The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-08-04
Frauds Against Womo.

Some OF the andacious lrapd,
against women are thus instancoah
The editor of Good Housekeen;oa'V
working gentlewomen ara ga
ing the many frauds by which ths.
have been swindled. and cbar;t.hi'
associations are taking pains to nnh
fish their cruelty deceitfnl charar,a.
One trap is that which adyertises !.
give out fancy work for women :. y
90 ct home at a good return e.
their labor. From $40 to Az !.
week guaranteed. and on H.
same circulars sent out is a list =
the prices paid for embroida,s
which are high. Some struggl;a,
woman sends a letter of INQUIRY a,S
the answer states that a sample #
the work INST be sent before she !.
taken into regular employ, the mate,
rails to be furnished by the frauan.
lent advertiser. For these a doIla,
is required. and if the woman ,en,,.
the money she receives a small pack.
age containing a bit Of cotton yelvet
SIX inches square. with a spray Il
flowcrs stamped upon it, G similar,v
stamped piece Of felt, a little sill
thread Of two or three .colors. and
one needle. The whole PACKAGE
cost, perhaps. 5 cents. From tbe
instructions" it is usually impossible
to tell what tho work is to be. and
most women give up in despair. But
those who perseryere in working out
some result are Iured or to deposit
s., and in a short time learn That
they have been swindled.
Another scheme is for a woman
to advertise for girls to help her n
making scarfs, paying them nothing
while they are learning the business
When a girl learns what little there
IS to learn and wants wages. she i
discharged, and another learner i
put Oh in her place. 1t is said that
the pay for making scarfs has been
reduced one half within two or tiiree
years by this competition of unpaid
apprentices. Another andacious
swiudle is that Of a voman who adj.
vertlaes 10 teach lace making for SIS,
and her victims number hundreds
every year. An extensive swiudle
is the Telegraph Instruction Bureau,
which lends the dupe to understand
that she will be taught to be an ex.
pert telegraph operator in a ver7
short time and will be given a sala.
RED situation afterward. Many girls
have been sw!udled out OF $40 to $50
apiece in this way.
II New York the Working
Women's Protective Union at No.
40 Clinton place, and in Boston the
Women's Industrial and Educational
Union, investigate these fraudulent
advertisements without charge, and
use their utmost endeavors to pro.
tect women from being swindled BY
them. Philadelphia, too, has such .
protective union, and probably all
the women's exchanges, in various
parts of the country, do the same
work. The benefciaries Of these as.
socHtions are sewing women, tyre.
writers, and steuograptrers who can
not collect their pay from shyster
lawyers, actresses who can get no
money from managers, washer.
women and walters whose employ
ers try to beat them out Of their
dues, fan. necktie'makers who are
working fora bare subsistence, and
many of the other dependent women
who are made the victims Of the
heartless sharks who prey upon those
who have to work for a living.
Before a woman answers an ad'
7ertisement offering to give her en-
ployment at home, she ought TO ap'
ply to a protective nnion to ascer'
tain the character of the advertiser,
as also should workingmen whose
employers are trying to cheat them
out Of their wages. 1t is . noble
service these unions are doing, ana
it is graft, ing to note that Their
success is as great as their financial
endowment will permit Chicago
Inter Ocean.