Women Workers in Seven Professions Part 29

Let us sincerely hope that this transitional stage from the days when each town had its own theatre, and engagements were always for the season, to the waste and despair of the present conditions of the ma.s.s of the workers in the theatre of this country, may give place to some system which will select the fit from the unfit, and give them a permanent engagement with a proper clause of notice on either side, such as that to which workers in other trades are ent.i.tled. More care in selection; more belief that an actress, if she be of any use, can represent a diversity of types; a shutting of the doors on those who are obviously unfitted, however cheap their labour may be, would be salvation to the women who are trying to earn their bread in the theatre. For it is time we ceased to grovel before this misused word "Art," which covers the wasteful cruelty the present conditions in the theatre permit.

APPENDIX I

SCHEME OF WORK OF THE FABIAN WOMEN'S GROUP

The Group was formed by some women members of the Fabian Society in 1908, chiefly with the object of studying the problem of women's economic independence in relation to socialism. The work was mapped out on the following lines, to which the Group has adhered:--

_Part I.--Differences in Ability for Productive Work Involved in Difference of s.e.x Function._

Division 1.--Natural disabilities of women when not actively engaged in childbearing.

Division 2.--Natural disabilities of women when actively so engaged.

_Part II.--Women's Economic Independence in Relation to Social Conditions._

Division 1.--Women as productive workers and as consumers in the past.

Division 2.--Women as productive workers and as consumers in the present.

_Part III.--Practical Steps towards such Modification of Social Conditions as will enable Women:_

(_a_) Freely to use and develop their physical and mental capacities in productive work, while remaining free and fully able to exercise their special function of childbearing.

(_b_) Each personally to receive her individual share of the social wealth.

Two Summaries of the lectures and discussions arising out of Part I.

were issued for private circulation in 1910. Copies, 1d. each, can now be procured through the Fabian Office, 3 Clement's Inn, W.C.

Fifteen papers of the Historical Series, Part II., Division I, have already been given, and the subjects considered in them have nearly covered the field of material at present available for the rough preliminary enquiry, in which the Group has led the way. When the series is finished, it is hoped to shape the material into essay form for publication.

The present volume is the outcome of lectures and discussions arising out of Part II., Division 2. It is hoped that it may prove to be the first of a Series dealing with this part of the investigations undertaken by the Women's Group.

APPENDIX II

LATEST CENSUS RETURNS[1] OF WOMEN WORKERS IN THE SEVEN PROFESSIONS CONSIDERED IN THIS BOOK

Total. Unmarried. Married. Widowed.

I. Teachers 187,283 171,480 11,798 4,005

II. Physicians, Surgeons 477 382 76 19 and Registered Pract.i.tioners

III. Midwives, Sick Nurses, 83,662 55,288 11,867 16,507 Invalid Attendants

IV. Poor Law, Munic.i.p.al, 19,437 14,439 2,514 2,484 Parish, etc., Officers

V. National Government 31,538 25,843 3,410 2,285 Employees

VI. Commercial or Business 117,057 114,429 1,733 895 Clerks

VII. Actresses 9,171 5,259 3,540 372

In a volume which may be issued by the Census Office in February, some sub-divisions of the above headings will be made. Thus (1) teachers employed by Local Authorities will be separated from those in other schools; (2) the number of dentists (not included above) will be given; (3) the number of midwives will be shown separately; (4) Poor Law will be distinguished from other Local Government Service; (5) Post Office Servants will be distinguished from other Civil Servants; (6) clerks will, as far as possible, be cla.s.sified according to the industry with which they are connected; (7) actresses in music-halls will, as far as possible, be distinguished from those in theatres.

[Footnote 1: In connection with these returns of 1911, it must be remembered that a large number of women workers resisted the census in that year as a protest against their exclusion from citizenship.

The above figures are, therefore, though official, unavoidably an understatement.]