g | $3 to $5 | $4 to $6 | $6 to $13 | $25 or own
| | | | establishment
| | | |
Millinery | 2.50 to 4 | 4 | 5 to 15 | 12 to 25 or own
| | | | establishment
| | | |
Operating | 3 to 6 | 4 to 11 | 6 to 25 | 15 to 40
| | | |
Novelty | 4 to 5 | 4 to 9[A] | 6 to 11 | 18 to 25
| | | |
---------------+------------+-------------+--------------+----------------
| | | |
Art since 1907 | 5 to 8 | 4 to 7 | 7 to 15 | 20 to 30
| | | |
---------------+------------+-------------+--------------+----------------

The column for 1909 shows that at last a minimum wage of $4.00 has been
established for all the trades named, even Millinery. There are
exceptions, but they are almost always due to some special disability on
the part of the girl, and do not fairly affect a statement regarding the
wage for girls of normal capacity, who have done satisfactory work
during their course. The small percentage of pupils who fall below $4.00
for their initial wage are those who either did not complete the school
course, or who did poor work, or who are subnormal mentally or
handicapped physically, or can work only an eight-hour day because they
are under sixteen. It is true that when they are obliged to start on
piece-work instead of a week-wage their earnings may fall below our
minimum for a short time, but the first week or two is in that case not
usually a fair test of the girl's training or ability. Some little time
is necessary for the readjustment involved in the change from school to
workroom, and especially for attaining the "speed" necessary to earn a
fair wage on trade piece-rates. The compensating advantage is that when
she does begin to "make good" her improvement is usually registered in
her earnings more quickly and accurately than it would be by the safe
but slowly advancing "week-work." If after two weeks, however, the girl
is earning less than $4.00, and thinks she "never can make out there,"
she is given an opportunity to change her place. Bu