States, which had changed its name, and become, in June, 1887, the
Department of Labor, a part of the Department of the Interior. This
report--the fourth from the bureau, and issued in 1888--was entitled
"Working-Women in Large Cities," and included investigations made in
twenty-two cities, from Boston to San Francisco and San José.

All that long experience had demonstrated as most important in such work
was brought to bear. The investigation covered manual labor in cities,
excluding textile industries, save incidentally as these had already
been treated, as well as domestic service. Textile factories are usually
outside of large cities, and it was the object to discover the
opportunities of employment in the way of manual labor in cities
themselves.

Three hundred and forty-three distinct industries showed themselves, and
others were found which were not included, it being safe to say that
some four hundred may be considered open to women. As before stated,
many are simply subdivisions, made by the constantly increasing
complexity of machinery. The agents of the department carried their work
into the lowest and worst places in the cities named, because in such
places are to be found women who are struggling for a livelihood in most
respectable callings,--living in them as a matter of necessity, since
they cannot afford to live otherwise, but leaving them whenever wages
are sufficient to admit of change.

It is this report which forms the summary of all the work that has
preceded it, and that gives the truest exponent of all present
conditions. It is only necessary to add to it the summaries of the State
reports at other points, to see the aspect of the question as a whole;
and thus we are ready to consider by its aid the general rates of wages