The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-11

subscription fund 70 buy few necessa-
ries for the support, but the average cit
zen reads the little story without emo
ton. 1t disturbs him no more than a
view Of the dirty streets or struggle 10
get q seat in an elevated train.
WHERE WOMAN NEVER sTARvES
And right here it may be asked, in
view Of the present condition Of work
ingmen, Has any one ever heard of
woman, sticking to the old limited
sphere of working women-domestio
eervice-suffering for lack Of the neces-
saries of hfe?" The newspapers record no
such instances Ono would be such
novelty that tine ambition Of the museum
men to secure unheard of curiosities
would be aroused.
The fact is that the only women de-
pendent on their daily work for subsist-
ence who are comfortably situated, with
few exceptions, are the domestic serv-
ants. All the thrifty ones have their
bank accounts, and they don't know
what it is to want for food or clothes
Moreover, their labor is comparatively
light, and they have real homes
So thoroughly is this fact recognized
that the societies devoted TO improving
the conditions of working women and
helping them in their difficulties with
employers exclude servants from their
range of work.
Mrs. NJ. j. Creagh, superintendent Of
the Working Women's Protective union,
gives the reason, as follows:
THE working women In stores, fac
tories and offices need al the assistance
the union can give, for they are the suffer
ers. Women who work as domestics
may sometimes have reasonable grounds
| for complaint, but their condition Is SO
far above that Of the other working
women that they can always get along
comfortably. They can get places when
ever they want them. receive good wages,
don't know what hunger is, and are well
acquainted with the looks OF bank
book. They don't need help.
1T is this poor saleswoman, the over
worked factory girl and the sewing wom-
an that has to be helped to live.
MRS. CREAGHS OPINION.
Considering the board matter, they
do not get one-half or one-third a. much
as the servants and have to work longer.
Besides, they are often cheated out Of
their scant earnings. II they are sick
| for time they lose their little pay, and
perhaps their places are filled before they
recover. The servant girl, on the other
hand, gets her wages right along, and
| if she is in good family she receives
such medical and other attention as the
store girl cannot receive. She is, IN fact.
settled, while her sisters in the world OF
| business depend on their weeks salary
! for food and lodging the following week,
and few days sickness means to them
starvation and inadequate attendance OF
a Journey to q charity hospital.
Therefore this society gives all its at
/ tention to women outside OF domestic
service. AS women go further and fur
Their into the business world we have
more to do than ever. Every day We
! have brought TO our notice cases where
rich employers try to beat women out oil
gums varying from twenty-five cents &c
go.
The records here show, better than
/ ANYTHING l know of, the slavery into
| which women have been brought OF late
years Employers know that women
have not the money TO pay lawyers e
sue for them, so they take advantage Of
their helplessness whenever they can. II
is remarkable, however, that they settle
CD with great rspsdisy when the womer
come here TO complain. Our oounse
conducts worthy cases free Of charg'
and has got verdicts IN the csvil court
for more than sc. go since the union be
gan its work.
When Mrs. Creagh was ASKED why tn
wages Of girls in factories, stores and Of
fices were so small, abe answered IL al
most the same wsy as Miss Van Etter
did.
Women. she said. took the places o
men in many occupations without or
CANNING themselves TO obtain fair com
pensaton- They took anything tne1
could get They expected 70 get marie