ural regions of western Europe. The pursuit of
gardening among women has a social-political significance. The English
laboring population is estimated at 4,000,000 people, among whom the
trade-union movement has made considerable progress. The English
trade-union statistics of 1904 show 148 trade-unions having women members.
There are all together 125,094 female members, _i.e._ 6.7 per cent of all
organized laborers. The greatest number of these are in the textile
industries (almost 100,000). The total number of women laborers in this
industry is 800,000.

MEN WOMEN
(SHIL. A WEEK) (SHIL. A WEEK)

Cotton Industry 29.6 18.8
Woolen Industry 26.1 13.1
Lace Industry 39.6 13.5
Woven Goods Industry 31.5 14.3
Linen Industry 22.4 10.9
Jute Industry 21.7 13.5[48]

In the textile industry, in which women are better organized than
elsewhere (there being 96,000), there existed in 1906 the preceding
difference between the wages of men and women (see table, p. 84).

The organization of women laborers was first advocated by Mrs. Paterson
and Miss Simcox at the trade-union congress held in Glasgow in 1875. But
this organization is confronted with the same difficulties as exist
elsewhere: the women believe that they are engaged in non-domestic work
only temporarily; therefore they are interested in the improvement of
labor only to a slight degree, and in addition are burdened with
housework; while the male laborer is free when the factory closes. In
almost all industries women are paid lower wages than men,--partly because
those who are poorly equipped are given the lower grades of work and are
not given an opportunity to do the more difficult work; partly, too,
because _they are women, i.e._ people of the second order. Weekly wages of
5 to 7 shillings are common. Naturally, the workingwoman who is all alone
in the world cannot exist on such a sum. In _one_ industry only the women
are given the same pay as the men for doing the same work,--this is the
textile industry in Lancashire. Since 1847 this industry has been
protected by a law prohibiting night work for women. In this industry men
and women laborers are organized in the same trade-union. The standard of
living of the whole body of workers is very high. Th