1-hour periods for meals. In the other store, however, part of the
women had their day spread out over 13 hours, and, even though
they worked only 9 hours, they had to be on duty at 8.30 in the morn
ing and their day was not ended until 9.30 in the evening. Time off
from 11 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon would be of little use
to the worker.
Only five stores did not remain open Saturday evenings. Two of
these stores closed earlier every day in the week during July and
August, and one closed at 1 o’clock on tlie Saturdays of July and
August. No other stores made any difference in their summer
schedule.
None of the laundry workers had longer hours on Saturday than
on other days of the week. Only one-fourth of them had a Saturday
shorter than the other days, but 2.8 per cent did not work at all on
Saturday.
Lunch periods.
Information on the length of the lunch periods of the women surveyed
in Oklahoma is given in Table XIV in the appendix. The majority
of the women in the industries survey ed (72.2 per cent) had an hour

WOMEN IN' OKLAHOMA INDTJStBlIS

or more for lunch. None of the women in the two mercantile groups
or in miscellaneous manufacturing had lunch periods of less than one
hour. Only three of the 2,762 women surveyed had no definite
lunch period allowed, and these women were employed in an industry
where they were allowed 10-minute rest periods every half-hour
throughout the working day.
Hours of night workers.
With one exception, only regular day workers have been included
in the tables given on scheduled hours. However, night work did not
assume great importance in Oklahoma factories or laundries. In only
one of the factories surveyed were any women employed on a straight
night shift, and in this plant only five women were so employed
at the time of the survey. These women were scheduled to go on
duty at 5.30 in the afternoon and work through until 2.30 in the
morning on five days a week, making a day of 9 hours. On Saturdays
their work was shortened to
hours, and they went off duty at
midnight. No definite period was allowed for lunch. The exception
referred to in the tables of day workers is the case of a bakery, where
there were eight women who worked between midnight and 6 o’clock
in the mornihg. They were not on a single shift, but came on at
different times, and part of their working time fell within hours which
would normally be part of a day shift. Women who began work at
from 2 to 4 in the morning, finished work anywhere from noon to 2
in the afternoon, while two women who began to work at midnight
had a split shift and came on duty again at 2 in the afternoon.
These women were allowed a lunch period of one hour. Because of
the difficulty of classifying these workers, figures relating to them
have been handled with those for the regular day workers.
Hours of telephone operators.
In many cases the hours of telephone operators are so arranged
as to make tabulation with the workers in other industries difficult.
In Oklahoma, however, 741 women of the 777 included in the tele
phone industry worked regularly six days a week and the same number
of hours each day of the week. Although they were regular so far
as the number of hours worked each day was concerned, they were
not regular in the time at which they worked. The telephone
companies necessarily must offer continuous service and must, there
fore, have shifts which combined will cover the full 24 hours. Even
though the companies have so regularized their schedules that women
have workdays of equal length, the women ordinarily rotate shifts.
Records do not, therefore, separate day workers from night workers,
although the number of women working on the night shifts at any
one time is given. For that reason, the hours of all telephone oper
ators are handled together, irrespective of whether they were night
or day operators.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Of the 741 workers on a regular schedule, 734, or 99.1 per cent,
worked in exchanges which regularly operated on the basis of three
8-hour shifts, with each worker off for one day a week. The 734
women, therefore, had an 8-hour day and a 48-hour week, with
45 of them on the night shift each week, the shift running from
10 p. m. to 7 a. m. The seven other women with a regular scheduled
week worked 9 hours on six days of the week, with one day free, and
one worker on the night shift each week.
For one telephone worker no record was given of scheduled hours,
but for the 35 other women with hours reported, who were not on a
regular schedule, irregularity was caused by variation in the length
of the period within which they had one day off duty, or by variation
in their Sunday hours. Of these 35 women, 31 worked the same
number of hours each day of the week except Sunday. The other
four women worked on an alternate schedule of 6 and 9 hours. The
regular daily hours of the women on a uniform schedule ranged from
6 to 10}4 hours, but two-thirds of them had a day of 8 or 9 hours.
The three women who regularly worked 10 hours or more were
night operators, whose work would not ordinarily demand their
attention continuously during the period for which they were on duty.
The hours of the four other night workers were shorter, however,
the reports usually stated that there were cots for the night operators
in the smaller exchanges and that the night women were free to lie
down. Although ordinarily they had but few calls after midnight,
they were on duty for 10 or 10% hours and subjeot to call.
All of these 35 women worked seven days a week at least part of
the time, but none of them regularly worked seven days a week with
no provision for a day off. Two of the night operators had two days
off in a month, the days not specified. Twelve women had each
alternate Sunday free, three had one Sunday in three off, four one
Sunday in four, and five one Sunday in five free, and Sunday hours
frequently differed from those for the other days of the week, and
even the Sundays on duty varied in length. The most complicated
situation was presented by five women who worked every alternate
Sunday. On the Sundays when they were on duty, they worked
successively three different intervals—5% hours,
hours, and
8% hours. Others had alternate Sundays free and alternated be
tween two sets of hours on the Sundays worked. Situations such
as these make tabulation of telephone hours impossible, and even
a concise statement relating to the subject difficult.
The scheduled week varied in length from 36 hours to 70 hours.
The woman who had a 36-hour week worked that number of hours
two weeks out of four, and 41 and 44 hours during the other two
weeks. Five women were expected to work 60 hours or more every
week, while eight were expected to have a week as long as that for
part of the time.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

The problem of arranging the hours of telephone operators in small
exchanges so as to allow both for continuous service and peaks of
demand undoubtedly is difficult. None of the exchanges in which
the operators with irregular hours were working employed more than
six women.
ACTUAL HOURS WORKED

In many cases the hours actually worked by the women were
not the scheduled hours of the firm. Personal reasons of the workers
and varying conditions in the plant or industry served to bring about
many differences. Information on actual hours worked could not
be obtained for all of the women surveyed because of lack of records
for many groups of workers. Many firms keep no detailed attendance
record for workers employed on a piece-rate basis, since the number
of hours worked has no weight in calculating the earnings. Even
among those whose wages are based on time worked, there are groups
for whom time worked is not given in terms of hours. The women
employed in stores are employed on a time basis, but no records of
hours worked were obtained for that group of workers in Oklahoma.
The details of the information on lost time and overtime for the
women employed in factories and laundries is given in Appendix
Tables XV and XVI, while a summary of the facts from these tables
is given in Table 15 which follows.
Table 15.—Time lost and overtime, by industry

Industry

Number Per cent
of
for
women
whom
reported lost
time
was
reported

All industries................
Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products.
Meat, poultry, and dairy
products....... ................
Other food products
Printing and publishing.
Miscellaneous..................
Laundries.____ __________

Time lost

Overtime

Per cent of those
losing time who
lost—

Per cent of those
working more than
scheduled hours,
who worked over
time—

Per cent
for
whom
overtime
Less 5 and
10
Less 5 and
10
was
than under hours reported than under hours
10
and
and
5
10
5
hours hours over
hours hours over
94.3

2.3

3.4

33.8

93.2

4.5

2.3

9.3
12.6

100.0
100.0

0.8
12.5

100.0

31.0

43.8

11.3

55.0

16.3

28.8

34.0
10.2
83.3

34.9
37.8
16.7

31.1
52.0

12.0
41.9

32.8
23.3

100.0
55.2
34.9

777

70.3

25.3

130

61.5

129
175
14
7
258
64

82.2
72.6
42.9
14.3
70.9
67.2

loo.o

Time lost.
Of the 777 white women working in factories and laundries for
whom hour records were obtained, 546, or seven-tenths of those
reported, had lost some time during the week of the survey. Of these,
practically one-fourth had lost less than 5 hours, three-tenths had
lost 5 but less than 10 hours, and over two-fifths had lost 10 hours
61159°—26t------4

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

or more. The largest proportion of women losing time was found
in the preparation of meat, poultry, and dairy products. In all of
the industries reporting any considerable number of women at least
60 per cent of the women had lost some time. Over one-half of the
women in miscellaneous manufacturing and in the preparation of
food products other than meat, poultry, and dairy products who
had worked less than the schedule had lost 10 hours or more.
For only 27 negro women was it possible to obtain any record of
time worked, and of these 24 had lost some time. While the propor
tion losing time was larger than it was for the white workers the
amount of time lost was less. Not far from three-fifths of those
working less than the scheduled hours had lost less than 5 hours.
The per cent losing 10 hours or more was 37.5, as compared with
43.8 per cent of the white women losing this amount of time.
In Appendix Table XVII all of the manufacturing industries
and laundries have been thrown together, and the amount of time
lost has been correlated with the length of the scheduled week.
There was not a sufficient number of women reported in most of the
hour groups to make valid any generalizations, either one -way or
the other. Time worked was reported for 178 women with a schedule
of 48 hours, for 105 with a 50-hour week, and for 439 women with
a 54-hour schedule. Of these three outstanding hour groups the
50-hour group had the largest proportion of women losing time,
and a higher percentage of the 54-hour women lost time than of the
48-hour women. In the two higher groups of scheduled hours those
reported with undertime lost more than was lost by the 48-hour
workers. The material available does not justify any conclusions.
Overtime.
Overtime assumed but little importance among the Oklahoma
workers during the week surveyed. Only 11.3 per cent of those
reported had done any work in excess of their scheduled week.
Almost 95 per cent of the small group with overtime had worked
less than 5 hours in excess of their normal weekly schedule. Most
of the women who had shown any overtime in the manufacture of
glass and glass products, and all of them so reported in both branches
of the food industry and in laundries had exceeded their regular
week by less than 5 hours. Although all of the women included
in. miscellaneous manufacturing who had worked beyond their
scheduled week had done so to the extent of at least 10 hours, less
than 1 per cent of the women for whom hour records were available in
that industrial group had done any work in excess of the normal week.
While only three negro women were reported as having done any
overtime work, these formed practically the same proportion of the
total number as did the white women who worked overtime. Ml
three worked less than 5 hours in excess of their schedule.

PART IV
HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
The working conditions of the women in hotels and restaurants
are so different from those of the women employed in factories or
stores that it is not satisfactory to handle in the same way as the
material for the other workers, either the figures relating to their
hours of work or those relating to earnings.
It is more difficult to estimate satisfactorily the probable or actual
earnings of hotel and restaurant workers than it is those of women
who work in other industries. Two elements enter in to cause varia
tion in the worker’s income. In the first place, a large proportion of
the women working in hotels or restaurants expect to receive part or
all of their meals from the management. In some cases, the manage
ment furnishes the worker with a room as well. This means that the
worker’s wage is actually more than the amount shown on the pay
roll, and yet it is difficult to estimate the value to the worker of
these accommodations. In addition to the fact that it is in any case
difficult to make any satisfactory estimate of the value of room and
meals under various circumstances, the making of such an allowance
would be further complicated by the fact that part of the workers
received only one free meal while others received all three or even a
room in addition.
Another element affecting wages, the result of which is even more
difficult to calculate, is the custom of tipping. Undoubtedly, tips
had less effect on the income of the workers in small hotels and
restaurants to which most of the Oklahoma figures relate than they
might have in the hotels and restaurants of larger cities. Neverthe
less, tips do represent a possible means of increasing the amount of
the worker’s earnings and make it unwise to compare pay-roll figures
of factory workers with those of hotel workers.
Not only do the wages of restaurant workers require separate
tabulation from the records for other workers, but their hours lack
the definiteness of the time of employment of the workers who begin
and end with the sounding of a factory whistle.
The nature of the service performed by hotels and restaurants is
such that it is often spread out over from 18 to 24 hours a day.
While in many establishments there is need of someone on duty
continuously, there are always very distinct peaks of work. Although
many hotels and restaurants have made great advance in standard
izing the daily hours of their workers, there is still a tendency for them
43

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

to be run after the manner of an overgrown household. The day of
the worker may be broken up into several shifts, or the successive
days may be of varying length or begin at different hours, making
any normal and regular life almost impossible for the worker.
Because of the fact that the hotels, and in some cases the restau
rants, run continuously, and because there is nothing quite akin to the
regular night shift of a factory in such places of employment, records
for night workers are included with those of the other women. Of
the 591 women surveyed in Oklahoma hotels and restaurants there
were 17 who were definitely night workers and 52 others who worked
after 10 o’clock at night either part or all of the time. None of these
52 women worked later than midnight, however, and none began
before 6 in the morning.
WAGES

Pay-roll records were taken for 406 white women and 185 negro
women employed in hotels and restaurants. In this number were
included women employed in the housekeeping department of hotels,
in independent restaurants, and in restaurants of hotels, and women
who might be classed as the miscellaneous wrorkers around a hotel.
The earnings of these 406 white women and 185 negro women employed
in various capacities in hotels or restaurants are recorded in Appendix
Table XVIII. The earnings of these women for the -week reported
ranged from less than $1 to as much as $25 or $30. The median
week’s earnings of the white women were $11.75, while those for the
negro workers were $10.10.
The largest single group of white women comprised those who
waited on the table, over a third of all the white women surveyed in
hotels or restaurants. Below are listed the median earnings of the
white women in the occupations for which more than 15 women were
reported:
Occupation

Telephone operator-._______
Cook_____________________ _
Checker or cashier
_____ ____________ _
Pantry, floor, or storeroom girl-.
Cigar-counter, check-room, or elevator girl_____ __ _ _
linen girl______ _____ _____ _____ _ _____
__________
Counter girl _
______
__
Kitchen girl ___________ _______________
____
Waitress ___________ _____________
Maid_____________ ______ _______

Number of
women
37
32
22
21
22
27
38
30

148
20

Median
earnings
$17.
15.
14
13
13
12
12
9.
9.
9.

75
65
50
10
00
70
30
75
65
65

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Records were obtained for only nine white women employed as
housekeepers. Although no median is worked for this group of
workers, the distribution of their earnings indicates higher wage
standards here than in most of the hotel and restaurant occupations.
No woman in this group had earned less than $14, and two had
earned $25 to $30.
Three classes of workers—the maids, the waitresses, and the
kitchen girls—had median earnings of very nearly the same level,
although the earnings of the first two groups were doubtless somewhat
augmented by tips; with those of the kitchen workers this is less
likely.
The overwhelming majority (84.9 per cent) of the negro women
reported were employed as maids, and their median earnings were
$10.10 as compared with $9.65, the median earnings of the 20 white
women similarly employed. The 28 other negro women reported in
the hotels and restaurants surveyed were employed as housekeeper,
linen girl, pantry girl, cook, kitchen worker, or elevator operator.
Records were obtained of the number of days 302 white women and
176 negro women had worked, and the material may be found in
Appendix Table XIX. Too few women were reported in the various
day groups to make any complete comparison of the earnings of
those who had worked the various lengths of time. Obviously, the
median earnings of those who had worked less than four days was
the lowest median of all, and the six-day and seven-day groups, are
the only others of any size. The median earnings of the white women
who worked on six days were higher than the median earnings of the
white women who had worked on seven days, while for the negro
workers the situation was reversed.
The median for the white women who had worked on five days or
over was $12.10, as compared with $11.55 for ail of those workers for
whom days worked was reported. Yet even among the former group
of women who might be classed as full-time workers there were those
who had earned amounts as low as $5 or $6. The median for the
negro women who had worked on at least five days was $10.25, as
compared with $10.05 for all the negro women for whom records of
the number of days worked were available.
Earnings were reported in terms of the actual hours worked for so
few women that no comparison of earnings is possible on that basis.
In the following table are given figures for the weekly rates of the
restaurant workers in relation to the amount of additional wage
which they received in the form of room and board:

Table 16.

Weekly wage rates in hotels and restaurants, and accommodations furnished by employer inform of board and:

•oom, by race—192/t

Number of women receiving, in addition to specified rate—
Weekly rate

Number of women
reported

Total..
Median rate..
$5 and under $6................................
$6 and under $7_..................... ...... ""
$7 and under $8___...........................’
$8 and under $9__....... .........

$9 and under $10_______ _______ _
$10 and under $11___________
$11 and under $12_____________
$12 and under $13_________ _____ _
$13 and under $14........ .............
$14 and under $15______
$15 and under $16__________
$10 and under $17___...........
$17 and under $18_________
$18 and under $19....................... "
$19 and under $20___________ llllV.
$20 and under $25_________ 21” I. "
$25and under $30........................ "

380
$12. 35

184
$10.25

White
2 270
$12.15

Negro

2 meals

White

White | Negro

9. 85

C1)

119
$13.30

3 meals

White
139
$11. 55

Negro

3 meals
and
room
White

Number of women
receiving neither
meals nor room

White
110

$14.15

Negro
162
$10. 30

17
62
38
41
51
18
36
39
4

57
31
19
44
17
16
27
4

17 ,
7

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Negro

1 meal

8
11

26
15
3
13
9

1
?!

1 Total exceeds details because number of meals furnished was not reported for one woman.

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T filE S

White

Total receiving
meals or room

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

A majority of the white women for whom information was given
had had some additional compensation in the form of meals or room '
furnished by the employer. Only about an eighth of the negro
women received any meals at their work. The difference in these
proportions is probably due not so much to a difference in race as
to a difference in the occupations in which the white and negro
women were engaged. Over four-fifths of the negro women reported
in the hotels and restaurants visited were employed as maids, and
maids, irrespective of color, were less apt to receive any accommo
dations in addition to their wages than were workers in other occu
pations.
While it is true that the median rates of the people who received
no free accommodations in addition to their wages were higher, both
for white and negro women, than the rates of the women who received
meals, there is no close relation between the amount of the weekly
rate and the extent to which wages were supplemented by meals
or room.
The median rate of the white women who received only two meals
a day was $13.30, while the median of those who had three meals
furnished was $11.55. On the other hand, the rates of the women
who had only one meal a day at their place of work ranged from $8
to $11, a standard lower than that of the women who received more
in addition to their regular pay. Only seven women received three
meals and room in addition to their regular wages, and for those
the rates of pay ranged from $9 to between $20 and $25.
HOURS

The hours of work of women employed in hotels and restaurants
present problems which differ from those of women employed ip
other lines of work even more than do the facts relating to wages.
The hours during which hotels and restaurants give service to the
public can not be determined by the convenience of the proprietor
or of his employees. These establishments must be ready to ac
commodate their patrons when the service is needed. Hotels are
unquestionably in a position where they must give continuous
service. People are going in and out, registering and checking out
at almost any hour of the 24. Rooms must be prepared continually
for new guests, elevators must be run, and telephone connections
must be made whenever they are demanded. Any guest would
complain of a hotel which failed to provide such service. The res
taurant, as well as the hotel, must be ready to care for patrons over
a long period of time. The hours at which people desire to eat
can not be changed for the more convenient arrangement of restaurant
service, depending rather upon the demands of hunger and of custom.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Any restaurant which serves three meals can hardly be open to the
public for a period of less than 13 or 14 hours aside from the time
required of employees before and after hours. A number of restau
rants find it profitable to serve only two meals, luncheon and dinner,
and for these the arrangement of the day’s work is a much less
difficult problem than for those establishments which keep open over
a greater number of hours. The restaurants surveyed in Oklahoma
ranged from those which were open day and night to others which
were open only 8 or 9 hours. Of the 29 restaurants visited, 7
were of the kind which offered service at all hours of the day and
night, while 1 other approached this extreme, remaining open from
o.80 in the morning until 2 in the morning. Two others were open
18 but less than 19 hours, f or 11 of them the time of final closing
was from 13 to 15 hours after the hour of opening, although some of
them were definitely closed for two or three hours between meals.
The remainder served meals over a period of 8 or Ska hours.
In addition to the necessity for being open over a long period of
time, the restaurant manager is confronted with the problem of peaks
of work with slack periods in between. The ways in which these
problems of arranging the day’s work have been solved vary in differ
ent restaurants. In some cases, the necessary spreading out of
workers is accomplished by having different workers on at different
times of the day, but with each employee working on fairly compact
and uniform schedule; or the worker may be on duty two or three
hours at each meal with comparatively long free periods in between.
If the restaurant offers continuous service, the employees may work
certain hours on one day and on a different schedule on other days,
their hours dovetailing with those of other workers each day.
Irregularity of day’s work.
As a result of these difficulties, inherent in the nature of the hotel
and restaurant business, the hours of workers in these occupations
are often haphazard and irregular. Table 17 attempts to indicate
the extent of this irregularity among the hotel and restaurant workers
of Oklahoma.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Table 17.—Irregularity of hotel and restaurant days, by occupation
Number of women who had the same schedule
each work day, and whose work was—
Occupation

Number
of women
reported

In un
broken
shift

Broken
by 1
period
off duty

Broken
by 2
periods
off duty

158

2
8

39
3

38
25

Total............... .

575

Housekeeper..............

4
26
177
144
38
39
42

22
22

6
1

25
36

Waitress......................
Counter girl............ .
Cook____________ _
Kitchen girl
Pantry, floor, or storeroom girl___ _____
Checker or cashier__
Cigar-counter, checkroom, or elevator
girl
Telephone operator. _

Number
of women
working
Broken
on 2
by more Total on different
than 2
uniform
periods schedule schedules
off duty
24

3
3

111

120

3
3'

19
13

3
7

19
25

3
3

214

326

Number
of women
working
on more
than 2
different
schedules

Of the 575 women reported in this industry only 326, or less than
three-fifths, worked the same schedule each day of the week. There
were 214 women who worked on two different schedules during any
one week, while 35 women had three or more arrangements of their
daily hours in the one week. The schedules of the women classed
as kitchen girls were more regular than those of any other group of
employees, for all of these women were reported as having had the
same schedule each day in the week. For the maids and the cigarcounter, check-room, elevator, telephone, and linen girls, however,
the uniform schedule was the unusual thing, the majority of the
girls in each case working on two or more different schedules during
the week. While over three-fourths of the waitresses worked on a
uniform schedule, among them were found both the largest proportion
and the largest number working under more than two different
schedules during one week.
A sample of an exceedingly irregular week is given below in the
schedule of one waitress:
Sunday—7 a. m. to 2 p. m.; 6 p. m. to 8 p. m.
Monday—off duty.
Tuesday—6.30 a. m. to 3.30 p. m.
Wednesday—6.30 a. m. to 12 m.; 5.30 p. m. to 9 p. m.
Thursday—6.30 a. m. to 3.30 p. m.
Friday—3 p. m. to 12 m.
Saturday—12 in. to 9 p. m.

In the restaurant in which this girl was employed there were six
waitresses who worked on a uniform schedule throughout the week,
while two women served as relief waitresses and worked an irregular
schedule such as the one cited above.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Other workers had the same hours each day, but with each day
broken by periods off duty which were longer than were necessary
for rest and too short to be of any real use to the worker. Typical
of such an arrangement in a restaurant which served three meals is
the schodule of one woman who was on duty for breakfast from 7
until 9, free from 9 until 12, on duty from 12 until 2, free again from
2 until 6, and on for dinner from 6 to 8 in the evening. She was
working only six hours a day, and that fact undoubtedly was taken
into consideration in determining her wages, and yet she did not go
off duty finally until 13 hours after her time of starting work in the
morning. Such irregularity in the working part of the day means
that all normal habits of life necessarily are thrown into confusion.
Opportunity for personal affairs, for relaxation, and for recreation
are limited by erratically arranged hours.
Daily hours.
The irregularity of the restaurant workers’ week has already been
dwelt upon. Because of the fact that many women work on one
schedule one day and on a different schedule on other days it is
difficult to base a table of daily hours on the number of women
affected. For that reason the number of work days reported is
taken as the basis of information in those tables dealing with the
day’s hours, whether the number of hours actually worked, or the
number of over-all hours, is taken into consideration. Thus one
woman will appear in the table six or seven times, according to the
number of days in her scheduled week, making the total number of
employee days between six and seven times the number of women
for wrhom scheduled hours were reported.
Table

18.—Length o) the day's work in hotels and restaurants, by occupation
Number of employee-days of—

Occupation

All occupations------Per cent distribution..........

Number
of em
ployeeLess
days re than
5
ported
hours

3,802

100.0

Pantry, floor, or storeCigar-counter, check-room,
Telephone operator

Over
8 and
under
9
hours

9
hours

12.0

458

315
8.3

371
9.8

237
43

41
78
72
36

54
55

42
18

36
19

32
93

35
34

7 and
under

hours

6 and
under
7
hours

1.2

115
3.0

652
17.1

1,818
47.8

1
12
68

7
16
270
183

778
358

105
114

9
29

75
46

170
1,230
919
243
247
267

5 and
under
6

141
150

171
234

2
8

hours

102
120

hours

6
86

Over
9 and
under
10

hours
27
0.7

6
6

61
96

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTKIES

The length of 3,802 workdays of the women employed in hotels and
restaurants was recorded. Almost one-half (47.8 per cent) of the
working days for this group of women were between seven and eight
hours in length and none were as long as 10 hours. Over one-fifth
were less than seven hours in length. These figures relate to the
actual hours worked, any periods off duty, even as short as 15 minutes,
having been subtracted from the total over-all hours. When an
employer reported that his workers had a specified length of time for
meals, if only 15 or 20 minutes and at no definite time, this was
allowed in figuring the length of the working day. But in the case
of women who ate their meals “on duty,” no deduction from hours
has been made. Actually these women did not work quite the full
number of hours reported, for they were not, in fact, working while
they ate, but no definite amount of time was allowed them, and
they were subject to call.
The shortest schedules were those of the maids, over nine-tenths
of the work days reported for this occupation being less than eight
hours long. The longest days seemed most common for the various
kitchen groups. More than one-half of the days of the cooks and
practically one-half of those of other kitchen workers—women who
were employed as cook’s helpers, and vegetable, glass, or silver girls—
Were over eight hours in length. For the pantry girls, floor girls,
and storeroom girls days of this length were found to practically the
same extent as among the cooks.
But, on the whole, the length of time on duty was not excessively
long for these women employed in hotels and restaurants. Less than
a fifth of the employee-days were more than eight hours in length,
but that does not tell all of the story and is not the only basis on which
comparison should be made with the more regularly scheduled workers
in factories, stores, or laundries.
Over-all hours.
It has already been mentioned that the hours of employees in
hotels and restaurants often are distributed over a period of time
considerably in excess of the actual time worked. Consequently,
it seemed worth while to make a tabulation of the over-all hours—
the number of hours between the time of first going on duty for the
day and the time when the work for the day was finally over
similar to the table on actual working hours. This material is
presented in Table 19.

Table 19.—Over-all hours of day’s work in hotels and restaurants, by occupation
Number of employee days of which the over-all hours were—

Number
Occupation

3.796

100.0

Less
than 5
31

9 and 10 and 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 and 16 and
8 and
6 and
7 and
5 and
under 6 under 7 under 8 under 9 under 10 under 11 under 12 under 13 under 14 under 15 under 16 over
83

0.8

2.2

9
67

167
4.4

435
11.5

7
26
281
59

kitchen girl....... ........................ .......................
Pantry, floor, or storeroom girl................. ......
Cigar-counter, check-room, or elevator girl...

179
1,230
913
243
247
267
141
150
171
234

32
16
7

2
l

14
50

1
1

1,220

32.1

491
12.9
6

90
765
163
16
53
42

1
21

38
14

14
48

26
39
114
60
75
71
37
31

11
21

355
9.4

172
4.5

11.0

2.2

19
54
31

6
102

333

7
13
15
13

19
26
33

72
1.9

1.2

42
30

7
14
24

7
135
78
78
25

418

224
5.9

44
31
1

8
8

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Per cent distribution....... ...............................-

ployee
days
reported

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Again the day’s work is taken as the basis, because the over-all
hours, like the actual working hours, often vary from day to day in
the week. For some women the day’s work was compactly arranged,
and there were over-all schedules of less than 5 hours. On the other
hand, there were working days spread over a period of 16 hours or
more. The number of over-all hours existing most frequently was 8
but less than 9, with 32.1 per cent of the working days falling in this
classification. However, there were, all told, not far from four-tenths
of the days on which the over-all schedules amounted to at least 10
hours.
The only occupations for which over-all hours of 16 or more were
reported were those of cashiers and telephone and elevator operators,
and yet these do not represent the groups in which over-all hours of
10 or over were most common. In regard to the length of the over-all
hours the various restaurant groups show marked contrast with
those groups which might be roughly classed as housekeeping. In
the following restaurant occupations, the specified percentage of the
working days had over-all hours of 10 or more:
Pantry, floor, or storeroom girl73. 0
Counter girl 68. 3
Waitress___________________________ 60. 8
Kitchen girl57. 7
Cook_______________ ______ _____________________________ 44. 9
Checker or cashier... 44. 7

For none of the housekeepers were over-all hours of such length
reported, while only a tenth of the workdays of the linen girls and 2
per cent of the days of the maids had such over-all hours. The
over-all hours for the women employed in kitchen or dining room were,
on the whole, slightly longer than those of the other employees, al
though for the check-room girls and telephone and elevator operators
there was a very considerable proportion with over-all hours of 10 or
more.
.
Weekly hours.
The week’s work of hotel and restaurant employees is affected by
the fact that all hotels and many restaurants offer service to the
public seven days a week. Some restaurants are closed on Sundays,
and in such the workers obviously have only a six-day week. In
other establishments, even though the same service is offered on
Sunday as on other days of the week, the work is so arranged among
the various women that each has one day free during a week or one
day off during a longer period of time. In some establishments the
Sunday hours may be shorter than those for other days of the week.
In Oklahoma there was not much evidence of consistent planning
for one day’s rest in seven. Over two-thirds of the women in hotels
and restaurants worked seven days a week. Somewhat less than

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTKIES

three-tenths of them regularly worked only six days (Appendix
Table XX), while the few remaining had a half day off each week.
Part of the women included as working seven days had one day off in
periods longer than a week, that is, in two weeks or a month. Fewer
of the housekeeping workers and the telephone operators than of
women in any other occupation had time off each week. Between 35
and 40 per cent of the counter girls, cooks, and kitchen help worked
seven days a week.
The weekly hours of the women employed in hotels and restaurants
are given in Appendix Table XXI. There were 23 women of the 568
reported who worked different hours on alternate weeks, the difference
being such as to bring their week’s hours in different frequency groups
of the table. In taking account of these women, their number was
divided, one-half being put in the lower group and one-half in the
higher.
Practically one-half (48.1 per cent) of the women reported in hotels
and restaurants had a scheduled week of more than 48 but less than
54 hours. The next largest group was composed of 16.4 per cent
of the women, employed for between 44 and 48 hours. A few (8.3
per cent) had weeks of more than 54 hours. There was greater
variation in the hours of the waitresses than of any other one group
of workers. For almost one-sixth of these women less than 44 hours
constituted a week’s work. On the other hand, practically one-fourth
had a week of between 48 and 54 hours, over one-tenth worked 54
hours, and close to one-fifth had a week of between 54 and 60 hours.
The kitchen girls had rather longer hours than had the women em
ployed in most of the other occupations. None of these women rvas
scheduled for a week as short as 44 hours, wdiile 15 of the 42 reported
■were expected to work between 48 and 54 hours, and 16 had a week of
54 hours. None of the maids was scheduled to work as many as 54
hours a week.
Meal periods.
In no respect are the hours of hotel and restaurant workers as
definite as the hours of women who work in factories. In most in
stances a factory or a laundry stops all work at the middle of the day
to allow time for lunch. Power is shut off, and wrork ceases. No
such arrangement is possible for the workers in the various occupations
in a hotel or restaurant. Sometimes the women are allowed periods
of from 20 minutes to an hour in length, either at a definite scheduled
hour or when they can find the free time; in other instances they are
expected to eat in the relatively long free periods between shifts often
found in the schedule of the hotel or restaurant employee; or they
may have to eat on duty, whenever they can find the opportunity,
despite possible interruptions.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

In dealing with this subject the same reasons exist as in the case
of daily hours for using the working day rather than the worker as
the unit, and the tabulations were made on that basis.
In almost two-thirds of the daily schedules definite meal periods
were allowed for any meals which fell within the total over-all hours,
although for one-third of these the time allowed was only 20 minutes.
On one-tenth of the working days any meals necessary were to be eaten
within long periods between shifts, while on 16.4 per cent of the days
the women were expected to eat part or all of their meals on duty.
The waitresses were more commonly expected to snatch their meals
as they could than were any other group of employees, for on twofifths of the waitresses’ days any meals which fell within the over-all
hours were to be eaten on duty, while on others some of the meals
falling within the over-all were eaten on duty. On less than twofifths of the waitresses’ days were regular meal periods allowed
throughout. To a considerable extent the counter girls also were
expected to eat on duty. Although regular lunch periods were not
common for telephone and elevator operators, in most instances they
ate during the free periods between shifts or they had a single shift
short enough so that no meal period necessarily fell within it.

PART V
WORKING CONDITIONS
The conditions of the plant in which a worker must spend eight
or more hours a day have a tremendous effect on the health and
vitality of the worker. Because of their relation to the employee
these same conditions undoubtedly do much to affect the general
efficiency of the whole establishment. The scientific industrial en
gineer can not stop his study of plant efficiency when he has figured
out the best technical methods of getting maximum production. He
must visualize his plan in action to discover whether he is likely to
meet with obstacles which may upset his theoretical calculations.
At this point he is confronted with the realization that he is dealing
with human beings as well as with machines and that upon the
human element depends the ultimate success or failure of his project.
He must take into account the effect upon the worker of the monotony
and speed of industry, of cramped positions at work, of eyestrain, and
of faulty ventilation. Well-planned lighting and ventilation sys
tems, comfortable posture at work, satisfactory sanitary and service
facilities relieve the strain incident to industry and assist in main
taining the vitality of the worker.
The experience of the Women’s Bureau indicates that there are
many plants in which intelligent attention has been given to the com
fort of the workers. Other employers are anxious to better condi
tions in their plants but are unacquainted with the best methods of
meeting their problems. However, there are always many employers
of the type to whom the “force of law” alone appeals. Neither the
examples of the enlightened employer nor educational campaigns
are sufficient for these, and some recognized authority is needed to
get any results.
GENERAL PLANT CONDITIONS

Arrangement of rooms.
Crowded workrooms make work more difficult. In five of the
restaurants visited, kitchens were reported as being too orowded for
comfort or easy operation.
In stores, floor space was often taxed to capacity. Congestion in
aisles was caused sometimes by tables placed in the middle, but the
more serious problem was that of the size of the space allowed behind
counters for the saleswomen. It wras often impossible or difficult for
two workers to pass in getting to stock. There were 37 stores visited
eil59°—26t-----5

WOMEX IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

which provided seats behind the counter for the use of the women
when not waiting on customers. In 25 of these stores, the space
behind the oounter was so narrow that any worker who might have
been resting would have had to get up to enable another to pass.
Of the 76 factories and laundries visited, there were 27 in which
the aisles were either narrow or obstructed. Sometimes the crowding
was due to an attempt to find place for more working units than the
floor space warranted, and sometimes merely to bad arrangement of
machinery or work tables in the space available. In some instances,
aisles were obstructed by piles of work or materials.
Stairways.
In all, 100 establishments with stairways were visited. In 5 cases
the stairs were winding, with triangular treads; in 15 the stairs were
too narrow to permit two people to pass; in 9 the stairs were so steep
as to be a hazard; in 11 no aritifiend lighting was provided on the
stairways though some of these lacked natural light; and in 14 hand
rails were defective or lacking. The State law provides that there be
handrails on all factory stairways;1 of the 22 stairways without hand
rails, 9 were infractions of the State law, the other 13 instances being
in establishments outside the factory group.
Condition and material of the floors.
In general the condition of the floors in hotels and restaurants was
good. Unfortunately, the tile and cement floors that have been
adopted in many kitchens and dining rooms because of the ease with
which they can be cleaned are fatiguing to the workers who have to
stand or walk on them all day. In the hotels or restaurants visited,
32 nonresilient floors were reported, 16 of tile and the rest of cement
or composition. Waitresses who had to walk back and forth over
these hard floors continually complained of trouble with their feet.
Of such floors one waitress said, 1 ‘ They seem to burn right through
your shoes,” and to get away from tile floors she had gone from a good
job to one with less pay. It was the opinion of another waitress that
no one could endure more than four or five years of constant work on
hard floors. There were 21 kitchens or dining rooms visited with
floors less rigid, of wood or linoleum.
In 59 factories and laundries floors of concrete, tile, or brick were
found. Of these there were 15 in which the situation had been re
lieved by providing wooden platforms or ruberoid strips for the
women to stand on.
In the factories visited there were 34 instances of unsatisfactory
floors, that is, where they were in poor repair, uneven, wet, or sticky.
In one of these there was an open drain running across the floor.
1 Kevised laws of Oklahoma, 1910, sec. 3749.

WOMEN IK OKLAHOMA USDUSTKIES

Cleaning.
In Oklahoma, where industry is of a recent date, establishments
relatively small, and buildings fairly new, there is less excuse for a low
standard of cleanliness than in States where the overgrown industries
are struggling with a legacy of century-old buildings and so must
make a far greater effort to get a minimum result.
In hotels, restaurants, and stores visited during the survey in
Oklahoma, workrooms were generally clean. This situation can be
accounted for by the fact that this type of establishment is directly
in contact with the public, which demands cleanliness at least in the
portions of the building frequented by patrons. In Oklahoma City
especially, the high standards in the hotels and restaurants were
maintained by frequent inspections by the health department. The
establishments which are inspected regularly are rated on a per
centage basis, and the ratings for each published in the papers.
Those restaurants which had a particularly high record were most
anxious to display their rating card. Walls and ceilings were re
ported as clean in all of the stores, hotels, and restaurants visited.
The other 93 establishments, including manufacturing plants, laun
dries, and telephones, also had a good record in this respect, for only
8 were found with walls, and 10 with ceilings, obviously dingy
and dirty.
Reports on the scrubbing showed that in all the hotels and
restaurants the practice was to scrub once a day, or oftener if neces
sary. Of 89 establishments in other industries, reports showed 19.1
per cent with no scrubbing at all; 31.5 per cent with no definite plan—
which might mean frequent or occasional scrubbing or none at all;
and 25.8 per cent with a scrubbing regularly once a week. In 9 per
cent floors were scrubbed once a day or oftener, and it is pleasing to
note that of the 16 food-manufacturing plants, slightly more than
one-third, fell into this group. On the other hand, one of the firms
engaged in the preparation of food had no system, while in another
floors were scrubbed once a month—very inadequate and unsatis
factory methods for places where food is handled and where the
utmost cleanliness should be observed.
Heating.
As this survey was made during the months of May and June,
very little can be said on the subject of heating. A State like Okla
homa wrhich has such enormous natural gas resources furnishes its
industries with a cheap, easy method for heating, and there should
be little excuse if the plants are not comfortable during the cold
weather.

WOMEN IN' OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Ventilation.
Of far greater interest to the workers than the question of keeping
warm in winter in a State where the summer heat is intense for many
months is that of ventilation. Some industries require much more
ingenuity than others in solving their problems, and many employers
had put real thought into it. Kevolving and exhaust fans were com
mon, and there were a number of well-arranged artificial systems.
A conspicuous example of heat coincident with the industry is
found in the glass plants. When the women are at work taking the
product off the leers, even though they are not in the furnace room
itself, they encounter tremendous heat in summer. In several places
ventilators had been installed to draw off the heat as it emerged from
the end of the leer, but as there were no exhaust fans this did not
alleviate the situation as much as it should have done.
Laundries offer a constant ventilation problem; in them there is
not only the question of heat hut the added problem of reducing
humidity. The laundrymen in Oklahoma, with few exceptions, had
taken this problem into consideration. Of the 32' laundries visited,
only 6 had made no provision for reducing heat and humidity. The
other 26 had made some efforts, ranging from the installation of
small revolving fans to the use of complete cooled-air systems. Ex
haust fans high in the walls and ceilings, and hoods over the flatwork machines and washing machines are most important in regu
lating the humidity in- a laundry. As indicative of what can be done
with a difficult situation, such as a basement washroom, is the fol
lowing, taken from one of the reports:
Ventilating system consists of long shaft with square openings near the ceiling
over the washing apparatus. Hoods over each flat work machine connect with
this. Exhaust fan on the roof draws out all the steam. Room was remarkably
free from steam and was cool on an excessively hot day.

As a contrast is the next description, which would lead one to think
that the employer cared little for the comfort of his workers:
Hot.

Windows few and small, exhausts not sufficient.

Ceilings less than 10 feet in height make satisfactory ventilation
almost impossible. In 3 of 44 factories visited and in 2 of 32 laun
dries low ceilings were reported. On account of the heat and steam
from the work itself, conditions in the latter plants were particularly
objectionable. In several stores there were balconies or basements
where ceilings were too low for satisfactory ventilation.
In the plants visited there were 19 rooms entirely without any out
side windows. In 10 of these artificial ventilation systems served to
supply fresh air and keep it in motion, and for these 10, ventilation
was reported as satisfactory in spite of the lack of direct outdoor
ventilation. For the ventilation of the other 9 rooms, however, no

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

provision had been made, and they were entirely dependent upon
such circulation of air as naturally occurred through doorways from
adjoining rooms. It is scarcely necessary to call to the attention how
unsatisfactory such a system is.
Lighting.
In a general survey such as this the highly technical subject of
lighting can be given only a cursory consideration and a few of the
obvious cases treated. That adequate light should be furnished
not only for the comfort of the worker but also because of its effect
on production should need no lengthy dissertation. For manufac
turing purposes the modern factory windows with their large illumi
nating areas are by far the best. Of the manufacturing plants visited,
15 had such windows, and 4 laundries made similar provision. Wher
ever the plant is only one storj? high, or in workrooms on the top
floor of a building, overhead windows make it possible to supplement
the inadequate light from the sides and to brighten the interiors of
large rooms. Of the manufacturing group, 34.1 per cent of the
plants had some form of overhead lighting, such as skylights and
monitor or sawtooth roofs, while practically three-fifths of the laun
dries had thus supplemented the light from the side windows.
However, 15 establishments showed rooms with no windows at all.
Where there is not enough natural light, it is such an easy matter
to offset this lack by good artificial lighting that there is little excuse
for not doing so. Too often, however, it is considered sufficient
just to provide an artificial light of some sort, little attention being
paid to the arrangement of the fixtures with relation to the work and
the operator’s eyes. An unshaded bulb may be responsible for much
spoiled work as well as considerable illness resulting from the strain
of looking into such a light. Except, for a few instances where there
was an insufficient amount of light, most of the unsatisfactory arti
ficial lighting which was found was due to the glare from badly
hung, unshaded lights. In those parts of the stores, hotels, and
restaurants which cater to the public, the lighting is usually very
good, but behind the scenes in the workrooms one encounters the
glare from brilliant lights which shine directly into the worker’s
eyes. Glare or reflection was reported in 27.3 per cent of the estab
lishments scheduled. A trifle under one-third of these plants were
laundries, a similar proportion wore stores, hotels, and restaurants,
and the rest were distributed throughout the other industrial groups.
Seating.
There are few jobs where the work can not be so arranged or a
chair so adjusted that the operator may sit, at least part of the time,
as she works. It takes careful thought and study to plan the chair
best adapted to the individual operation, and no one chair can be

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

made to serve all purposes in a factory. Variation not only in the
needs of the job hut in the individual must be considered, so that a
chair built for a particular machine or table should be capable of
adjustment for the persons of different heights who may have to
use it. It must be remembered in studying factory seating that the
work chair should be distinct in type from the rest chair. Of interest
at this point is the following opinion of one of our leading industrial
engineers:
The ideal work chair is of such a height that the worker’s elbows will bear
the same relation to the work place when he is sitting as they would if the work
place were adjusted for him to do standing work.2

The best and most scientifically constructed chair will often be
discarded because of a badly arranged worktable. The discomfort
of a board 6 or 8 inches wide running along the side of a table, leaving
no space for knees and forcing the worker back from the table into
a strained position, is often greater than the discomfort of standing.
The law of Oklahoma provides that:
Every employer in any manufacturing, mechanical, or mercantile establish
ment, or workshop, laundry, printing office, dressmaking or millinery establish
ment, hotel, restaurant, or theater or telegraph or telephone establishment and
office, or any other establishment employing females shall provide suitable seats
for all female employees and permit them to use such seats when not engaged in
the active performance of their employment.3

The part of the law which requires that seats shall be provided is
more easily enforceable than the clause regarding the use of seats,
and the extent to which the workers are permitted to use seats is
something which varies with the attitude of the individual employer.
The remarks of a worker in a store may serve to show how the spirit
of the law may be evaded:
In the three months I have worked there I think I have sat down only once,
for more than a minute. I was so dead I just couldn’t stand up, but I felt as
though I were committing a crime when I sat down. If we do sit down a floorman or floorlady will come along and say “I think I would change this and put it
here. ” Then you have to change everything around, and there is no time to sit.

Although many stores had no definite rule against the use of seats,
according to the reports on this subject, the employees were not
encouraged to sit down. The following statements from schedules
indicate varying attitudes on the part of store managers:
Girls are instructed not to tire themselves by constant standing.
The man in charge on the first floor absolutely refuses to allow the girls to sit
down, though the ones on the second floor are allowed to sit.
Girls were not observed using seats, even though there were few customers on a
rainy day.
»Oilbreth, Frank B., and Gilbreth, Lillian M.
Company, 1919, p. 91-92.
8 Oklahoma Acts of 1919, ch. 163, sec. 3.

Fatigue: study . . . ed. 2, New York, Macmillan

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

In all of the telephone exchanges visited a suitable seat was pro
vided for every operator.
The information obtained on seating in factories and laundries
is given in Table 20.
Table 20.—Provisions for seating in establishments visited

Industry

Position of women
when operating

(Sitting or standing___
(Sitting or standing___

Number of
establish
ments
reported
i 30
i 31
i 19

20
1 32

1 27

Number of establishments providing—
No
seats

17
24

Chair with Bench or
back
stool

Box

19
5
7
19

14
13

4
3
3

8
1

1 Details aggregate more than total because some firms appear in more than one group on account of lack
of uniformity in plant conditions.

Frequently there is no uniformity in the type of seat provided
within the same plant, some of the girls sitting on chairs with backs,
others on stools or boxes. There were 30 factories and 20 laundries
in which some of the women sat all day at their work. For these
women who regularly sat at their work 19 of the manufacturing
establishments and 19 of the laundries provided chairs with backs for
at least some of the women. In 18 of the factories some or all of
the women engaged at sitting occupations had only stools, benches,
or boxes to sit upon, none of these offering any possibility of support
to the back. Only one of the laundries failed to supply seats with
backs for those women who sat all day. The woman who is obliged
to sit all day on a stool or box is placed under an unnecessary strain.
For those women who must stand at their job there should be an
adequate number of chairs so placed that the worker may sit down
whenever work is slack or running so smoothly as to require only
intermittent attention, or when for any reason there is some slowing
down. The only requirements for such a seat are that it be comfort
able and easily put out of the way when the worker returns to her
machine. Of 31 factories with women employees who regularlystood at their work, 17 provided no seats for these women and 5
supplied an insufficient number of seats. In other instances the
type furnished was not suitable. Of 32 liyindries employing women
who stood continuously, 24 provided no seats at all for their use.
When it is possible for a worker either to sit or stand at her job the
situation is more satisfactory. Some firms arranged for an inter
change of workers on the jobs which required constant sitting and
those which required constant standing, so that these women had the
benefit of change of position. In other cases it was possible either to

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

sit or to stand at the same job. In 19 manufacturing establishments
and 27 laundries at least a few of the women stood part of the time
and sat part of the time during their day’s work.
SANITATION

Of tremendous importance to the health of the worker is the ques
tion of plant sanitation. The need for stressing this point of plant
sanitation arises from the fact that many employers fail to realize the
necessity for maintaining high standards of sanitation not only in the
matter of ventilation but in the installation and maintenance of
drinking, washing, and toilet facilities. Too often these facilities are
installed without careful thought as to their type or adequacy.
Drinking facilities.
A conveniently located supply of cool drinking water is essential
for workers in all industries. The requirements for such a standard
are cool, pure water easily accessible to all parts of an establishment,
together with individual cups or sanitary bubble fountains.
The survey in Oklahoma revealed that in 54 of the 138 factories,
stores, laundries, and telephone exchanges visited an effort had been
made to look after the comfort of the workers in this respect, water
from bubble fountains, or with individual cups, being supplied. In
79 establishments, however, the common drinking cup was found, in
spite of a State law prohibiting the use of the common cup.4 Seven
of the establishments which provided common drinking cups were
stores where the cup was shared with the public as well as with other
workers, this situation being even more undesirable. In eight other
establishments no cup was furnished and the workers were expected
to bring their own. In one establishment the workers had to go to
a pump in the yard for water, and in another an open pail with com
mon dipper was the only source of supply.
There were 27 plants with bubble fountains. Unfortunately only
two of these had sanitary fixtures, that is, those in which the stream
of water does not flow back on the orifice from which it emerges.
Bacteriological investigation of the hygiene of the bubble fountain
has proved that the bubble fountain is not satisfactory unless the
water emerges at an angle of from 15° to 60° from the vertical and
the orifice is adequately protected from contact by a collar. The
National Safety Council ■‘recommends 30° from the vortical as the
most satisfactory angle. The very fact that all bubble fountains*
* “The use of the common drinking cup in public places, such as parks, streets, schoolhouses, hotels,
factories, workshops, libraries, common carriers, and all other places, is hereby prohibited." Digest of
laws prohibiting the use of the common drinking cup. Compiled October, 1924. New York General
Health Bureau, p. 22, rule 68.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

were originally hailed as sanitary drinking facilities makes it more
important that the distinction between the satisfactory and unsatis
factory types be stressed.
In a region with a long summer, some means of cooling the water is
almost necessary to satisfy thirst. The system of ice cods around the
tank is more hygienic than the custom of placing the ice directly
into the water, and in only 34 establishments was the water cooled
indirectly.
In hotels and restaurants, for the most part, there is an abundant
supply of water available, as well as of individual drinking cups.
Washing facilities.
Sanitary and adequate washing facilities for workers in industrial
plants aid in the protection of the health both of the employee and
the consumer. Frequent washing of hands is necessary in some occu
pations, but all workers no matter on what sort of job they are en
gaged should have a reasonable opportunity for washing before meals
and at the close of the day. While the arrangements need not be
elaborate, they should include a sufficient number of conveniently
located faucets, preferably over troughs, with hot water, soap, and
individual towels. Table 21 shows the number of establishments and
the number of women working in plants where the washing facilities
were inadequate on one score or another.
There were only seven establishments, employing 69 women, in
which no washing facilities were provided. In almost a third of the
factories visited at least part of the sinks or basins provided were
dirty. In the other industries a considerably smaller proportion of
establishments were reported as having basins which were not clean.
In almost two-thirds of the factories and in one-lialf of the laundries,
no hot water was provided for the workers' convenience. Practically
one-fifth of all the establishments visited failed to provide soap
the principal delinquents in this respect being the factories and laun
dries. Containers of liquid soap were provided in 15 establishments.
In 46 plants, employing over one-fourth of the women reported, no
towels were provided for at least some of the women workers; in 86
other plants, employing over three-eighths of the women, common
towels were supplied.
In establishments wnere rood is prepared, sanitary washing facili
ties are of even greater importance than in other types of factories
or in stores or laundries, for the conditions in these plants may have
a direct bearing on the public as well as on the worker. Of 16 estab
lishments engaged in the preparation of food there were 10 in which
no hot water was furnished, 5 with no soap, 2 which made no provision
for towels, and 12 which suDDlied common towels for their employees.

Table 21.—Inadequacy of washing facilities, by industry

Os
Os

Number of establishments with unsatisfactory washing facilities for part or all of the women employees and number
of women employed therein
Number
reported
Industry

None
furnished

Shared with
public

Location not
convenient

Not clean

No hot water

No soap

No towels

All industries................
Manufacture of food products
Miscellaneous manufacturing.
Laundries____ ___________ _
Stores____________________
Hotels and restaurants_____
Telephone exchanges_______

4,130
415
650
707
990
591
777

786

06
498
288

447
253
4
26

156

514

2,189

114

279
515
405
827
72
91

222

97
64
17

862
149
248
386
15
57
7

Estab Wom
lish
ments en
1,093
54
449
490
25
59
16

1,588
302
118
217
665
255
31

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Estab Wom- Estab w°m- “
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
Wom- Estab
lish
lish
lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom- lish
en
en
en
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments

Common
towels

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

The common towel is an undesirable arrangement even when
every attempt is made to furnish an adequate supply, but it is appar
ent that the situation is made even worse when towels are not fre
quently changed or when a large number of persons must use one
towel. When a towel is changed once or twice a week and must be
used by over 20 women, or when towels are changed at irregular
intervals, "when necessary,” the problem is obviously more serious
than when fresh towels are put up two or three times a day and when
a towel has to serve less than 20 people. So far as economy by the
firm is concerned, it would be as easy to furnish a towel to each
worker once or twice a week as to furnish a common towel to a small
number of women and change it frequently, and the arrangement
would have the advantage of being much more sanitary.
Of the 46 establishments in which there were women for whom
no towels were supplied, 23 were laundries. In these places it was
customary for workers to use as towels the net bags in which clothes
are placed or the articles sent to be laundered.
In stores the common towel is often more unsatisfactory than in
factories or laundries, because washing facilities are too frequently
shared with the public. There were 36 stores supplying their workers
with common towels. Of these there were 9 in which the towels were
supplied for the women employees -and the public to use in common.
When one towel is furnished daily to be shared by from 4 to 30
women and the public, or when two towels a day are expected to
serve the needs of from 9 to 60 women in addition to the public, the
situation is obviously unsatisfactory from the point of view of hygiene
and of convenience.
Toilets.
The labor laws of Oklahoma provide that:
Every employer in any manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile establishment,
or workshop, laundry, printing office, dressmaking or millinery establishment,
hotel, restaurant, or theater, or telephone or telegraph establishment and office,
or any other establishment employing females, shall provide adequate and suitable
toilet facilities for such employees.5

In addition, another section of the labor law provides that in
every factory, manufacturing establishment, or workshop where
women are employed, separate toilets shall be provided for the women
workers.5
In Table 22 figures are given on the munber of persons served
by one toilet facility, as well as on what groups used them.8
8 Oklahoma. Acts of 1919, ch. 163, sec. 3; revised laws of Oklahoma, 1910, sec. 3750.

Table 22.—Adequacy of toilet equipment, by industry

Number of establishments with facili
ties serving—

Industry

15 persons or less
Men
and
women

Men,
women,
and
public

and
public

All industries...

1172

132

’ 38

Manufacturing......... .
Laundries__________
Stores___________
Hotels and restaurants
Telephone exchanges _

44
32
45
34
17

40
32
28

3
4

219
17
1

Women
em
ployees
only

Men
and
women

Women
and
public

Men,
women,
and
public

Women
em
ployees
only

Women
and
public

Men,
women,
and
public

Women
em
ployees
only

Men
and
women

31
19

17
7

3
4

22
2

25 but less than 50 50 persons
persons
or more

16 but less than 25 persons

14
17
1

8
1

9
3
1

4
1

1 Details aggregate more than totals because some establishments appear in more than one group on account of lack of uniformity in plant conditions.
2 Includes one firm for which number of persons per seat was not reported.

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
♦
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2
2
1

Women
em
ployees
only
2

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Total
number
of estab Women
lishments
em
ployees
only

Number of establishments in which 1 toilet facility served—

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

The law states that “adequate” toilet facilities shall be provided,
but does not say what the standard of adequacy shall be. The
Women’s Bureau has taken the stand that toilet equipment is ade
quate when there is one facility to every 15 women employed. Of
the 172 establishments visited, 104 came up to this standard with 15
persons or fewer to each facility, although in 9 instances the same
toilet was used by both men and women. In 34 establishments the
average number of employees per seat did not exceed 15, but the
same equipment was at the service of the public as well.
The standards of the telephone exchanges are somewhat better
than the figures in the tables would indicate, since workers on night
shifts, the number not known, are included in figuring the number of
women to each facility.
There were 12 establishments in which toilets were shared in com
mon by both sexes. However, the unsatisfactory situation in which
the women employees had to share toilet rooms with the public was
much more common. There were 40 establishments in which this
condition obtained. This practice, which was common in stores as
well as in hotels and restaurants, works a considerable hardship on
the employees. One woman summed up the situation when she said
“When the public uses the toilets, it crowds the place and we are
kept waiting, Then we are called down for staying away from work
so long.”
In considering whether conditions in regard to toilet equipment
are satisfactory or not, the following items must he taken into con
sideration: Convenience of location; screening in such a manner
that the seat can not be seen from the workroom when the toilet
room door is open; cleanliness; lighting; and ventilation. Table 23
gives a summary of the conditions existing in the establishments
visited.

Table 23.—Condition of toilet equipment, by industry

Number of establishments with toilet equipment unsatisfactory in part or throughout and number of women employed therein
Number
reported
Industry

Room not
convenient

Room not
screened

Room not
clean

Cleaned by workers em
ployed for other work
Swept

Scrubbed

No pro
vision
made for
scrubbing

EsEsEsEsEsEsEsEsEsEsEstab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom t-ab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom
lish- en
lish- en
lish- en
lish- en Iish- en lish- en lish- en lish- en
lisii- en lish- en ligh- en
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
ments
172 4,130

860

660

419

786

540

793

253

506

388

44 1,065
32
707
45
990
34
591
777
17

15
4

430
146

82
363
97
118

5
18
3

14
18

374
398

194

154
141
37
13
23

247
141
73
13
32

271
314
14

7
14

178
54

5
9

17
242
150
114
17

1
2

3
14
4

2
1

4
14
3

Telephone exchanges..........................

14
1

273
3

16
3
H

308
25
.........

9
1

4
1

IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

All industries...........................
Manufacturing....... ............................

W OM EN"

No outside ventilation
ar tifinial
Room not No
light
proceiled
No artificial Artificial
vie ed
ventilation ventilation

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Establishments in which any undesirable condition was found are
listed, even though the situation may have varied throughout the
plant and other equipment may have been satisfactory in that particu!nr respect. Any toilet room was considered to be inadequately
''pitted if no artificial light was provided, because the small window
• ■/ often encountered does not give sufficient light on dark days or
uring the early and late hours of winter work days. But the situakon was certainly bad when 14 of the 35 toilet rooms which had no
artificial light were also without any window.
In over one-third of the establishments there were toilet rooms
with no outside ventilation, and of these 30 had no ventilating flue or
other artificial means of ventilation, being dependent for air on what
came from hall or workroom when the door was opened.
Although a large percentage of firms had regularly paid cleaners,
in 43 cases the sweeping and in 33 cases the scrubbing of toilet rooms
had to be done by workers who were employed for other jobs. This
is an obviously unsatisfactory arrangement; during a busy time in the
plant either the cleaning is neglected or the employee must stay after
a long working day in order to get it done. A woman employed in a
food manufacturing plant stated that the women often had to stay
on Saturday afternoons to clean the toilet. In another such estab
lishment the women swept the toilet rooms, but, as they would not
take the time to scrub, it w’as not scrubbed at all and the room was
filthy. In view of the fact that the regular employees were respon
sible for sweeping the toilet rooms in 43 establishments, and even
for scrubbing them in 33 establishments, it is rather surprising that
in only 18 instances were the rooms reported as dirty.
The number of toilet rooms where there were no inclosing partitions
around the toilet seats or where there was no door in front of the
seat was astonishingly large. Of the 1,772 women employed in the
manufacturing and laundry groups, 44.6 per cent did not have the
privacy in toilet rooms afforded by separately inclosed seats.
Uniforms.
It is gratifying to note that of the women working in the establish
ments where food stuffs were manufactured or served, four-fifths
were required to wear some kind of uniform. The types ranged from
caps, rubber aprons, or wash dresses to more elaborate uniforms.
Of the 567 women who were required to wear some type of uniform,
73.5 per cent had to supply their own uniforms and 56.6 per cent
were responsible for getting them laundered. When a uniform costs
from $1.50 to $2 and when a girl must have two or three uniforms, or
pay to have a clean uniform daily at a eost of 30 cents a day, these
items of expense amount to a hardship.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Table 24.— Use of uniforms in establishments engaged in the manufacture or serving

of food, by industry
Number of establishments requiring the wearing of uniforms
and number of women required to wear them
Number
reported

Supplied by-

Laundered by—

Industry
Company

Women

Company

Women

EsEsEsEsEsEstab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom tab- Wom
lish- en
lish- en lish- en lish- en lish- en lish- en
ments
ments
mentvS
ments
ments
ment
All industries.................. .

l 44

709

567

150

417

240

321

Manufacturing.....................

415

319

233

169

144

Meat, poultry and
dairy products
Other food...... .............

6
10

187
228

6
6

202

100

2
2

133

Hotels and restaurants........

i 28

294

Kitchen. ................
Dining room_____

16
27

97
197

5
3

109
124

4
4

248

184

177

58
190

19
45

39
145

230

5
18

28
149

117

1 Details aggregate more than total because some establishments appear in more than one group.
2 Includes one firm which laundered two uniforms per week, but women needed at least three or four.

There were only two other considerable groups where any require
ments were made in the matter of dress. Of the 176 maids in hotels,
111 were required to wear aprons or special dresses. Although
all furnished their own, for 47 of them the laundering was done by
the employer. In 7 of the 32 laundries it was stipulated that the
women were to wear wash dresses or aprons. While in all of these
cases the laundering was done by the company, in only one were
the aprons furnished by the firm. None of the plants visited required
uniforms as a safety measure, although several laundries asked that
the women wear no flowing sleeves or ribbons.
SERVICE ROOMS

It is not unreasonable to expect that establishments employing
women should provide a place where they may eat their lunch,
hang their wraps, and have comfortable chairs and cots on which to
lie down when they are ill or overtired. Yet in Oklahoma the
provisions for these conveniences were very meager.
'
Lunch rooms
The desirability of providing workers with hot, nourishing lunches
has received little attention throughout the State. Most workers
had either to eat a cold lunch in the room where they spent all of
their working hours or to find some place outside the plant. Where
the lunch hour is long enough and distances are not too great, many
workers prefer to go home for lunch, but for the large proportion

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDTJSTBIES

this is ordinarily not feasible. In only live establishments, three of
which were telephone companies with excellent and attractive
cafeterias, were there lunch rooms in the plant where meals were
provided at a low cost. Three other firms served coffee to their
employees free of charge. As the total number of women employed
hi these three firms was 79, and as 38 of them received this hot drink
in winter only, this number is almost negligible. In 11 establish
ments some type of cooking convenience was provided, and the
employees themselves were able to cook or heat food. Rooms
provided with tables arid chairs where the workers could eat the
lunch which they had brought with them were found in 38 other
plants. These rooms, although often neither comfortable nor
attractive, were at least a change from the workrooms with their
insistent reminder of the daily grind.
Hotels and restaurants, with their many kitchen and dining-room
workers whose meals are counted as part of their wages, are in a group
by themselves. These women all had their meals in the rooms in
which they worked. Such an arrangement in the case of many of the
workers in the dining rooms, who must jump up while eating their own
meals in order to serve customers, is most unsatisfactory. Seldom
was any provision made for the other women workers in the hotels—
telephone and elevator operators, linen-room workers, and maids.
In only two firms, employing but 14 women in this capacity, was there
a room set aside where these workers might eat. The query as to
where the maids ate their lunches often brought the response, “Oh,
they sit on the stairs or eat in the toilets.” That any workers should
be expected to sit and eat their lunches on cement stairs in a cold,
drafty hallway, or on the floor of the toilet room, shows a striking
disregard for comfort, if not decency.
Rest rooms.

A worker who has become fatigued to a point where she can not
keep on with her work, but must go home in order to lie down, causes
loss of time and output for her employer and of money from her pay
envelope. Many employers recognize that such loss can be reduced
by providing a room with a comfortable cot so that the worker may
lie down for a short time and return to her work. A worker need not
be utterly fatigued to appreciate this opportunity for a rest; to be
able to stretch out during the noon hour or for a very short period
at some other time may keep her from reaching the stage of complete
exhaustion. In many cases in Oklahoma, a few broken-down wooden
chairs, a hard bench with a one-half inch pad, or a lumpy, dirty
couch wTas the equipment optimistically regarded as sufficient to
constitute a rest room. On the other hand, there were some ex
ceedingly comfortable and attractive rest rooms. An ideal arrange61159°—2Ct-----6

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

ment found in several of the telephone exchanges was a system of
two rooms—one a recreation room and the other a darkened room
with oots for quiet resting only. Such an arrangement is practical
only where large numbers are employed. The summary below
indicates to what a considerable extent Oklahoma firms have failed
to make any provision for rest rooms:
Establishments providing no rest rooms
Industry group

Total_______
Manufacturing _______ _____
Laundries. _ __
Telephone exchanges _ _
Mercantile
Hotels and restaurants. .

Establish
ments
113
38
32
8
12
23

Women

225

1 011
707
41
114
352

Eest rooms were provided in only 59 establishments, and in 15
of these there was no couch nor cot. The largest proportion of the
1,799 women employed in these 59 establishments were in the tele
phone exchanges or stores. In the manufacturing group only 6
firms employing 54 women, and none of the laundries, made an effort
to provide a rest room, although some which had no rest room did have
cots or couches where the workers could be taken care of in the event
of illness.
In six hotels rest rooms were provided for only certain groups of
workers. In fact, less than one-fourth of the women in this sort of
work had any rest rooms provided, and of those, only a trifle over
one-third had the rooms to themselves, the others using facilities
provided for the public. Seldom would the workers actually make
use of rest rooms provided primarily for the public. For those
women in hotels and restaurants who most need a place for resting—the kitchen and dining-room workers—there was very little provision.
They are employed mostly at standing jobs, usually on hard nonresilient floors; their hours are over a long period of time because of
broken shifts; and yet they have no place to rest during their free
hours. A day such as 7 to 10 a. m„ 12 noon to 2 p. m., and 5 to 8
p. m. means work over a period of 13 hours. For such a woman,
with one intermission of two hours and another of three hours, a
rest room is essential. The working woman does not want to take
the street car to some place where she can rest or shop five hours a
day every day of the week, nor can she afford to go to the moving
pictures daily. One worker in a restaurant, who looked utterly
fatigued, commented on the lack of a place to spend her time off
duty, in the following words: “Oh, if there was a place where I

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

could just get my feet up and rest during my off hours, I wouldn’t
get so worn out.”
Cloakrooms.
In some industries, because of the very character of their product,
a change from street clothes to work clothes is necessary, while in
other industries uniforms must be worn. In many it'is not abso
lutely necessary that a change of clothing be made, but the women
prefer to do so. If they have any pride in their personal appearance
they do not wish to appear in public showing the evidence of dirty
or dusty work. That a place should be provided in which they
might make the change, and where their belongings would be safe, as
well as protected from the dust, dirt, fumes, or dampness of the fac
tory or workshop, seems self-evident. But there were 40 establish
ments, employing 602 women, which provided no cloakroom at all,
while 14 others supplied them for only a third of their 341 women
workers. Of the cloakrooms which were provided, 12 were not
clean, 15 had no artificial light, and 42 had no outside window.
There were many different ways of taking care of wraps. Some
establishments had lockers, shelves, hangers, and wall hooks all in
the same plant. Of the plants reporting, only 27 had lockers for all
their women employees and 5 provided them for only part, while 128
were equipped with wall hooks or nails, one-half of this number
having such equipment only. In one case so few hooks were supplied
that the workers had to throw their wraps across boxes in the work
room. The rest of these firms furnished other facilities as well, a
few lockers or hangers, but mostly shelves, as a supplement to the
nails and hooks.

PART VI
THE WORKERS
Wages, horn's, and conditions of work are of real interest chiefly
because of their relation to the people affected by such matters.
When one talks of wages, not all interest centers in a mere series of
figures. These figures assume importance because of the workers
who receive the wages and because of the demands which are made
upon the income and the extent to which the wage fills the need.
For each record of week’s earnings included in this survey there was
some woman who had to meet definite expenses with the contents of
her pay-envelope. The records of scheduled hours and of hours
worked tell part of the story of what each worker is contributing of
herself in return for a living. One is interested, therefore, in know
ing to what types of women these figures which have been cited on
earnings and hours are related, and what are their responsibilities
and needs.
In order to discover something of the kind of women who were
contributing to Oklahoma’s industrial life, cards were passed out in
the plants visited and the women were requested to answer a few
questions relating to age, nativity, schooling, living and conjugal
condition. Not in all cases were cards returned, and some were
incompletely filled out, but personal information was obtained for
about 2,500 women, or approximately three-fifths of the women sur
veyed—a proportion sufficiently large to be representative of the
women for whom data on hours and wages were received.
Age.
Age was reported by 2,454 white women and 156 negroes, these
facts being presented in Appendix Table XXII. The per cent dis
tribution of these women among the various age groups is shown in
the following summary:
Age
16
18
20
25
30
40
50
60

and under 18 years _ _ __ _ _________________ _____
and under 20 years _
____________ ____
and under 25 years _ ___
______
___
_
and under 30 years __ _
_ __________ __ _____
and under 40 years_______ .
- — —
and under 50 years ______
_ _
_
and under 60 years __ ______ ____
_ __
_
years and over. . _ ______________________

White
women

Negro
women

Per cent

4.
16.
33.
13.
18.
10.
3.
.

0
1
0
9
9
1
6
4

4.
23.
27.
32.
9.
1.

5
7
6
7
6
9

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Among the white women were a great many young workers, over
one-half being under 25 years of age, and one-fifth under 20. About
one-third were from 25 to 40 years old, and only about 14.1 per cent
were 40 or over. The great majority of the negro women were
between 20 and 40 yearn of age, only 4.5 per cent being under 20 and
11.5 per cent 40 or over.
The manufacture of glass products and 5-10-and-25-cent stores
showed a larger proportion of young workers among their employees
than did any of the other industries surveyed. In the former, 12.3
per cent of the women employed were 16 but less than 18 years of
age, and in the latter 12.4 per cent of the women came in this age
group. There was greater variation in the age of the women in the
glass factories, however, for more than a third of them were 30 years
of age or over, while only 5 per cent of the women in the 5-10-and-25cent stores had reached that age. The telephone workers also were
largely young women, with over a fourth of those reporting under
20 years of age and 58.1 per cent between 20 and 25 years.
The women engaged in the manufacture of shirts and overalls and
those who worked in hotels and restaurants and in laundries were,
on the whole, older than the women in most of the other industries.
Of the 83 shirt and overall workers reporting on the subject 37.3 per
cent were in the 30-to-40-year age group, while 20.5 per cent were
between 40 and 50 years of age. Practically the same proportion of
the women working in hotels and restaurants were between 30 and
40 years of age, and 17.2 per cent were 40 but less than 50 years old;
of the laundry workers, more than one-fourth (25.9 per cent) were 40
years of age or more.
Nativity.
The women who work, in Oklahoma industries are largely native
born. The State is not located near aaiy of the points of entry for
large groups of immigrants, and her industries have not been such as
to bring in any large foreign groups. Of the 2,425 white women and
161 negro women who reported on nativity, no negro and only 12
white women were foreign born. These women were found in 6 of
the 11 industrial groups included in the survey. In fact, of the total
number of women reporting, 93.3 per cent were native-born white
women. In view of the fact that native-born whites constitute 86
per cent of the total population of the State,1 this large proportion
is not at all surprising.
Conjugal condition.
The facts on the conjugal condition of the 2,383 white women and
154 negro women who reported are presented in Table XXIII in the
1 U. S. Bureau of the Census. Fourteenth Census. Population: 1920. Abstract of occupation statistics,
p. 515, Table 18.
•

WOMEN" IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

appendix. The proportions in each group are shown in the following
summary:
Conjugal condition

Single _____________
Married
__ __
Widowed, separated, or divorced___ __

___

White
women

Negro
women

Per cent

46. 0
33. 2
20. 7

20. 1
46. 8
33. 1

An unusually large porportion of the white women workers of
Oklahoma who reported on conjugal condition were or had been
married—54 per cent in all. An even larger porportion of the negro
women (79.9 per cent) 'reported such marital status. The largest
proportion of single women were found in the 5-10-and-25-cent
stores, where practically nine-tenths of the employees had not been
married. In the telephone exchanges, also, a large proportion (70.8
per cent) of those reporting were single. It is not surprising that in
these industries many single women were found, for among both of
these groups the proportion of young workers was large.
The hotels and restaurants had the smallest proportion of single
women, for of the white workers in these establishments who reported
on conjugal condition 84.6 per cent were or had been married. In
laundries, also, the proportion of single women was lower than in
most industries, over three-fourths of the women being either mar
ried, widowed, separated, or divorced. The duties of a worker in a
hotel, restaurant, or laundry seem more closely akin to those which a
woman ordinarily has in her own home. Apparently the married
woman, when confronted with the necessity of partially or entirely
supporting herself, and possibly others, had some inclination to turn
to those occupations in which the work was most familiar to her.
Living condition and home responsibilities.
Of the women surveyed in Oklahoma industries, 2,618 reported on
living condition, and the figures compiled from their reports may be
found in Appendix Table XXIV. The great majority, practically fourfifths of both the white and negro women, lived at home. A woman
was classified as living at home if she lived with any of her immediate
family—parents, husband, children, brother, or sister. If living with
other members of her family, she was counted as living with relatives.
Although there are differences among the various industries in the
proportion of women who were living at home and the proportion
who were living independently or with relatives, the range is not great
and a comparison of the industries in this respect has no great signif
icance. The largest proportion of women living independently were

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

found among those who worked in hotels and restaurants, of whom
more than a fourth were living away from family or relatives.
The point to be stressed, however, is that the women, whether
married or single, who lived at home are at least as much in need of
every cent they can earn as arc the women who live independently.
The agents of the bureau visited a few of the workers in their homes
in order to get a somewhat more personal point of view of the problem.
Of the 46 workers visited, 41 were living at home. Twenty of these,
or practically one-half, were partially or entirely responsible for the
support of at least one child. Two of these were also partially or
entirely responsible for the support of a parent. Of the 21 who did
not contribute to the support of children, 5 were partially responsible
for the care of one or more parents or other relatives. It is doubtful
whether out of any group of men picked at random there would be a
larger proportion responsible for the support of others.
One woman who earned $12 a week in a laundry supported herself
and five children ranging in age from 3 to 13 years. Not only did
she earn the money to keep the family going, but she did all of the
housework as well. After doing other people’s laundry six days a
week, she had to spend the seventh doing the washing for her own
family.
Another woman, who was separated from her husband and had
three small children to support, was somewhat better off than this
first woman, because she lived with her parents and did not have so
much to do outside her working hours. She was, however, solely
responsible financially for herself and three children.
When there are children in the family so small that someone must
take care of them during working hours, the problem is made even
more difficult. One woman worker was a widow with two children,
the younger only 2 years old. During the school year, when the
older child was away, the mother had to pay a woman $3 a week to
take care of the younger one. The 11-year-old girl did the cooking
in addition to taking care of the baby when not in school ; the mother
did all of the heavier work.
The problems of these three families are cited simply to give some
indication of why many women go to work. In other cases the
responsibility of a sick husband may be added to the care of children.
Often a woman supports parents, either alone or with the aid of
brother or sister, or the oldest of a large family turns in all of her
earnings toward the support of the others. In other cases the burden
is not so heavy. Either the woman’s husband is working at a wage
insufficient to support the family alone or he is able to get work only
intermittently. But the cases where the woman is working because
she “ hates housework” or because she “has the habit” are the excep
tion rather than the rule.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA JNDUSTBIES

Education.
From 2,403 white women and 150 negro women reports were
returned on the extent of their schooling, and the information regard
ing time of quitting school; these may be found in Appendix Table
XXV. The largest number of white women in any one group were
the 33.3 per cent who had stopped school at the end of the eighth
grade. A considerable proportion of the white workers reported had
left at the end of one of the high-school grades. A relatively large
proportion of the white workers (45.7 per cent) had gone on beyond
the eighth grade. Only 9 women had never attended school, and less
than one-fifth of the total had quit school before completing the eighth
grade. There is less difference between the white and negro workers
in respect to extent of schooling than might be expected. Over a
fifth of the negro workers had completed the eighth grade and stopped
there, and practically three-tenths, had gone on beyond the eighth.
There were more women employed in the general mercantile
establishments than in any of the other industries who had continued
in school through the higher grades.- Almost three-fourths of the
women so employed had gone on even after completing the eighth
grade, and only 11 of the 367 reporting had stopped short of complet
ing the eighth grade. Of the 5-10-and-25-ccnt-store workers, 68.6
per cent had progressed beyond the grammar grades, and 22.9 per
cent had stopped with the eighth. Of the telephone workers, about
nine-tenths had gone at least as far as the eighth grade, and
approximately three-fifths of them had been in higher grades.
The smallest proportion of white women continuing beyond the
eighth grade were found in the laundries, but even of these 18.3 per
cent had gone to high school, while 40 per cent had completed the
eighth grade and stopped there.
On the whole, these women who reported on the amount of school
ing which they had had were picked at random and may be considered
as fairly representative of the women in industrial work in Oklahoma.
Judged on this basis the State has an unusually good I'ecord in the
amount of education shown by the industrial workers as compared
with other States from which data on this subject have been secured
by the Women's Bureau.

...

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APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A—General Tables
APPENDIX B—Schedule Forms

Appendix A.—General Tables

o°

Table I.—Week’s earnings, by industry—1924
Number of women ear ning each specified amount in—
rhe manu acture of—

Week’s earnings

Under $1............................................................................................

3,452
100. 0
$13. 00
9

34
32
37
49
85
98

$8 and under $9...

201

$11 and under $12..... ........ ........... .................................... ...............

274
368
217
298

$9 and under $10.............................................................................. .

$13 and under $14______________________________________
$14 and under $15............................................................................

$18 and under $19..................................... .............................. ......
$19 and under $20
$21 and under $22._

_________ ____ _____ ________ ______
$22 and under $23........................ ................ ...................................
$23 and under $24.____ ______ ___ ____________ _______

$35 and under $40__ _______________

210

194
254
216
196
208
82
150
31
38

222

173
5.0
$12.80

185
5.4
$11.90
2

2
1
1

4
5
3
3

5
4

4
6

3
7

4
3
14

11
20
12

17
30
18
16
2
10

1
1
1

6.4
$10. 30

14
0.4

Shirts
and
overalls

Miscel
laneous

100

2.9
$17. 70

341
9.9
$10.15

1
1

14
11

28
20

1
2

1
1

18
48
33
46
27

2
1

9
5

6
1
2

3
3

12
2
2
2
2

1
2
1

4
2

5
5
3
5

5
4

80
31
7

25
9
3
14
g
9
2

5
2

29
36

3
4

General 5-10-and
mercan 25-cent
tile
stores

646
18.7
$17. 35

7
5
2

1
2
1
1
6

653
18.9
$11. 50

2
1

3
9
5

7
4
14
14
39
15
50
25

9
26
62
89
87

2
2

Tele
phone
exchanges

Laun
dries

341
9.9
$9. 45

28
9
18

20
10

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Meat,
Glass
Printing
poultry,
Other
and
and
and
food
glass
dairy
products publish
products products
ing

27
271
83
104

11
12

77
102

6
1
1

44
39
34
24

88
y

73
5

89
32
44

8
6

31
37
48
83

1
8

20
8
1

58
25

777
22.5
$16.50

73
49
15
11

3
3

W O M EN IN OKLAHOM A IN D U STR IES

Total.......... ...... ......................... ................................ ..........
Per cent distribution....................... ........................................... .
Median earnings___ ______________ ____ __________________

All
industries

»
Table II.—Week's earnings, by industry—1923
Number of women earning each specified amount in—
The manufacture of—
Week’s earnings

Total........................................ ...............................................—...........
Per cent distribution----- ------ ------- ------ -----------------------------------------Median earnings--------- ------------------------------------- ..------------------- ------

2,350
100. 0
$12.15
6

$5 and under $6.............................................. *.------------ ._ ---------------- ----$7 and under $8__________________________________________________
$9 and under $10---- ------- ---------- ---------------- -------------------------------

$13 and under $14__________________ _________

___

35
32
57
57
83
165
236
256
175
261
130
83
169
56
65
94
43
90
15
28
14
10

$30 and under $35_________________________ _______ ________ _____
$35 and under $40...___

87
49
5

130
5.5
$13.15

185
7.9
$11.80

227
9.7
$10. 45

1
2
2
8

5
3
5

2
2
6
2
6

12
8

13
15
15

10
6
10

9
1
1

2
8

39
33
15
4

3
7
8

16
24
30
29
17
27
11

0.5

7
4

1
2
1

1
2

3
2

li
1

14
7

2
11

14
4

4
4
4
9

333
14.2
$9. 30

580
24.7
$11. 40

1
2

1
6
10

3
7
4
3

9
26

12
10

66
86

13
13
4

48
23
14

56
15

16
42
54
15
69

2
1
2
2

4
4

5
4
3
4

Laun
dries

611
26.0
$17. 60

10
21
20

6
1

158
6.7
$10.10
3

2
2
6

114
4.9
$16.70

General 5-10-andmercan 25-cent
tile
stores

6
2
2
1

Miscella
neous

8
20
8
1

64
34

3
6
2

15
17

26
73
81
75
94
41
24
33
12

5
18

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

All in
Meat,
Printing Shirts
Other
dustries Glass and poultry,
glass
food
and
and pub
and
products
dairy
products lishing
overalls
products

2
1

7
1

5
GO

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Table

III.—Week’s earnings and time worked, all industries—1984

A. WOMEN WHOSE TIME WORKED WAS REPORTED IN HOURS
Number of women earning each specified amount who workedWeek’s earnings

Total.................
Median earnings
Under $1____ _____
$1 and under $2

$2 and under $3
$3 and under $4
$1 and under $5..........
$5 and under $6
$6 and under $7
$7 and under $8..........
$8 and under $9
SO and under $10
$10 and under $11
$11 and under $12___
$12 and under $13___
$13 and under $14___
$14 and under $15___
$15 and under $15___
$16 and under $17___
$17 and under $18.......
$18 and under $19___
$20 and under $21
$21 and under $22___

$22 and under $23
$23 and under $24___
$24 and under $25
$25 and under $30.......

110

1,521
$13,95

132
$4. 65

$8.75

5
15

5
15
19
13

26
42
34
89
79
119
90
98
116
109
ns
138
134
89
67
55
19
13
5
3

19
17
3

5
4
1

1
6
12

13
9
6

3
3
1

140
$12.55

48 hours

Over 48
and un
der 50
hours

50 hours

Over 50
and un
der 52
hours

183
$11.55

811
$17.00

51
$11. 90

35
$11.55

45
$15. 45

3
5
17
19
38
18

1
2

3
14

4
4
13

1
1
1

52 hours

Over 52
and un 54 hours
der 54
tours

Over 54
hours

48 hours
and over

108
$12.45

24
$14.35

907
$16.15

30
$11.65

7
3

1
1

1
2
2
6
6
6
1
1
1

i
8
8
8
10
10
12

23
13
15
18
6

1
2

49
$13.55

Over 44
and un
der 48
hours

2
1
1

4
3
4

10
8

5
3

35
4
7

10
12

4
1

12
21

35
55
58
109
98
68

61
49
14

10
2
1

2
10

3
9
1

3
3
1
2

1
1

3
2
1
1
2
1
1

1
2
1
6

i
11

16
15

19
11

6
2

4
5
5

9
3

1
1
1
1

6
6

1
1
1
1
1
2

1
1

4
23
33
50
47
55
55
79
87
119
117
79
65
53
19
13
4
3
2

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Number
of
30 and: 39 and
women
reported 30Under
39 under 44 44 hours
hours under
hours
hours

•

*
B. WOMEN WHOSE TIME WORKED WAS REPORTED IN DAYS
Number of women earning each specified amount who worked on—

Week’s earnings

1 day

1H days

1,562
$12.10

17
$2.65

4
5
13
16

4
4
8
1

2 days

23
$3.95

2H days

3 days
23
$5.80

334 days

4 days

48
$8.35

6
2

434 days
17
$8.50

5 days
99
$10.05

534 days
69
$10. 70

6 days

1,227
$12. 90

6J4 days

7 days

5 days
and over

1,410
$12.50

3
1

10
22

34
52
96
184
227

2
10

2
1

4
1

4
2

7
3
1
1
1

102

142
65
63
109
54
50
98
8

1
1
1
1

4
i

16
4

1
1

4
i

3
3

i
3
4
13
19
9
19
5
7
4

2
1

1
2

6
1

9
18
8

15
5
3
1
2

5
1

2
1

19
7
64
25
5

23
60
150
194
71
126
52
54

100

45
48
96
8

75
5
19
7
1

3
5
38

60
25
5
2

1
1
1

178

222

99
138
59
61
107
52
49
97
8

19
7
1

63
25
5

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Total.., —....
Median earnings........

Number
of women
reported

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Table IV.—Week’s earnings and time worked, all ^industries—1923

A. WOMEN WHOSE TIME WORKED WAS REPORTED IN HOURS
Number of women earning each specified amount who worked—
Week’s earnings

496
$11.65

Under $1.............. .......

$1 and under $2

$2 and under S3..........
$3 and under $4
$4 and under $5.........
$5 and under $6..........
$6 and under $7
$7 and under $8-....... .
$8 and under $9
$9 and under $.10
$10 and under $11__
$11 and under $12___
$14 and under $15___
$15 and under $16___
$16 and under $17___
$17 and under $18___
$18 and under $19___
$19 and under $20.......
$20 and under $21
$21 and under $22.......
$22 and under $23___
$23 and under $24.......
$24 and under $25__
$25 and under $30__
$30 and under $35___

30 and
39 and
Under
39 under 44
30 hours under
hours
hours
52
$5.10

4
3

4
3
9

13
17

38
45
43
69
65
38
29
34
15
14
3
9

5
3

11
8
20

4
1

2
2

42
$8. 70

102

$11.10

44 hours

Over 44
and un
der 48
hours

48 hours

Over 48
and un
der 50
hours

31
$11.90

64
$13.00

36
$15.85

23
110. 25

7
3

50 hours

Over 50
and un
der 52
hours

19
$11. 35

2
2

1
1
1

3
7

(>)

52 hours

Over 52
and un
der 54
hours

54 hours

Over 54
hours

70
$12. 50

26
$13.20

48 hours
and over

205
$12.65

8
6
2

3
7
4
7
3
5
5
4
2

19
13

12
6

1
1
2
1
12
6

5
2

4
1
1

18
4
3
16

3
3
1

2
12
2
8
1
1

2
2
2
2
1

1
2
1
1

1
2
2
1
2
2

1
1
1

4
13
3
3
23
9
3
6
2

2
1

4
5
3
1

1
1

2
1

1
1

22
20

9
23

2
8

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Total
Median earnings

of
women
reported

♦

,62119

B. WOMEN WHOSE TIME WORKED WAS REPORTED IN DAYS
Number of women earning each specified amount who worked on—
Week's earnings

1,364
$12.15
3

13
18
12

32
22

40
98
164
170
79
142
58
30

1H days

1 day

30
$2.40

(>)

3
9

8
10

2 days

17
$4.10

2'A days

3 days

33
$5.85

1
6
11

3K days
12

(>)

4 days
26
$8.35

iH days

13
$8. 25

1
1

4
3
6
1
2

5 days
85
$9.90

5
1

5
1
2

5
5

1
2

2
1
2
2

55
$10.60

1,087
$12. 85

4
15
14
3
5

18
59
135
150
70
125
57
27
92
23
40
60
16
64
5

3
1

19
6

1
12
1
2

24
41
63
17
69

1
1

3
70
32

3
1
1
1
1

1
2

i
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
1

6 days

5 days
and over
1,227
$12.55

::::::::::

101

6
22
12

5Yz days

20
10
2
68

139
58
30

100

24
41
62
16
69

6
22
11
2

69
31

7
34
93
155
167

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Total __ .............................................
Median earnings ________________ ____

Number
of women
reported

i Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Table V.—Earnings of women who worked the firm’s scheduled iveek, by industry—1924

Number of women earning each specified amount who worked the firm's scheduled days or hours in—
The manufacture of—
Week’s earnings

Total-...........................................................-.........................
Median earnings.......................................... -................ ..................

2,004
$15.00
i
27
77
176
228
101

165
103

120

167
162
151
171
69
127
21

30
$24 and under $25___ _______________ ____________________

10
2

64
25
5
2

Meat,
Glass
Other
Printing Shirts
poultry,
and
and glass
fpod
and pub
and
dairy products lishing overalls
products
products
28
$14.10

12
0)

44
$11.00

(>)

Miscel
laneous

108
$12.15

General 5-10-andmercan 25-eent
tile
stores

Laun
dries

5Q1
$18.20

260
$9.80

125
$12. 05

612
$16. 90

19
50
75
83
9
u
3
5
i

71
80
55
72
29
30
26
20

34
59
ao
110

5
16

1
6
10
6

2
1

6
12
2

7
i
l
2
1

3
3

2
2
2
1
1
2

ir6
IS13
3

2
1

5
13

1
2

1
1

2
10
6

5
1
2

1
2

5
7
29
7
35
12

7
74
16
41
79
6

69
4
16
7

1
6

7
l

54
24
5
2

I
1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Tele
phone exi
changes

n
19

61
47
14

10
2
1

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN U TTSTR IES

All in
dustries

Table

VI.—Weekly rates and actual week’s earnings, by industry—1924

Number of women for whom amount specified was weekly rate and number for whom it was actual week’s earnings in—
The manufacture of-

$12,
$13,
$14,
$15,

under $13.
under $14.
under $15.
under $16.

$18, under $19.
$20, under $21.
$21, under $22.

2
26
111
313
353
139
396
165
200
239
228
190
219
85
141
24
31
11
1

$40, and over..

66
25
7
2

80
29
41
68
80
175
255
314
178
262
153
177
239
192
168
194
73
133
20
34
10

32
12
11
5
39
3
8
4
1
1

4
5
3
5
3
6
10
16
10
9
4
17
16
8
4
1
1

12
3
1
3
2
$
70
22
17
56
1

General
mercantile

4
64
26
7
1

5-10-and-25cent stores

Laundries

Telephone
exchanges

1
13
26
26
5
18
9
14
5
3
3

9
3
6
8
8
18
13
17
5
12
3
12
5
3
2

1
1

1
1
2
1
1
1
1

1
1
2

3
3
3
2
8
2
1
2

1
2
16
41
25

5
1
3
3
7
1
1
2

79
8
6
3
19
1
5

2
1

629
629
210
$9.00 $17. 75 $17. 30
21
9
9
12
15
40
28
23
14
13
8
4
3
5
1
4

2
9

2(T

36
11
55
25
5
92
20
51
103
7
.. 76
1
18
8
57
24
7
2

5
2
1
7
4
14
14
39
15
49
25
9
87
31
42
86
7
71
5
20
7

340
$9. 90

18
64
100
113
12
19
3
5
2
1

15
4
12
9
26
62
89
87
11
12
3
5
1

2
4
117
97
74
111
53
41
37
27
6
22
2
7

11
2
4
21
23
23
82
94
64
101
44
39
34
24
6
19
1
8

1
2
16
22
29
36
71
82
142
124
82
74
50

2
1

8
1

Week’s earn
ings

Weekly rate

340
612
767
612
$9.45 $12.10 $11.70 $16.90

55
25
7

“

Week ’s earn
ings

Weekly rate

ings

"Week's earn-

Weekly rate

ings

"Week’s earn

Weekly rate

14
25
25
210
(0 $15. 05 $14. 50 $12.20

CO M

M-S
$

Week’s earn
ings

14
(■>

Weekly rate

3
8
is

Weekly rate

ings

Week’s earn

126
$9.85

ings

Weekly rate

Miscel
laneous

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

2
11
19
27
29
14
4
2
4

Shirts and
overalls

Week ’s earn

ings

Week ’s earn

ings

Weekly rate

Week’s earn

Week ’s earn
ings

132
Total,.- 2,977 2.977
122
122
132
126
Median....... . $13.90 $13.05 $13.00 $11.90 $12.80 $11.55 $10.90
3

Printing
and
publishing

Other food
products

767
$16. 50
2
1
4
3
1
8
6
19
26
36
47
83
84
123
108
73
62
49
15

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Weekly rate

Amount

Meat, poul
try, and dairy
products

Glass and
glass
products

Weekly rate

All industries

3
3

8
1

C£>

Table

VII.— Weekly rates and actual week’s earnings, by industry—1923

Number of women for whom amount specified was weekly rate and number for whom it was actual week’s earnings in—
The manufacture of —
All industries
Amount

Other food
products

Printing and
publishing

Shirts and
overalls

Miscellaneous

General mer
cantile

5-10-and-25cent stores

Laundries

Week Week’s Week Week’s Week Week’s Week Week’s Week Week’s Week Week’s Week Week’s Week W eek’s Week Week's Week Week’s
earn
earn
earn
earn
earn
earn
earn
earn
earn
ly rate earn
ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings ly rate ings

W OM EN

poultry,
Glass and glass Meat,
and dairy
products
products

$5 and under $6___
$6 and under $7___
$9 and under $10__
$11 and under $12..

$12 and under $13..
$13 and under $14. _
$14 and under $15..
$16
$17
$18
$19

and under $17..
and under $18..
and under $19 .
and under $20..
$20 and under $21..
$21 and under $22..
$22 and under $23..
$23 and under $24..
$24 and under $25..
$25 and under $30..
$30 and under $35..
$35 and under $40..
$40 and over

113
216
286
109
310
152
93
151
59
60
99

91
4
21
11

3
69
35
13
4

1,930
92
$12.10 $14.00
61
23
44
39

75
19
83

8
22

6
12

27
33

13
13

7
4
1
1

10
2
8
1
1
1

9
85
32
12

5
1
1

36
33
14
4
5
1
1

143
$10. 25

12
0)

10
5

27
62
$15.25 $10. 55

6
12

13
19
49

27
9
5

6
2
1
1

21
22
11

20
1

18
1

18
7
5

1
2

3
3

13
1
8

11
11

3
7
2
1
1
1

333
$9.80

8
2

11
10

9
33

49
24

48
23
14
81
16
41

90
16
49
70
7
75
4
19
62
32
13
4

19
69
97

9
26

66
86

88
22
22

6
2

2
1

8
1

61
32
10

520
$11.55

17
3

2
1
11

520
333
$9. 30 $12. 25

10
2

596
$17. 60

1
2

62
596
$9. 20 $18.00
5
3

27
$15.25

6
2

1
68

*Not computed, owing to small number involved.

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
A
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2
2
6

145
143
$11.60 $10.80
7
4
3

2
1

134
205
228
148
226
105
70
149
41

92
145
$13. 25 $12.75

15
84
89
58
109
53
28

41
23

22
2
6

70
67

1
1

O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Total........ . 1,930
Median................. $12. 70

Table VIII.—Week’s earnings, by weekly rate, all manufacturing industries—1924
Number of women with specified weekly rate whose actual earnings were—
Weekly rate

$6 and under $7........... .
$7 and under $8.............. .
$8 and under $9................

$9 and under $10. ............
$10 and under $11

10
2

(i)
«
to
$7.50
8.55
8.90
10.70
10.70
12.40
14. 35
15.15
16.00
0)
(l)
0)

3
2

3
34
74
91
20

$12 and under $13.............

$16 and under $17.............

629

182
48
78
26
38
9

4
4
5

6
6

2
2
10

8
1

3
7
17

3
3
5

2
1

J.Nofc computed, owing to small number involved..

15
13
14

28
18

3
26
7
33

1
2
1
2

11
2
1
1

10
10

3
5

$20

and
over
5

1
1

$19
and
under

1
1

2
21
2

9
2
1

33
3

16
15

1
1

1
12

7
4

4
8

1
1

1
2

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Total.......................

Median
of
$11
$6
$8
$12
$10
$4
$5
$7
$9
$13
$14
$15
$16
$17
$18
earn
women
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
ings Under and
and
reported
$4
under under under under under under under under under under under under under under under
$6
$8
$10
$11
$12
$7
$9
$14
$17
$5
$13
$15
$16
$18
$19

O
CO

Table IX.—Week’s earnings, by weekly rale, laundries—1934

Weekly rate

Number of women with specified weekly rate whose actual earnings were—
Num
ber of Median
$4
$6
$5
$7
$8
$9
$10
$11
$12
women earn
$13
$14
$20
$16
$17
$18
$19
$15
ings Under and
and
and
re
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
ported
$4
under under under under under under under under under under under under under under under under under
$6
$5
$8
$10
$7
$11
$12
$9
$13
$14
$15
$16
$17
$18
$20
$25
$19

4
117
97
74
111

53
41
37
27
6
22
2
10

$9.20
10.40
11.20

12.45
13.30
14.45
15.40
16.85
«
18.45
0)
0)
0)

15~

3
4

6
2

72
3
4
3

75
13
4

101

4
3
3

1
2
1

4
13
3

2
1

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

0)
0)

46
7
7
1
1

92
3
3
1
2

37
3
2

1
1

31
21
6
1

1
1

1
10
9

I N O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

612

•W O M EN

Total..............
Under $8........... ......
$8 and under $9___
$9 and under $10__
$10 and under $11_
$11 and under $12...
$12 and under $13-.
$13 and under $14...
$14 and under $15...
$15 and under $16...
$16 and under $17_._
$17 and under $18-_
$18 and under $19_
$19 and under $20...
$20 and under $25.._
$25 and over

$25
and
over

Table X.—Weekly rate and scheduled weekly hours, all industries—1934
Number of women receiving each specified rate whose scheduled weekly hours were—
Weekly rate

Under $4....................................
$4 and under $5________
$5 and under $6.......... .............■_ ..
$6 and under $7______ ____
$7 and under $8........... .
$8 and under $9______
$9 and under $10....................
$10 and under $11.. .
$11 and under $12........... ......
$12 and under $13................
$13 and under $14......... ......
$14 and under $15.........
$15 and under $16...............
$16 and under $17_____
$17 and under $18................
$18 and under $19................
$19 and under $20____
$20 and under $21___
$21 and under $22.............
$22 and under $23 .. _ _
$23 and under $24.
$24 and under $25...........
$25 and under $30___
$30 and under $35........
$35 and under $40..
$40 and over..........

2,971
$13.90

36 and
under
44

Over 44
and
under 48

(>)

34
$11.00

Over 48
and
under 50

1,015
$16. 50

167
$15.45

Over 50
and
under 52

27
$12. 60

347
$15.50

Over 52
and
under 54

18
$10.65

154
$10. 75

Over 54

1,182
$12. 05

3
2

25
in
312
353
139
396
165

200

237
228
190
219
85
140
24
30
11
1
66

25
7

10
1
1

4
14

19
47
55

122
110

154
130
107
76
04
23
12

3
2
2

6
22
1
8

1
11

26
28

10
8
1

5
14
7
3
1

8
22

18
10

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Total.. _.............................................................
Median rate............................................

Number
of
women
reported

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

C£>

Table XI.— Year’s earnings of women for whom 52-week pay-roll records were secured,, by industry
Number of women earning each specified amount in—
The manufacture of—
Year’s earnings

459

Median earnings......... .................... ..............................-............. -........ -........

$666

Meat,
Glass
poultry,
Other Printing Shirts
and
and pub
food
and glass
and
products
dairy products lishing overalls
products

Miscel
laneous

18
$867

40
$600

33
$604

1
1
2

$800 and under $850..................... ......................................................................
$850 and under $900 ____________________ ______ _____________ ____

15
23
40
48
49
41
38
35
31
23
16
45

2
2
1
1
2
1
2

$1,200....... ............ _.................... .......................—.............$1,400________________________________ -..................
$1,600................. ........... .........................................................
$1,800........................ ........... ...................................................

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

19
16
2

(>)

5
4
5
5

5
5

1
2
1
1

3
3

1
2

3
1

—

128
$914

1
2

3
3
3
5

$1,100 and under
$1,200 and under
$1,400 and under
$1,600 and under

5
7

47
$613

General 5-10-and25-cent
mer
stores
cantile

7
3
3
13
9
9
9
28

1
2

13
13

5
5
4
1

Laun
dries

59
$510

118
.$647

16
13

4
3
1

4
t

16
16
15
17
12

13
5
3
5
2
1

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

All
industries

Table XII.—Week’s earnings of negro women, by industry—1928 and 1924
1924

1923

Number of women earning each specified amount in— Number of women earning each specified amount in—
Week’s earnings
Meat,
Miscel General
poultry, laneous
and
manu mercan
tile
dairy facturing
products

100.0

Median earnings.—------- -------------------------------- ------------------------------

$8. 70

3.2

4
6.3

3.2

Laun
dries

55
87.3
$8. 30

All in
dustries

100.0

$8.20

1
2

7
14
9
9

1
11

1
2

2
2
2

1
1

1
1
2
2
1

1
1
2
2
1
1

Meat,
Miscel General
poultry, laneous
and
manu mercan
tile
dairy facturing
products
2

3.2
(*)

4
6.3
(o

(>)

3
4.8

Laun
dries

54
85.7
$8. 00
2

i
u
13
7

15
7
8

4
5
3
1

4
5
3

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

All in
dustries

2
2
1

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Table XIII.—Scheduled Saturday hours, by daily hours

Number of establishments and number of women whose scheduled Saturday hours were—
Number
reported
Industry

None

Daily hours

3 and under 4 4 and under 5 5 and under B 6 and under 7 7 and under 8

Over 8 and
under 9

Total...

l 44

1,065

fUnder 8.......
8....... ...........
Manufacturing •{Over 8 and
under 9.
b

15
i7

315
49

693

i 45

990

Total.
[8

Laundries

129

136

208

1
1

8
102
12

1
1

5
7

208

133

2 92

lOver 8 and
1 under 9.
19

2
19

195
347

134

448

Total__

707

[8.......... ........
lOver 8 and
1 under 9.
[9

1
2

52
17

638

2386
1

515

2 512

114
268

433

450

6
22

450

52
1

) Details aggregate more than total because some establishments appear in more than one hour group.
2 Groups of women working alternate Saturday schedules have been evenly divided between the two hour groups.

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
*
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Estab Wom Estab Wom Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
lish
lish
lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom lish Wom
en ments en ments en ments
en
ments
ments en ments en ments en
ments en
ments en ments en

b
Table XIV.—Length of lunch period, by industry
Number of establishments and number of women whose daily lunch period was—
Number reported
Industry

Over 30 minutes
and under 1 hour

30 minutes or
under

1 hour or more

No definite period
allowed

All industries...... .......................................................................................
Manufacturing:

121

2,762

567

197

8
6
10

173
187
228
32

69
74
53
15

101

5
4

100

345
649
341
707

2
2
2
2

344

1,995

4
7
3

113
79
17

n
25

345
649
341
363

2
20
22

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

Estab Women
Estab
Estab
Estab
Estab
lishments Women lishments Women lishments Women lishments Women lishments

CO
CO

100

Table XV.—Hours worked less than scheduled, by industry
Number
Industry

Number of women who worked less than scheduled hours to the extent of—

Number and per

for whom worked less than
scheduled hours
time
worked
Under 1
was re
hour
ported in
Number
Per
cent
hours

2 and
under 3
hours

3 and
under 4
hours

4 and
under 5
hours

13
2.4

56
10.3

11
2.0

17
3.1

41
7.5

20 and
25 and 30 hours
5 and
10 and
15 and
under 10 under 15 under 20 under 25 under 30 and over
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours

All industries___ ______
Per cent distribution................

777

Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products..
Meat, poultry, and dairy
products_______________

130

61.5

129
175
14
7
258
64

106
127
6
1
183
43

82.2
72.6
42.9
14.3
70.9
67.2

9
3

9
4
1

7
2

8
4
4

19
4

60
10

Printing and publishing___
Shirts and overalls
Laundries..............................

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
A
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

546
100.0

70.3

3
7

51
9.3

52
9.5

34
6.2

36
6.6

37
48
1

10
14

4
11

2
8

2
17

15
16

13
9

30
5

11
1

169
31.0

66
12.1

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

1 and
under 2
hours

Table XVI.—Hours worked more than scheduled, by industry

Industry

Number and per Number of women who worked more than scheduled hours to the
Number of cent
extent of—
of women who
women for worked
more than
whom time scheduled
hours
worked was
4 and
10 and
1 and
2 and
3 and
5 and
reported in
Under 1 under
2 under 3 under 4 under 5 under 10 under 15
hour
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
Number Per cent
16
18.2

14
15.9

7
8.0

2
2.3

3
3.4

33.8
9.3
12.6

14
i

7
12
10

.8
12.5

11.3

130
129
175
14
7
258
64

44
12
22
2
8

1
2

IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

32
36.4

88
100.0

W OM E-sr.

Manufacturing:

14
15.9

777
Per cent distribution................... .................................................................. -

102

Table XVII.—Hours worked less than scheduled, by scheduled hours, manufacturing establishments and laundries

Scheduled weekly hours

Number Number and per
of women cent of women who
for whom worked less than
scheduled hours
time
worked
Under 1
was re
hour
ported in Number Per cent
hours

2
21

4
178
16
105
3
5
439

122

3
91

2 and
under 3
hours

3 and
under 4
hours

4 and
under 5
hours

56
10.3

11
2.0

17
3.1

41
7.6

20 and
25 and 30 hours
15 and
5 and
10 and
under 10 under 15 under 20 under 25 under 30 and
over
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours

169
31.0

51
9.3

6.2

6.6

66
12.1

9.5

100.0

68.5
18.8
86.7

100.0

72.7

IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES'

36 and under 44..
44Over 44 and under 48..
48..................................
Over 48 and under SO
SO..
50 and under 52..
52.............. ..........
52-and under 54..
54.............. ..........

13
2.4

546

100.0

1 and
under 2
hours

WOMEN-

Total................ .
Per cent distribution.

Number of women who worked less than scheduled hours to the extent of—

Table XVIII.—Week’s earnings, by race and occupation, hotels and restaurants—1924
Number of women earning each specified amount who were employed as—

Week’s earnings

Number of
women
reported

Housekeeper

Linen girl

Wait Count
ress er girl

Maid

Cook

Kitchen girl

Check
er or
cash
ier

Pantry,
floor, or
store-room
girl

Cigar counter,
check room,
or elevator
girl

Tele
phone
oper
ator

406
185
---- $11. 75 $10.10
Median earnings.........
Under $1__________ ______
$1 and under $2............... ......
$2 and under $3
$3 and under $4____ _____
$4 and under $5___________
$5 and under $6
$6 and under $7____ _____
$7 ^nd under $8
$S?Lnd under $9.....................
$9 and under £10
$10 and under $11-,......
$11 and under $12
$12 and undeT $13
$13 and under $14....
$14 and under $15________ _
$15 and under $16................ .
$16 and under $17
$17 and under $18...................
$18 and under $19..................
$19 and under $20________
$20 and under $21....................
$21 and under $22_________
$22 and under $23__________
$23 and under $24
$24 and under $25.._______
$25 and under $30

2
3
3
3
6
10
17
15
29
48
38
40
42
22
33
32
5
11
14
10
13

(*)

2Q
157
$9.65 $1Q. 10

5
5
3
4
6
4
17
34
67
18
9
3
1
1
1

27
$12. 70

1
1

1
2
.1
1

8
5

2
4
3
3
4
1

7
3
2
1

5
5
3
4
6
4
10
28
14

148
38
32
$9.65 $12. 30 $15. 65

30
$9.75

13
22
21
(■) $14.50 $13.10

(‘>

22
$13.00

37
$17.75

1
3
3
4
4
11
9
16
36
17
8
13
11
6
2
1
2
1

1
i
l
i
l
8
4
7
4
2
7

1
2
i
3
3
4
1
3
2
2

i
i
2
1
1

1
2
2
1
6
4
4
4

c,
6
2

1
7
4

2
4

1
1

W O M E N IK O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

White Negro White Negro White Negro White Negro White White White Negro White Negro White White Negro White Negro White

T
1

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

103

Table XIX.— Week’s earnings and days worked, by race, hotels and restaurants—1924
Number of women earning each specified amount who worked on
Week’s earnings

Number of
women re
ported

Less than
4 days

4Yi days

4 days

5Y2 days

5 days

6M
days

6 days

5 days and
over

7 days

Median earnings

302
176
$11. 55 $10. 05

23
$4. 50

2
6

5
3
3

31
30
26
30

11
20

7
4
17
33
67
11

9
3
1
1
1

10
11
8

9
$23 and under $24

(>>

(>)

14
w

S3
$12.55

1
2

4
5
3

1
2
1
2

2
2

1
1

1
2

1
1

4
3

25
$9.40

i
i

3
1

4
2

5
14
1
1

2
1

1 Not computed, owing to small number involved.

117
162
271
$12.50 $10.40 $12. 10

2
1

1
1

1
2

21
12

1
1

8
1

24
17

27
63

7
19
9
9
7

3
5

151
$10. 25

9
16
15

18
$3.00

11
8
1
1

29
30
26
30

11
20

27
5
10
11
8

4
4
17
33
67
11

9
3
1
1
1

W O M E N IN O K L A H O M A IN D U S T R IE S

White Negro White Negro White Negro White Negro White Negro White Negro White Negro White White Negro White Negro

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

105

Table XX.—Scheduled days in hotels and restaurants, by occupation
Number of women who
Number worked during the week—
of
women
reported 6 days 6Yi days 7 days

Occupation

Total...................................................

585

Housekeeper..................................................
Linen girl....... ..................................... .........
Maid...............................................................
Waitress..........................................................
Counter girl............ ......................................
Cook.............................. .............. ............
Kitchen girl_________________________
Pantry, floor, or store-room girl_________
Checker or cashier____________________
Cigar-counter, check-room, or elevator girl.
Telephone operator. ....................................

27
177
145
38
39
42

22
22

27
30

167
4

398

9
19
163

59
23
26
27
13
4
5
4

15
13
15
9
16

2
1

Table XXI.—Weekly hours in hotels and restaurants, by occupation

Number of women whose scheduled weekly horns were—
Occupation

All occupations...................... .
Per cent distribution....................... .

Maid.. .
Waitress..........................................
Pantry, floor, or store-room girl__
Cigar-counter, check-room, or eleTelephone operator_____________

of women
reported Under
44
568

100.0

3
26
176
141
38
39
42

42
7.4
2
11
22
2

Over 44
and
under 48

Over 48
and
under 54

0.4

93
16.4
1
2

42
26
4
3

i 34
27
23
15
15

53
9.3

22
22

1
1

25
34

2
1

273
48.1

Over 54
and
under 60

58
9.2

47
8.3

1 Includes one woman who worked 50 to 50 hours a week, her daily hours depending upon the time of
train arrival.

61159°—26f-----8

►

■

Table XXII.— Age of the women employees who supplied personal information, by race and industry

O
O

Number of women whose age was—
women report 16 and
ing
under
18 years

Industry

All industries.-_____ _______ _____
Per cent distribution................ ........ ...........

2,454
100. 0

White White

156
100.0

99
4.0

394
16.1

9
3
2

16
26
30
1
4
16
22
89
31
8
151

Negro
7
4. 5

20 and under
25 years
White Negro
809
33.0

37
23.7

25 and under
30 years

30 and under
40 years

40 and under
50 years

50 and under
60 years

White

Negro

White

Negro

White

Negro

White

Negro

342
13.9

43
27.6

465
18.9

51
32.7

248
10.1

15
9.6

88
3.6

3
1.9

14
35
26

60 years
and
over
White
9
0.4

Manufacturing:
Other food products........ ............... ........

General mercantile............ .................... ........

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
A
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

73
145
142
10
83
122
360
201
371
239
708

1
1
38
115

1
6
6
25
8
4
35

5
2

14
38
28
3
11
34
87
67
78
38
411

8
29

9
25
30
5
11
21
57
10
46
43
85

31
21
116

9
33

106
90
19

1
12
37

6
18
16
1
17
16
55
3
70
41
5

4
11

7
8
16

27
15
o

1
3

W O M EN IN OKLAHOM A IN D U ST R IE S

White Negro

18 and under
20 years

107

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES
Table

XXIII.—Conjugal condition of the women employees who supplied personal

information, by race and industry
Number of women who were—
Number of
women report
ing

Industry

All industries ............................
Per cent distribution...........................
Manufacturing:
Glass and glass products _____
Meat, poultry, and dairy prodducts _____________________
Other food products.
Printing and publishing
Shirts and overalls______ ___
Miscellaneous.............. .............. .
5-10-and-25-cent stores-------------------Laundries __ ---------- -------------- -----Hotels and restaurants.........................
Telephone exchanges.......................... .

Table

Single

Widowed, sep
arated, or
divorced

Married

White

Negro

White

Negro

White

Negro

White

2,383
100.0

154
100.0

1,097
46.0

31
20.1

792
33.2

72
4a 8

494
20.7

71
139
132
10
81
119
370
199
361
234
067

37
1

1
1
35
116

44
42
5
26
36
137
179
83
36
472

51
33.1

19
1

54
2
38
48

13
164
91
159

11
20

Negro

11
59

114
107
36

13
37

XXIV.—Living condition of the women employees who supplied personal

information, by race and industry
Number of women who lived—
Industry

Manufacturing:
Meat, poultry, and dairy prod-

Number of
women
reporting

With
relatives *

At home

White

Negro

White

Negro

White.

Negro

White

2,464
100.0

154
100.0

1,962
79.6

123
79.9

139
5.6

3
1.9

363
14.7

120
119
9
72
104
302
169
298
165
545

2
2

20
21

6
8
12
16
14
9
65

5
10
68
19
49
62
100

73
142
142
9
83
122
382
204
361
236
710

l
1
38
113

i
1
34
86

i Relatives other than husband, parents, children, brothers, or 3isters.

Independently

1
2

Negro
28
18.2

3
25

108

WOMEN "IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES
Table

XXV.—Extent of schooling of the women employees
Number of women who—
—

Industry

Number of
women
reporting Had never
attended
school

s
£

Second
grade

Third grade

Fourth
grade

o
feb
©
£

o
©
55

9
0.4

2
1.3

6
0.2

1
0.7

12
0.5

3
2.0

47
2.0

13
8.7

4
2

3
8

18
9

All industries.......................... ........ 2,403
150
Per cent distribution1.............................. 100.0 100.0

Had completed—

Manufacturing:
Meat, poultry, and dairy products..

73
139
138
10
76
118
367
188
350
236
708

1
1
35
112

1
1

1
5
1

5
4
1

1 Not stric?tly accurate, because of the inclusion of the indefinite column, which comprises “several
years,” “country school,” etc.

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

109

who supplied personal information, by race and industry
Number of women who—Continued
Had completed—Continued
Fifth
grade

Sixth
grade

Seventh
grade

Eighth
grade

Ninth
grade

Tenth
grade

Elev
enth
grade

Had at
Re
tended
turned
college >a
indefi
nite
Twelfth or other "a®
higher 3 o.tS report
grade
school a in £

>JL-

§® I1 &£

&01
15

10.0

17
11.3

21 800
33 337
14.0 33.3 22.0 14.0

311
12.9

269

11.2

1.0

0.71

110

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

APPENDIX B
SCHEDULE FORMS

I
This schedule was used for the study of number of employees,
hours, and plant policies, in factories.
•
Schedule

U. S. Department

Labor

Women’s Bureau
Washington
FACTORY SCHEDULE (OKLAHOMA)

1. Name of factory......................................................................
2. Product........ ................................................................ .........
Number employed:
Day
W.

Address..................
Person interviewed
Position..................

Total

_ Girls....
w.

Night

. Girls....
Women____ ____
Total............ .................................................. Total....................................... ................ —
4. Firm’s scheduled hours:
Daily___ Begin........... End................ Lunchperiod......... Rest period........... Total
Saturday.
“
“
““
““
“
Shifts___
“
“
““
““
“•
Regular weekly number of days------------ Total weekly hours ................
Shifts weekly number of periods________ Total shifts weekly hours ............
Daily___ Begin_____ End............. Lunch period_____ Rest period.......... Total
Saturday.
“
“
““
“ “ -.............
“
Shifts.......
“ ______
“ ............ “
“ ........“
“ ............
“ •
Regular weekly number of days________ Total weekly hours ................
Shifts weekly number of periods.............. . Total shifts weekly hours................
,5. Seasonal......... ....................................................................................-...................................................
6. Employment policy:
Employment manager................ .
Or centralized method .............. .
Records kept.......................................... .............. ....................... ........ ..........
7. Subcontract shop :.............................................. ......... Home work given out
Date.................................. Agent....................-............................................
8. Halls:
Indirect______ Cl........ ...... Nat. It. o. k.______ Art. prov. ...........
9. Stairway:
No.

Location

Wind
ing

Nat.
It.
adi.lt.

Art.
It.
prov.

Hand
rl.
o. k.

Nar
row

Steep

Foremen

Other

Cle.

Rpr.
o. k.

Other

Workrooms. Number
10. Floors

11. Aisles

12. Walls

13. Ceilings

Loc. Mat. Repr. Cle. Other Loc. Obst. Nar. Loc. Rpr. Cl. Lt. Loc. Rpr.

Notes

Cl.

Lt.

Low

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

111

14. Cleaned: By girls--------- men ......... jant._ janitress.................. other____
no resp.
15. Natural lighting: Typo of windows; on how many sides of workroom; occupations where women face
the light; shades; awnings, etc.-...................................... .............................................................

16.

Artificial lighting: Kind (general, individual); shades or reflectors (general individual)

17-18. Glare or reflection: Describe............ ...........
19. Heating system_____________________ ____
20. Ventilation:
App. o. k________ Art........... .
Kind.
Loc.................................... ......................... .
21. Special prob.:
Heat; cold; dust; lint; humid; fumes_____
Other................................ ......................... .
22. Sanitation: Drinking facilities, loc______ Conv______ Bblr______ San__.......... Tank..
Cooler............ Faucet.........
Other______ Cup, common______ Individual______ Kind.
23. Washing facilities.................. ............... If none, where wash........... ............. ........
Towels
No.

24.

Kind

Conv.

Cln. Repr. Hot
water

Soap
fur.

Fur. Ind. Paper Com
mon

Often

Toilets: Kind........... Sep------------ If none, arrangement________ Flush, hand____ . Auto
seat------------ Repr___........... Plb------------ C-1................. Paper......... ....... Instrt___ _____
Sngl. Row Room Seat Nat. Vnt. Art. Lgt. Lgt.
No. No.
in
oth. vnt. nat. art.
T.R. seats FI. Loc. Conv. Sern. Deg. St.
ceil. end. vnt.
ok. rm. ok. ok. ok. Cl.
rm. rm.

Total no. seats......... No. wmn. per seat____ Clng.: By girls......... men.......... jant___
janitress------- other------- no. resp......... Swept reg.......... freq____ wrk.hrs.__
Scrub
reg------- freq------- work hrs
25. Service and welfare: Lunch room, combined with____ prov......... kind......... Loc____ Equip.
o.k------ C-ln_....... Lt. Nat......... Art------- Vent.o. k------- Prov. hot food, drink only___
Cooking convncs____ Supr____ If none.........
26. Rest room, comb, with......... Prov. ____ Loc............. Equip, o. k.
Cln.
Lgt
nat.------- Art.------- Vent. o. k.......... . Supr.......... If none
27. Cloakroom, combined with____ Prov. . ---- Loc.------- Conv.____ Lkr._____ Shiv.
Hngr. ____ Wl. hk. ____ Seats
---- Cln. ------- Lgt. nat. _____ Art, ____ Vent.
o. k. ------- Supr...........
If none
.
.
_________
Lkr........... Shiv.____ Hngr,____ Wl. hk.
28. Health service: Hosp.......... Chg. of.......... Dr. reg.......... On call____ 1st aid____ Chg.
of....... . Med. exam.------- Health rec.____ Acc. rec. ......... Comp.
29. Other welfare:.............. .........................

112

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Seats

Foot rest

30. Occupations

Uniform
Needed
Furn.
by Co by Co

Kind Need

Kept by

Stand:
Sit or stand:

Describe: Opportunity to sit, etc.

Schedule

This schedule wras used for the study of number of employees,
hours, and plant Dolicies. in mercantile establishments.
U. S. Department

Labor

Women’s Bureau
Washington
MERCANTILE SCHEDULE (OKLAHOMA)
1. Name of store..

Address.....................
Person interviewed.
Position..... ...............

2. Type_____________
3. Number employed:
Men —...............
Women..............
Total.....................

Day

Boys..
Girls..
Total.

Total

Evening
W.
C.
W.
C.
Total
Men............. ................................................. Boys...................
Women —.................................................... Girls................ ................................. ..........
Total..................................................... ........ Total............................ ..................
4. Firm’s scheduled hours:
Daily----- Begin-------- End —....... Lunch period_____ Best period______ Total
Saturday.
“
___
“ ........... .
“
“
.......
“
“
____
“
Shifts___
“
........
“ ............
“
11
........
“
“
___“
Regular weekly number of days................ Total weekly hours
Shifts weekly number of periods................ Total .shifts weekly hours
Daily----- Begin-------- End.............. Lunch period_____* Rest period........... Total
Saturday.
“
.........
u..............
“
“ _____
l* •* ............
“
Shifts___
" .........
“_______
“
“ _____
“ “ ______
“
Regular weekly number of days............... Total weekly hours
Shifts weekly number of periods................ Total shifts weekly hours___ ____
5. Overtime or seasonal hours.................................... .................. ................... .....................................
C. Employment policy: Employment manager________

Other................
Date----------------- -------- Agent..................... ............ ................... .
Halls:
Indirect........... Cl............... Nat. It. o. k............... Art. prov.

Records kept.
Other

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES
8.

113

Stairway:

No.

Wind
ing

Location

Nat.
lt.
adqt.

Art.
It.
prov.

Hand
rl.
o. k.

Nar
row

Steep

Cle.

Rpr.
o. k.

Other

....

9.
10.

Elevators for operators
Workrooms, describe: Cleanliness; seats; ventilation; crowding.
Salesroom: Aisles--------------- ’Tablesin^ter^etc.'
Describe____ ______________________ _

11. Natural lighting. Describe: Salesrooms .
Workrooms...... ........................................
12. Artificial lighting. Describe: Salesrooms
Workrooms..............................................
13.

Heating system

14.

Ventilation: Salesrooms.

16. Sanitation:
a. Drinking facilities.......................................................... .......................................
Rblr..........— San.............. Tank............. Cooler............. Used by workers only
.Faucet---------- Other---------- Cup common______ Indiv.___
Kind.
b. Washing facilities: For workers only______ For public and workers...........
Where’focated
............. Clean............. By whom............. Freq............... llot water............. Soap
-......... . Towels.............
c. Toilets: Kind---------- For workers only---------- For workers and public __......... Location
-------__ Screened.......... . Room ceiled______ Nat. vent............... Nat. light ______
Art. light........... . Clean---------- By whom---------- Freq............. Number of seats
............. No. of seats per woman.............
16. Lunchroom: Combined with ______ Prov. ______ Kind............. Loc............
Equip, o. k.
...------ Cln. ............. Lt. nat.---------- Art. —........ Vent. o. k.______ Prov. food, drink
only............. Cooking convnes............. Supr______ If none
........
17. Restroom: Comb, with ............. Prov............... Loc. ............. Equip, o. k.______ Cln.
Lgt. nat. ............. Art............... Vent. o. k.______ Supr............... If none
18. Cloakroom: Comb, with....... .
Prov............... Loc............... Conv. ...
Lkr.
Shiv
---------- Hangr......... .
Wl. hk.............. . Beats ______ Clen. ............. Lgt. nat. _*
*
Art................ Vent. o. k............... Supr.............. If none______ Lkr.......... ..
Shiv.
Hngr............. Wl. hk.
19. Health service: First aid............. Dispensary.............
20. Other welfare..................... ................. .............................

21. Seats: Type
App. suf. no.

Rules for use

Room to pass behind seats and counters

114

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Schedule

III

This schedule was used for the study of number of employees,
hours, and plant policies in hotels and restaurants.
U. S. Department

Labor

Women’s Bureau
Washington
RESTAURANT SCHEDULE (OKLAHOMA)

1. Firm name............................ ........................... Person interviewed........................
Address....... ................... .................. Agent............................................... Date
2. Type of restaurant............................................. .......................... ...................................
3. Hours open for business: Daily............. Sunday______ Extra..........................
Total
4. No. of men__........................... Boys......................................... ................
No. of women...... ................ Girls......... ....................... ........ ................
Total _....... .......................... .
....................... .............
5. Location of building........................ ...............................................................................
6. Workroom conditions:
a. General description of use of floors........................... ......... ............................ .
&. General impression of workrooms.
c.

Cleaning.

Heating.

Lighting.

/. Ventilation.
7.

Occupations; describe general duties of various employees:

Sanitation:
• a. Drinking facilities

Washing facilities.

--------------------- ----------------------------- Hot water______ Soap______ Towels
Toilets: (1) Location------- (2) Ventilation______ (3) Lighting: Daylight______ Artificial
---------- (4) Screened from workroom______ (5) Describe: Ventilation; cleanliness; cleaned
when and by whom; type of toilet; type of seat___ ___ ____

------------------------------------(6) No. of seats______ No. of seats per woman.
d. Uniforms: Supplied______ Required______ Laundering
Service and welfare facilities:
a. Lunchroom.................................................. ......... .....................................................................
b.

Restroom.

Cloakroom and locker facilities.

d. Health service: Medical examination............

Health record............. First aid equipment

e. Other welfare equipment................................ ............................... .......................................................

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

115

10.

Employment management:
a. Hiring and discharge centralized............. Other
b. Record kept.......................................................
c. ......................... ................................. ~
Establishment___ ____ ___________

Worker.......................................... . Race.................... ......... Occupation.
Hours

M
M On
12 * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 duty

Meals
Off
duty

Total
hours

Sunday.............
Monday........... .
Tuesday_______
Wednesday____
Thursday_____
Friday..............
Saturday_______
Total weekly-

Worker.

Occupation.
Hours

Meals
Total
hours
12 duty

Sunday.........
Monday........
Tuesday........
Wednesday..
Thursday___
Friday______
Saturday.......
Total weeklyWorker---------------— --------------

Race..................... ...........
Hours

Occupation.
Meals

M
M On
12 * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 duty

Off
duty

Sunday.................
Monday...... ........
Tuesday.............
Wednesday____
Thursday..........
Saturday....... . ._
Date.

Agent.

Total weekly-

Total
hours

116

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Schedule

All information which could he secured from the pay roll was
copied' onto this card, one card being used for each woman employee.
Certain information was added from Schedule V.
U. S. Department
Establishment

Labor, Women’s Bureau

Department

Employee’s No.

Male

Name

Occupation

Days
worked

Age

Conjugal condition

Address

Rate
of
pay

Female

Piece

f
l

Regular
weekly
hours

Week

Day

Hour

Yi Month

$0.

Hours
worked
this period

Overtime Undertime
hours
hours

Month
$

' NR

Additions
$

Earnings

Deductions

This period Computed
for regular
time
$

Country of birth

Began work

Time at work

$
In this trade

$
This firm

Age
At borne

Pay-roll period

Board

___Days ending

ScnEDULE V
This schedule was distributed in the factory to be filled out by each
woman employee. Certain information was transferred to Schedule
IV.
U. S. Department
Establishment

Labor, Women’s Bureau
Employee’s No.

Department

Name....... ........................................... -.................................................................... Male or female..................
Address............ ............................................................................................. Single, married, widowed, sepa
rated, or divorced........................
Country of birth........................... ............................ -.......................................... Age.........................................
How old were you when you began to work for wages.
How long have you been in this trade or business----How long have you been working for this firm--------What is your regular work here---------------- -----------Schooling—last grade completed................................ ..........................................
Do you live with your family___________ ________ With other relatives.
Do you board or room with persons not relatives...............................................

WOMEN IK OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Schedule

This schedule was used to record earnings for each week in the
year.
*
U. S. Department
Firm...................
Fir
Nai
Name of worker.

Labor, Women’s Bureau, Washington

.......................... Product___
.............. -............ Occupation.
Earnings for 52-week period

Week
ending W^ages
1.
2.
3_.
4.
5.
6_.
7.,

8.
109....
11..
, 12..
13..
14.
15..
16..

17..
18..
19..

Remarks

WTeek
ending
27____
28____
29____
30____
31____
32.........
33........
34....... .
35____
37.........
38.........
39.........
40........
41____
42.........
43.........
44.........
45____
46.........
47____
48........
49.........
50.........
51.........
62.........

Wages

Remarks

118

WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES

Schedule VII

This schedule was used for the information secured during home
visits to' the women employed in the establishments surveyed.
U. S. Department

Labor
-

Women’s Bureau

Washington
HOME VISIT SCHEDULE

Name of worker Address------------------------------------------------------------------------Firm Occupation
Hours:
Regul ar......... ......................... ............... Irregular............. ---------------------------Overtime-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ;-----Lost time---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
Reasons---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wages:
Piece work________________ ______ Time work--------------------------------------Increases in past year--------------------------------------------------------------------------Decreases------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - —
Variations in past year------------------------------------------------------------------------Fines_________________________________
Bonuses----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Former job: Industry__________ Occupation--------------- Hours--------------Daily __________ Weekly__________ How long held__________ Earn
ings when leaving__________ Reason for leaving_______________________
Personal facts: Age left school__________ Grade completed-----------------------Reasons for leaving school--------------- Living at home--------------- Board
ing Amount paid
Date ........................................................... Agent.............................. -.............. ..........

ADDITIONAL COPIES
Or THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE FP.OCURED FROM
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON, I>. C.
AT

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE WOMEN’S BUREAU
BULLETINS
These bulletins and reports will be sent free of charge upon request
No. 1, Proposed Employment of Women During the War In the Industries of Niagara Falls N Y
16 pp. 1918.
No. 2. Labor Laws for Women in Industries in Indiana. 29 pp. 1918.
No. 3. Standards for the Employment of Women in Industry. 7 pp. 1919.
No. 4. Wages of Candy Makers in Philadelphia in 1919. 46 pp. 1919.
No. 6. The Eight-Hour Day in Federal and State Legislation. 19 pp. 1919.
No. 6. The Employment of Women in Hazardous Industries in the United States. 8 pp. 1919.
No. 7. Night Work Laws in the United States. 4 pp. 1919.
No. 8. Women in the Government Service. 37 pp. 1920.
No. 9. Home Work in Bridgeport, Conn. 35 pp. 1920.
No. 10. Hours and Conditions of Work for Women in Industry in Virginia. 32 pp. 1920.
No. 11. Women Street Car Conductors and Ticket Agents. 90 pp. 1920.
No. 12. The New Position of Women in American Industry. 158 pp. 1920.
No. 13. Industrial Opportunities and Training for Women and Girls. 48 pp, 1920.
No. 14. A Physiological Basis for the Shorter Working Day for Women. 20 pp. 1921.
No. 15. Some Effects of Legislation Limiting Hours of Work for Women. 26 pp. 1921.
No. 16. See Bulletin 40.
No. 17. Women’s Wages in Kansas. 104 pp. 1921.
No. 18. Health Problems of Women in Industry. (Reprint of paper published in the Nation’s Health
May, 1921.) II pp. 1921.
No. 19. Iowa Women in Industry. 73 pp. 1922.
No. 20. Out of print.
No. 21. Women in Rhode Island Industries. 73 pp. 1922.
No. 22. Women in Georgia Industries. 89 pp. 1922.
No. 23. The Family Status of Breadwinning Women. 43 pp. 1922.
No. 24. Women in Maryland Industries. 90 pp. 1922.
No. 25. Women in the Candy Industry in Chicago and St. Louis. 72 pp. 1923.
No. 26. Women iu Arkansas Industries. 86 pp. 1923
No. 27. The Occupational Progress of Women. 37 pp. 1922.
No. 28. Women’s Contributions in the Field of Invention. 51 pp. 1923.
No. 29 Women in Kentucky Industries. 114 pp. 1923.
No. 30. The Share of Wage-Earning Women iu Family Support. 170 pp. 1923.
No. 31. What Industry Means to Women Workers. 10 pp. 1923.
No. 32. Women in South Carolina Industries. 128 pp. 1923.
No. 33. Proceedings of the Women’s Industrial Conference. 190 pp. 1923.
No. 34. Women in Alabama Industries. 86 pp. 1924.
No. 35. Women in Missouri Industries. 127 pp. 1924.
No. 38. Radio Talks on Women in Industry. 34 pp. 1924.
No. 37. Women in New Jersey Industries. 99 pp. 1924.
No. 38. Married Women in Industry. 8 pp. 1924.
No. 39. Domestic Workers and Their Employment Relations. 87 pp. 1924.
No. 40. State Laws Affecting Working Women. 53 pp. 1924. (Revision of Bulletin 16.)
No. 41. The Family Status of Breadwinning Women in Four Selected Cities. 145 pp. 1925.
No. 42. List of References on Minimum Wage for Women in the United States and Canada. 42 pp. 1925.
No. 43. Standard and Scheduled Hours of Work for Women in Industry. 67 pp. 1925.
No. 44. Women in Ohio industries. 136 pp. 1924.
No. 45. Home Environments and Employment Opportunities of Women in Coal-Mine Workers’ Families
61 pp. 1925.
No. 46. Facts about Working Women. (A Graphic Presentation Based on Census Statistics and Studies
of the Women’s Bureau.) 64 pp. 1925.
No. 47. Women in Fruit Growing and Conning Industries of Washington State. 223 pp. 1926.
No. 48. Women in Oklahoma Industries. 118 pp. 1926.
No. 49. Women Workers and Family Support. 10 pp. 1926.
No. 50. Effects of Applied Research upon the Employment Opportunities of American Women. (In
press.)
No. 51. Women in Illinois Industries. (In press.)
No. 52. Lost time and labor turnover in cotton mills. (In press.)
First Annual Report of the Director. 1019. (Out of print.)
Second Annual Report of the Director. 1920. (Out of print.)
Third Annual Report of the Director. 1921.
Fourth Annual Report of the Director. 1922.
Fith Annual Report of the Director. 1923.
Sixth Annual Report of the Director. 1924.
Seventh Annual Report of the Director. 1925.