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Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 63.djvu/575

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE.
571
Entrance to the Library of Columbia University.

1902. In the short period that has elapsed the university has accomplished much, both on the educational and on the material side. In addition to the school of journalism, there have been various other large gifts, including a dormitory costing $300,000. Teachers College is erecting a building for physical education at a cost of over $250,000. Barnard College has been given the three blocks of land shown on the plan south of the college, which cost about $1,000,000; and the trustees of Columbia College have purchased, at a cost cf nearly if 2,000,000, the two large blocks south of the present site.

THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN.

The Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics has published some rather interesting information in regard to the occupations of the sexes in the state. In 1900 there were 1,208,491 persons engaged in gainful occupations, 72.77 per cent, of whom were men and 27.23 per cent, women. Thirty years before the percentages were 77.87 for men and 22.13 for women. In 1870 the number of females employed in gainful occupations formed 17.03 per cent, of the total number of females of all ages, and in 1900 the percentage rose to 22.88. About one half of all females are under the age of twenty years, and although many of these are employed, there are many above that age who are invalids or the like. It appears that in a very general way it may be said that one third of all women able I to work were employed in gainful occupations in 1870 and one half in 1900. Should this increase be maintained, all women able to work would be engaged in earning money one hundred and twenty years hence.

The kind of work is analyzed in the report in great detail, the recapitulation being as follows:

Males. Females. Both Sexes.
The State. 786,454 292,636 1,079,090
Government 17,240 2,846 20,086
Professional 23,845 19,923 43,768
Domestic service 14,782 79,265 94,047
Personal service 25,724 19,762 45,486
Trade 129,875 24,142 154,017
Transportation 69,680 368 70,048
Agriculture 37,281 275 37,556
The Fisheries 8,813 18 8,831
Manufactures 349,546 142,951 492,497
Mining 2,367 —— 2,367
Laborers 98,758 207 98,965
Apprentices 5,320 567 5,887
Children at work 3,223 2,312 5,535

It will be noticed that very few women are employed in transportation, agriculture or as laborers. Indeed it seems somewhat remarkable that only 275 women should be engaged in