New-York tribune., 1868-05-29
THE woRKIyGwoMEN's PROTECTIVE UNION.

Among the many institutions i'll New York
established for the benefit Of the oing masses none Is
more worthy of popular cement than that known
as 1.-THE workngwomens Protective Union" organized
especially to provide them with legal protection from the
frauds and impositons OF unserupuous employers TO as
and TO open to them such suitable depart,
ments OF isDor as We're ,nen genelaH{ n,ie oiVieu
of this Society, the condition Of the wOrkngwomen OF
New-York and BROOKLYN had become more than usually
desperate, owing the disastrous then pending
which had drawn male members from nearly every fam
KY M& many oI s TV nrces g, ob1 a1s % he
II had had but little influence in increasing the pay Of
nontei WoSoTd Tosenh Roach Geoigc " Match
Vim. MacKellar VIM r. Roberts, and Moses S. Beach
OF Protective Union among the workingwomen
manasemo1t OF business affairs and the evil maclin
atOns Of some of their own sex proved obstacles
which could not be overcome, and the attempt
was abandoned The gentlemen named above then as
sumed the entire Of the association The
were first az No New Chambersst. and IN charge
Of Mrs Catherine NJ Brooks philanthropic lady who
had volunteered her services requiring compensation
beyond the consciousness Of doing good TO the less ou
nate OF her This lady has ever since been most
ergetio worker in the OF the workngwOmeu aud
still prominently identified with the Protective Union
The Hon Charles p. DAILY was its first President and still
holds the position The present Superintendent OF the
Union is Mrs. Martha W. Ferrer who, with the
has as''" entire Charge Of the rooms at NO No.
a a Franklin-st.. between Broadway aud Elm
matey estimated when II is considered that during the
1867 they nave, beside furnishing
employment TO lO,2O9 women, also received more than
2SOOO applications from others for whom situations
municstion with the Office This branch Of he business
in itself, involves a vast amount OF labor as may
and ne arc spared to for each
applicant such employment as she may be best
ment made by w0rkDgwOman against her employer
is entered in book kept for the purpose the counsel Of
notified to explain and in nine out OF ten the
ngwOman Is rgted within the period usually wasted by
ded services charge made and 20 the honor OF the
legal profession be 1t said that no member thereof
haS yet demanded one dollar Of the Union for
legal assistance The counsel for the Union is
j. H. Parsons, esq., OF No 35 Wlliams who visits the
plants and to perform such other business may be
called upon TO perform for unfortunate women Hundreds
OF against dishonest employers settled every
year by the interference Of the Protective Union be-
hall Of the WORKING KIN girl many o. which could never be
"ln bow many cases says the report which has just
of Intention to appeal the protection this Union
has resulted in reconsideration Of projected
perhaps. never be known Nor we know how fire.
quentIy the poor woman accepts a part-a very small
part eyenO the sum she has earned, because of her
wOmanly fear OF making real destitution known or be.
cause OF the fear that otherwise she may get moth
ing The more touching instances In which dimes
accepted by working women services in which dol
lars have been richly earned because starvation of them
selves aud families seemed the only alternative are
feGuenty accepted as the means OF salvation from de.
gradaton worse than starving There depths OF bit
large city which cannot described words and which
can only be conceived by those VINO are in positions or
actual contact with them"
The number of complaints registered by working wo-
up March 81 $685. which the sum OF s. 900
collected Or the claimants subject TO not penny
IN the OF fees. In the whole time during which the
society has been IN exisence fraudulent claims amount
lng TO only e85 have been made. The Working Women's
Protective Union in successful operation and is
doing untold good for the class for whom 1t
was estabished but its sphere OF usefulness may
be ana should be enlarged by the liberal aid Of gencr
Ous ana humane public It's expenses from November l5,
S 70 March 81 1885, shown by the account OF Moses
ISgGon' tteasuei were Sll0R 6d; receipts t9s2 IL
@ M eat as soon as the state OF the socctys
vasuly lusunes the additional expense cOmmOdi-
Gus quarters viii be provided Attached 10 the rooms of
e y anu under The supervision OF tho snperntend
ne NM, spIkooin IN which women taught 20 Oper
and s special INSTRUCTION This room was established
- " 7'i' maintained by James W. Gerard esq.