The evening world., 1891-04-14

THE WORLD: TUESDAY
them out. | made tho acquaintance OF
few Of the most intelligent and learned the
facts in their lives.
I" wrote them for publication, using the
the names OF all the firms where tho poor
children were ill.used, but no paper in Lon
don dared print IL Tor fear of libel suit
SO brought II out yselt in the LINK The
sensation 1t produced was startling. Bryant
IL May, the largest firm, drew up a con.
tradiction, denied every fact us false and
undertook to force the girls to
sign 1t. The first one called refused.
She was dismissed on the spot and
instantly tho whole force OF 1909 hands
struck. They came in a body to my Office,
blocked up the streets, stopped traffic in
the vicinity and astonished the whole com
Inunity. OF course | could not receive
them. had no room. SO sent them all
down TO labor union hall and kept five
or six to represent them. These | took
with me into Parliament. ! wrote several
other articles, sent out communications
! TO political and labor organizations,
| and thousands of pounds were sent In.
| This | divided and paid the girls living
wages. They were out two weeks, had
plenty OF time to throw of their excitability
! in prosmiscuous speech-naking, and when
at the end OF that time we gained every
thing we wanted, they went back to work
cool, quiet and satisfied. The condition
Of thcJe girls, who were working for
75 cents and 81 week, was something
frightful Many OF them were burnt {; others
had lost their Teeth or were suffering from
liberated jaws, produced by the phosphorus
used in the work some had their heads
worn bald working under a shelving and
constantly carrying boxes on their
heads many were stunted, having gone
into the factory as mere children ;
nearly all were il-fed, thin, emaciated,
poorly clad and almost savagely ignorant.
We organized them into trades union,
fnallysucceeded in getting the male match
makers to join them, and with their assist
ance their condition has steadily improved.
The girls number 1900, and wages vary
| u
and 81 received prior to 1885,"
Are tkerc many philanthropic organiza-
tions for working girls in London?"
"No, there are not. The existing socie
ties md clubs as a class are not beneficial
because not inviting. The homes and ref
ugcs arc numerous enough, but they are
prison-like, cheerless and hampercd by
restrictions. The Theosophica' Society has
recently opened In the East End the
first pleasant home for girls that ]
know anything about. Any girl who
behaves herself is received. Lodg-
ings are provided for 6 cents night
and very excellent dinner is served every
evening for a few pennies. The Club is
opened every day in the week until II
o'clock at night, and members can come
and go at liberty to meet their friends, re-
ceive their mail and enjoy the same privi-
legcs accorded in gentlemen's club.
had charge Of remodeling the building,
and made up the rooms as prettily as
would have them for my own use. The walls
are nicely decorated, all ths floors are
covered with linoleum, there arc bright
rugs over this in the parlors, and the
library is stocked with books and papers.
We have music-room with piano, where
the girls sing and dance, have games and
charades; there are pictures on the walls,
and the place is pretty, inviting, comfort
able and popular. Already there are $50
me mbers, which is all we can receive in
this house.
81 am very anxious to look into the con-
ditions provided by New York for the
American workingwomen, although friends
tell me things are not as bad here as
abroad"
"Do you notice falling off Of marriages
among the English womenY"
Yes. Many Of the independent young
women are not marrying now as formerly.
Here the wife has greater latitude than the
British woman, who is at disadvantage in
matters of estate, separation and divorce.
The laws favor men at home"
Mrs Besant has not a stupendous admira-
ton for the female suffragis,s She with
drew from the Fabians on account OF their
political tendencies. She thinks women
will not improve politics and that added
forces will be but added corruption. Per-
sonally she is not in politics any more.
| NELL NELSON.