The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-28

boys who stood at the doors and dIStrl ollted
circulars to the women as they passed out.
They were innocent circulars, headed:
Working Women Organize Your Trade. ,
In one factory woman, not herself one or
our members, but interested in the society,
asking tho janitor to place one Of these in
the box which each woman has for her
lunch and her clothes. The janitor re-
ported to the foreman. Next morning it
was:
MRS. -, what have you got against
this factoryp
Nothing
"'Then what are you Matching this con-
spiracy fore
"S;he had been in their employ six years
and was one of the best workwomen, but
she lost her place and others have done the
same. We try TO find new work for all
such, but it illustrates the position taken by
the employers"
And yet you succeed in organizing diff
feront tradesW
The society has formed branch unions
for four important trades, but | think you
will agree that the reasons | have given are
sufficient for preferring to withhold their
names from publication. The women OBJ
ject TO publicity, not because they don't
appreciate sympathy, but because it costs
individuals ther places. They't can afford to
talk yet"
What is the method employed in organ
izingM
1--WE try to reach as many of the working
women of New York as we can. Where
we have interested woman, if she belongs
TO a trade which has already a union or an
assembly of the Knights of Labor, we re-
commend her to JON that for we work in
harmony with othcr labor organizations
We send women to the shirtmakers', the
shirt ironers', the umbrella makers, the
Garrett weavers', the dressmakels the feath-
er curriers' unions, etc, but if her trade has
no union then, as soon as a sufficient num-
Der of women apply, it is our plan to or
ganize it as auxiliary to u.s."
And the union formed is Of what sort?'
at has the usual features of labor unions,
except that of course we try to avoid the
mistakes of others, bene6ting by their ex-
perience. One very profitable thing is the
sick benefit fund Women's wages are not
high enough to make the assessments high,
but if the unions are large enough the fund
will be great clip. In one recently formed
tho initiation fee is so cents and the dues
cents a week. No woman is entitled to draw
for relief in sickness until sho has beon
member six months. Another benefit is tho
privilege Of borrowing money in an emer-
gency, as when out of WORK, in sums of
from $40 to $50 from the fund.- and repay
ing in installments later. The knowledge
that they have that to fall back upon will
make hundreds of women more courageous
in their hand -to-ha and fight with the world,
and it will save many VINO might otherwise
be starving women from the loss of their
virtue"
"Do women show themselves ready to
join the Working Women's Society,""
80 far as we reach them and they are
not deferred by fear Of their employers
displeaSure, yes. One branch not six weeks
old has hundreds of members. The tene-
ment workers are too poor, too discouraged
to come forward to any extent of their own
accord. The women who need help most of
all are in such straits that those who want
to help them must go after them"
rs there not some exaggeratiOn in the
tales of the small wages earned by womenW
lit is not easily possible to put them too
low. There are women i'll some of the fac
tories, among the paper box makers, for
instance, who do not average over So q
week, and the tenement Stop work is usually
worse paid than factory work Many nee
dlewomen earn less than 30 cents day. |
do not say they live on that sum. They
couldn't. Their children work also, earning
little to put with it, or they depend ON
charity That is one of the worst features
of the situation The charities are SO many
that employers depend on them in regulat-
ing wages. 1t would be barDarous TO abol-
ish them all at once, of course, but they do
harm III that way
"How about strikes and boycottsg"
Organization does not mean more strikes
but fewer. The better organized the less
call for such weapons. But the Working
WOmen's Society believes there are cases,
as when women are compelled to work under
q foreman who makes immoral demands
upon them or when wages are cut down be-
low living rates, when they ought to strike"
"What plans has the society tor workp
"lf possible it will start a campaign this
summer TO compel dry goods stores to COM
ply with the law requiring them to provide
seats for saleS-girlS 1t would like to get
some of the stores to agree to pay better
rates for ready-made clothing, underclot1-
ing, etc, and then appeal to the public to
sustain such stores. In such crusades tho
wealthy members and friends whose trade
is a great item with the stores could make
themselves felt. The bill for women factory
inspectors will be passed early i'll the next
session of the Legislature without doubt.
II had practically no opposition but that of
the present factory inspector, who pretends
to say there are deputy inspectors enough
now, whereas in fact there is only one for
all New York city with its II 900 factories y
"You feel gratified at the action of Sweet,
Orr ~ Co. who asked you to organize their
luCboIJF
Eyes, the action of Mr.. Sweet has been
great gaia. In drawing up the rules for the
factory we stipulated for a chance for the
women TO make tea or coffee to drink hot
with their cold dinners Little things like
that, that only women would think of,
make great difference to women opera
tives."
The Working Womens Society apparent
ly has come to stay. It's membership is
growing steadily and it is liiioly to have
branches outside the city, or even outside
the State The Wellesley College girls are
interested in it. Miss Van E:ten is espe-
cially anxious to interest college women
who will do much, she believes, to mold
women's opinions. Not tho least benefit of
the society is that it is making the working
girls self-reliant and teaching them to
think. ELIZA PUTNAM HEAToN.
RETURN OF MACON'S CADETS.