The New York herald., 1875-12-16
THE WORKING GIRLS TRAINING
SCHOOLS.

FREE TRAINING School, 80 EAST TENTH STREET,
NEW YORK, Dec 10, 1875.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The winter with its hardships and its necessities is
upon us. The duty to relieve suffering, imposed upon
ALL is acknowledged by thoughtful and humane people,
This should be uone in way most conducive TO the
permanent good of the needy and really descrv-
ing close and positive experience OF three
years has proven to us that work is the best
alienation in cases of want and that is the only cf.
tcctua of dealing with the question of relief
without degradation to the recipient.
Women who came to in want and accepted such
work had to give them invariably prospcrcd
Women who for relief and would not accept work
went on wanting drifting, begging.
We have on file here at school over 800 applica-
tions lor to work in the country, without being
able to l the rcqusiton and yet daily
great distress that might be readily relieved those SO
suffering would go TO work.
True the work Is often not the kind desired by tho
applicants Surely is better take for the time any
kind OF honorable work the rccompcnsc from which
would secure independent brcad rather than succumb
10 tho degradation inseparabe from dependence on
charity Charity often abused and is nm injury where
it intended by the bestower to he blessing because
the applicants too readily become dependent and not
sclf-rclant Not one person out OF every 500,
who have applied to the Free Training Schools was
proper subject Tor other than employ ment relief and
were the means at hand adequate 10 induce them to
enter upon the honorable pathway OF labor the touch
Ing distances OF suffering from poverty would be greatly
reduced
Incidence and incompetence are the great evils OF
the day. They the blight under whose touch human
souls anguish and at whose altar economic life and fair
honor are Yielded IN Therefore women should be
taught intelligent labor-donestic labor above all
things First, means Of earning safe and re-
spectacle subsistence; and second to bring competent
knowledge in the administration OF their own homo
afiars. II is the absence ol this knowledge that IN
measure imposes on the community the expense and
necessity Of reGomatories pauPcr asyums and prisons
Where good thrifty wife and mother prcsidcs over
household ihcre Is no ougrowh there Of the classes
that MI these institutions. The consideration OF The
education ot our youns people has been manifested by
the provisions mnGc "a that end sy this city II attcn
tion is gwen 10 the suhcc, II VIII bc found that
glrs who leave The public schools. the end OF
before that time, educated Just enough
stand the threshold Of life. untitled TO enter upon
any OF its daily utIcs bcwidcred hopeless and useless
FOR all practical issues wise domestic economy would
advocate the addition to the public schools Of depart
where girls could be practically trained for the
performance o labor Incidental TO the circumstances Of
their lite.
domestic cooking school might be made to supply
cooked lood to the Institutions under the clys
control, thus ecOnomizng the material necessary for
instruction in cooking, aud teaching how to produce
the greatest amount OF wholesome food from Tho
smallest quantities OF meat and vegetables. To-day
face 10 face with tho grown up needy and II is
for tho solution III tho question what Is the best relief
IN their wants that VIC address the community. We
repeat that thrcc years OF experience in
the training Schoos, where 1900 women have
applied for rclcf aud have been employed,
that work is the best relief TO be bestowed
upon the needy poor, for II Is not charity to destroy
the scfrespcct OF people by simple amssivng. who,
IL ct IN ignorance and dlcncss, and their attendant
vices, will become unable ~ choose the highest good
for themselves. We can promise To give employment
10 thousands Of women this winter with assistance
from the public We ready to operate with other
societies, ana invite tlcr cooperation with us We
vito all earnest workers who Ia deeds in words
disposed 10 help women to help themselves 10 aid
In tins work. The financial affairs of this institution
are ia the hands ot select committee Its books
~ all times open to inspection and will commend the
charity TO every true heart Respectfully,
G. l.. HODGES