Even if they pay their parents the full cost of their keep, they can live more cheaply than if they had to find a home for themselves.

A large proportion, however, of the younger women are partly supported at the expense of their family, and work largely to provide luxuries in the shape of dress, and other ornamental articles.

Many of them will consent to work long hours all week, for an incredibly low sum to spend on superfluities.
Thirdly, there is the competition of women assisted by charity, or in receipt of out-door poor relief.

Sums paid by Boards of Guardians to widows with young children, or assistance given by charitable persons to aid women in distressed circumstances to earn a livelihood, will enable these women to get work by accepting wages which would have been impossible if they had not outside assistance to depend upon.

It is thus possible that by assisting a thoroughly deserving case, you may be helping to drive down below starvation-point the wages of a class of workers.
Probably a large majority of women-workers are to some extent bounty-fed in one of these ways.