The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-08-13
ENGLISH WORKING WOMEN.

Brief Report Of the Recent Meeting Of
the Trade Union Association in London.
A report Of a public meeting of the
Noncns Trade Union association. re-
Gently held ut st james Hall. London,
will be interesting to American women.
n showing the interest taken by En-
gissh women in one Of the vital ques-
tons Of the day The first speaker was
Mrs Wynford Phillips, who insisted
upon the necessity of union between
working women. There are" she
said. 5000 900 women in England en-
gagged in noble toll. whose condition is
bad. and with all their work they cars
scarcely keep themselves from starva-
ton. The way to help these women is
by teaching them to help themselves.
the only sure defense. Wages can be
raised only by union. Some of the con-
ditions under which the workers live
are due to themselves: and in that fact
there is hope, for they are able to
remedy them. They undersell enc an
other and till this is put an end to
nothing can he done for them. Those
who are not working women can help
by demanding political enfranchise-
ment for women. for they alone can
understand their own and Their chill
dren's needs knowledge is greatly
wanted among the women, and that
can be obtained by adc-unionism
With more knowledge and sympathy
and moral courage the world may be
regencrated."
The secretary of the East London
ropemaher's union was the next speak
err. The first necessity, she thought is
for women to realize that they We're
born with the same rights Is men, To
maintain this natural equality they
must combine. Miss Clementina Black.
secretary of the association. said that
the work was not going on as fast as
could be desired. She then appealed
for ladies with leisure to 90 among the
working women and tell them Of the
advantages of trade unionism The
only reward for such work would be
that they would know that they were
staying the great terror of England
pauperism In conclusion Miss Black
urged all not to take low wages, think
ing that it would only ali Get them
selves. 1t lowered both women's and
mems wages.
Rev. Mr. Price Hughes was the last
speaker. and said that the work they
were there to advocate would never be
accomplished until the sympathy of all
women was enlisted lie believed with
Paul that the husbandman that labor
eth must be the first to partakc of the
first fruits" of labor The first neces-
sity was that the workers should be
fed, that they should have enough to
live in health and in reasonable com
fort. Scripture. humanity and God
We're against the sweating of the la
borer. Public opinion must be manu-
featured that would make such thing
impossible The facts of the ease are
not known, and he urged the associa-
ton to print and publish them broad
east. An increase in wages did not of
necessity increase prices, and even if it
did in certain cases do SO, consumers
must be prepared to pay those in
creased prices. To sacrifice the bodies
and souls of men to the craze for cheap.
ness was abominable. lie hoped that
Christian women would respond to
Miss Blacks appeal, and do their ut
most to spread information about the
advantage Of trade-unionism. 1t was
by helping the least Of these his breth-
rem that we could best please Jesus
Christ.
The report states that Lady Henry
Somerset was on the platform and Of
fered the opening prayer, and that the
audience was very large.