Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/692

 676 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

that in the city occupation to a large extent determines one's associates. The class, as such, has similar temptations, and this tends to produce a similar moral status. They have similar opportunities. Some are greater, some are less ; some are taken advantage of, some are not ; but those remaining within the domestic class respond to these in a similar way. They enjoy similar amusements ; and here again, as through all social inter- course, the tastes and desires are influenced. For the follow- ing reasons, then, there is no occupation among women which includes so many criminals: (i) the large number of women in this occupation; (2) many of the lowest classes go into this occupation when other means fail; (3) inadequate salaries for the gratification of tastes in dress and amusements, which are developed through association (the domestic class is extremely social), and through leisure; (4) the easy route which this occupation furnishes to prostitution, through its temptations, almost all cases of prostitution resulting from seduction being from this class ; (5) the employment bureaus for servants, which are often but procuring places for prostitution; (6) the limited education and erroneous perception of the relation of things, especially true of the foreign class. Not a few immoral women ply their vocation under the guise of domestics. These are a few of the explanations which suggest themselves. Many of these reasons apply lower down in the scale, as to laundresses, scrub-women, etc. It is a notable fact that these women all claimed some occupation, showing a dependence upon their own efforts for subsistence. Almost all the occupations involve physical work, require a minimum mental expenditure, are accompanied by small salaries, and their tenure is dependent upon the whim or will of a single employer.

A number of the institutions have data regarding education, but I found these records most confusing. The great difficulty is that there is no standard educational test. The education was frequently designated by such phrases as "common school," " limited," " convent." There were no explanatory notes. It is unfortunate that no better educational test has been devised than the crude one of reading and writing. This test throws but little