Page:The Position of Women in Indian Life.djvu/272

 CHAPTER XVI

ANTI-SWEATING

has been considered by many thinkers that throughout the period of human existence upon this planet, the labour of women has always been more or less exploited for the benefit of the public. This result is not necessarily a consequence of man's disregard for the interests of the other sex, for man exploits the labour of men as much as he can with impunity, and in many instances in the present day we find it is women themselves who are demanding from their poorer sisters an amount of work at such inadequate rates of pay, that it is quite impossible for the producers to live in the commonest decency upon the proceeds of their toil. Nor is this state of affairs peculiar to any one country. England, Germany, France, America, India—each and every nation has its particular sweating problem, and its special conditions depressing to woman.