St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-01
FOR WORKING WOMEN.
The Minneapolis Ministers Hear the
Case Presented.
CHEAPER BOARD WANTED
For Honest Girls Who Support Them
selves on Salaries Less Than
SIS Week.

girls, in which the GLOBE and Eva Gay
have taken an active part, is beginning
10 make itself felt. At the special meet
ing OF the Ministerial association yester-
day Messrs. John Lamb, state commits
sloner OF labor, and L. M. Brosnan, of
the Knights Of Labor, were present on
invitation to present the case to the
ministers. Mr.. Lamb, the first speaker,
VINO is very conservative, said:
1T gives me pleasure" said he, in be-
ginning his address, Ito see the interest
which the clergy of this city are mani
Testing III the welfare of working girls,
and the proposition to establish board
ing homes where they can obtain board
at the lowest prices consistent with
proper accommodations. In the course
OF, my Investigations in this city and
st. Paul | was surprised to find that
many girls are working at prices far be-
low the cost of living, where a girl is
dependent entirely upon her own eX-
ertlonS for her support. Some girls re-
port paying all they earn for board,
leaving no margafn for clothes and
other expenses. Others report paying,
or agreeing to pay, more than they earn
for board. These are extreme cases,
however. A majority of those who
work for 81 per week and under report
paying from 81 to $3.50 for board, leav-
ing small margin for other expenses.
In most cases where the price of board
is less than s. | find that the girls live
with some relative or friend who does
not board them for any profit there is in
it. Where girls pay board to strangers
the price is usually $3.50 and upward.
have found some establishments
week, others where it was $50, and
others, many of them large ones, en-
ploying from so to 200 girls, where the
average was
LESS THAN S5.
II have questioned the girls carefully
as to the least amount that girl can
live upon properly, and they place it at
never less than Sc per week. Many of
these girls come two and three miles to
work, and work from nine to ten hours
day. Some pay ear fare; others can
not afford it. Many of them cannot af-
ford to pay for their washing and sew
ing, so they do their own washing and
sewing after working hours. Some
times three of them will rent room to-
gether, and one will stay at home half
q day each week and do all the washing
for the three. This seems to be one of
the cheapest methods for living for
working girls, but it is very labOrious,
for they have to cook their meals morn
ings and evenings, besides taking care
of their room. The girl who has home,
and works for 81 week, or less, may be
comfortable, but the girl who has no
home, and is compelled to work for
such wages, must have extraordinary
strength of character if she can
suffer and live it through in safety.
hat
homes could reduce the cost of board to
these girls from 81 to S1.50 per week,
and give good accommodations without
any suggestion of charity, imposing
nothing more than little healthy re-
Straint upon the boarderS. | know of
no means that is likely to be applied at
present which will materially increase
their earnings. The plan, therefore,
that will give the most immediate prac-
tical relief is to decrease their expenses.
[ have found some cases which, per-
hapS, such boarding homes could not
reach-such as daughters supporting
aged parents or little brothers or sisters,
OF widows supporting
FROM ONE TO FIVE CHILDREN,
which is not altogether an uncommon
case. l found a case the other day
where mother, earning $3.50 per week,
was paying SO rent per month for a
house twenty-four blocks away from
her work, leaving her five children in
the care of a young girl during the day
and supporting them and herself on the
balance of her earnings-S20 per month.
1t would be a worthy move if some
means could be provided in such cases,
furnishing employment to the person at
a higher salary. Notwithstanding
the hard work and small pay, there
is great deal of cheerfumess,
even happiness among these girls.
l believe there is benevolence and
Christianity enough in this city to es-
tabliSh the boarding homes. | believe
there are men and women who possess
enough humanitarian feeling to put
their shoulders to the work in behalf of
those classes of people who seldom make
any organized effort for themselves. and
upon whom the burdens of life and So
ciety seem to increase almost in proper
ton to their inability to bear them.
the bureau of labor statistics for the
state of Connecticut, has shown by an
exhaustive report that i'll his state men
worked the larst hours per day, and
were paid most frequently; women
worked more hours per day and were
paid less frequently: and children
worked the most hours per day, and
were paid least frequently. proving that
in Connecticut at least the tendency
was to throw the burdens of society
upon the shoulders of those who were
BEAST ABLE TO BEAR THEM,
and who, from lack of organization and
intelligence, were least able to offer
any effective resistance to the injustice
When a similar investigation is made
by the Minnesota bureau, hope and
truSt that Such conditions and tpnden-
cieS will not reveal themselves in this
state. The inquiry which | am making
at present eOmprehendS questions in
regard to the health, education, hours
of labor, ventilation of homes and shops,
wages, cost of living, nativity, parent
age, aesthetic culture and many other
things calculated to throw light upon
the general condition of working girls,
and | will make the investigation as
thorough as the means at the disposal
of the bureau will permit, and publish
the report in January, 1889"
Mr.. Brosnan followed, giving a de
tailed description of the boarding home
now running in st. Paul under CathO-
lie auspices. Father McGolriek was
perfeeting plan for the starting of
one in Minneapolis, he said, but that
need not deter the ministers from doing
anything, as there was room for all. A
discussion followed, in which it was de-
cided to aid the boarding home plant in
a financial way just as soon as things
were put in proper shape. The matter
of the strike at Snotwell, Clerihew q
Lothman's establishment was brought
up but not discussed, as it was not con-
sidered church matter.
PLEASANT "MaVORp RAKEP