Miss Carr said that her firm was generous in many of its policies, but she felt it profoundly discouraging not to advance to a wage that would permit decent living.

In connection with Miss Carr’s budget the benefit system of New York stores should be mentioned.  In many of the large department stores, monthly dues, varying with the wage of the employee, are deducted from the pay of each, although in many cases she does not know what the return for the dues is to be.  These dues assure to her, while she remains in the store’s employ, a weekly benefit in case of illness, and a death benefit.  But if she leaves the store, or is discharged, the management retains the amount she has been forced to pay to it, and gives no return whatever in case of her subsequent sickness or death.  While she is in the store’s employ, the sick benefit varies from one-half the girl’s wage to a regular payment of $5 a week for from five to thirteen weeks, according to the particular rules in each store.  The employee must be ill five days or a week in order to draw it.  Otherwise she is docked for absence.

The Mutual Benefit Fund of the New York Association of Working Girls’ Societies has in this respect a better policy than the stores.  Members of the clubs pay 55 cents a month for a benefit of $5 for six weeks in any one year, and 20 cents a month for a benefit of $3.  Cessation of membership in a club does not terminate connection with the benefit fund, unless the reason for leaving is unsatisfactory to the board.  Women not members of clubs may, under certain conditions, join the benefit fund as associate members, and pay 50 cents a month for a benefit of $5 a week, 30 cents for a benefit of $3 a week, or 80 cents for a benefit of $8 a week.  These amounts are severally payable for six weeks in any one year.

A number of the stores have trained nurses and doctors in their employ, to whom the girls may go if they are ill.  Several of the stores have recreation rooms; several have summer homes; several have employees’ restaurants, where a really nourishing meal can be obtained for 15 cents.

Miss Carr, struggling against overwhelming odds, lived within $6 without charitable aid.  With her experience may be compared those of two other older saleswomen, who were wholly self-supporting.

Mrs. Green, a shrewd-appearing woman of thirty-five, had been wage-earning only two years.  She began work in Philadelphia in a commission house as a saleswoman and corset fitter.  Here she was able to save from her salary.  She also saved very carefully the wardrobe she had before she entered business.  With these reserves, she came to New York to work in department stores for the purpose of gaining experience in salesmanship and a more thorough knowledge of corsets.  She expected to be able to command a high salary as soon as she had thus increased her competence.  She went at first to a new and attractive Sixth Avenue store, where, working eight hours and a quarter a day, she earned $10 a week.  Laid off at the end of five months, she was idle a month before finding employment at another Sixth Avenue store.