The morning call., 1894-01-07
WOMEN IN NEED.
Many of Them Are Out
of Work.
Charity Leaders Urge the Neces-
sity of an Organized Movement
for their Immediate Relief,

There are, in proportion to the number
that work. as many women out of employ
ment as there are men. But as yet no
organized movement has been made for
their relief. The Associated Charities,
the Young WOmen's Christian Association.
the Young Ladies' Institute and kindred
organizations have been ministering to
them ever since early fall; but their re-
sources seem hopelessly inadequate to the
task. The Salvation Army has been dis
peDsng clothing and provisions to the
needy for two weeks; but as many appli.
cants go TO them each day as the day be-
fore, aud there is no prospect of a diminu-
ton in their numbers.
Mrs. William D. Gould, vice-presIdent
of the Young WOmen's Christian Associa-
ton. told reporter last evening that the
association had been beSieged with women
who were out of work, but that large
portion of them had TO go without relief.
The UNEMPLOYED consist not alone of the
factory and servant girls" said Mrs.
Gould. Perhaps third of those who APP
ply TO US have been employed as steuogra-
pliers, accountants, or In similar clerical
positions.
"Most of them are entirely dependent
upon their own resources, 1t would sur
prise the average man to learn how many
women in this city actually earn their own
living. l would not attempt to say how
MANY there are, but we have had over 100
of them apply TO us within a very briet
while"
"What have you been able to do for
| them ?" was asked.
Most of them have been provided with
| household situations, but at a very low
wage. The average wages for women's
| service have declined within the past year
! from S25 to $40. and In some cases as low
as SIS has been paid. Factory girls In this
| city--in one place AT east-have been re-
| duced to as low as 10 cents day"
do the women who have been engaged
in clerical employment consent to accept
! positions as domestic servants?
Yes. and eagerly. l have them comm z
to me every day begging for work of any
sort that will save them from becoming
objects of public charity"
Mrs. Gould then went on to tell Of the
various lines in which the Christian Asso-
citation is endeayorng TO aid the women
| who are in need. Free lodgings are af-
| forded to eighty in tine association build
| ing, and over one huGdred are furnished
| with meals daily who are given lodgings
In outside houses. Two restaurants are
| maintained downtown. which furnish food
at the rate of from l TO 2cents dish. Mr..
! w. Z. Brown of the Southern Pacific Com
| pany provides the funds for one of them,
and number of business men subscribe
| TO the support of the 9th er at 50 90 each a
month. Hundreds of young women
patroDiZe them, and some are known to
walk in from Twenty-fourth street to
! Third and Howard, where one of the es-
Establishments is, in order to get the cheap
meal.
Many of the women who apply 20 Mrs.
| Gould for help know nothing of domestic
work. To the end Of qualifying them for
| this the association has organized regular
| classes for instruction in cooking, sewing
and chamberwork.
The Young Ladies Institute Catholic
also reports that great mum bers of unem-
ployed women have been applying to it
for assistance. mot alone girls" said
Miss Jessie T. Molloy. the secretary, ''but
women with children dependent upon
| them; women whose husbands are worse
| than worthless from drink and laZness
and widows without visible means of sup
port We have had hundreds of them
come to us in the last six weeks; indeed
some have been coming right along since
| last summer"
| The Salvation Army people have been
so besieged by the sufferers that they
| scarcely know where TO t1rn next for
means to aid them. They have still $500
| worth of provisions and clothing to dis
| tribute, but it is only morsel in comp ari-
| son with the need.
The difficulty of any movement for the
| relief of the women lies in the fact that
| there is no public work to which they can
| be set, and no private work large enough
to give any considerable number of them
employment. There is room for the
| genius of a practical philanthropist to
make some suggestion here. Mrs. w. o.
| Gould OF the Young Women's Christian
Association will welcome ii, as will Miss
Molloy of the Young Ladies' Institute OF
| Mrs. McFee Of the Salvation Army.