The record-union., 1899-08-20

|
fitness, refined sensitiveness and a
trained mind, she receives for all her
hard expenditure of ability about half
what is paid Junior clerk of the male
sex.
She cannot hope to lay by anything,
nor to look forward to anything else
than her task growing harder as years
roll on. For food, fares. shelter fuel,
nearly her whole income is taken, leav-
| ing very little indeed for clothing, doc
tors bills, ETC., and nothing for recre-
alton. Some resort to the cheap board
| ing-house, few try chambers the
and rent artisans flats, but these are
usually abandoned as too expensive;
or If the cheaper grades are taken the
| surroundings are squalid and dsor-
derly.
but there are some houses built es-
peclally for these women workers. The
hrst was erected in 1916, and soon af-
ter woman of philanthropy and
means rented two blocks of buildings
and fitted them up for just this order
or women, enabling them to secure a
good room for from 81 cents to 81, with
Il cents extra for service. That plan
was success and still is pursued.
Ihere followed other houses for these
women of the same order. but they
/ nd fhn a l.
the supply greatly. Mr.. Parker says:
ror instance, at A, by taking a.
cuolcle at is. Cd ($1.12), and living on
the simplest fare provided, it is possi-
Die to exist on los. Id ($3.75) includ-
ing daily bath, at Id. e cents), and
poot-cleaning at I'D. Il cent? per pair.
residents supply their own household
ana table-linen, and the lowest price
Tor furnished room is los. 3D. (S262).
rms building pays per cent. At
/ L., by sharing a room with three
olher women, living may be had at
los. (9o.2o) week. There is no bath
room, lights are turned out at 10, and
there are such rules as that forbidding
butter and jam being taken together
on one piece of bread yet the house is
over-full, and applicants are turned
away daily. In the house founded by
Lady Meath there has been no vacancy
for years
We must think that American work
ing women of education are far better
OF than their English colleagues, if this
plt1ful tale of London life is true, and
there is no reason to doubt the lee
turer's accuracy. He and others pro-
pose now to better the conditions Of
these underpaid, overworked women,
by providing buildings for their hous-
ing that will give them some COM
forts, pure air, daily necessities and
some pleasures at the minimum cost
and yet enable the investment to be
| interest
These institutions are to be run as
private hotels, if the scheme meets
with moneyed support The idea is to
give the women a feeling of independ-
ence and to remove from her some of
the restraints Of the economic struggle
to keep off starvation He would have
these hotels centrally situated to mini
mize transportation cost They should
| be quadrangle in form with a protected
inner court They should be simple in
design, but constructed according to the
best sanitary plans, lit by electricity,
free from vexatious rules and restric-
tions, we'll supplied with baths, lava
tories and ample closets and shelving,
bicycle rooms, store rooms, etc. In
each, provision should be made for
dressmakers, members and for servants
to clean boots and wheels for all who
are able to hire this service. A trained
nurse should be located in each build
ing, and the house should be in charge
/ of a woman manager and a house
keeper. The bedrooms should be single
and double and in either case be roomy
| comforts
| Parker's research has convinced him
that working women can thus be
housed for S1S7 week for room rent.
/ e1Aiu nave SHouSu IOI 1OOu ana clOtnlnS,
even where the lowest wage is paid. He
puts it that for such house tenants.
seven breakfasts can be furnished for
| 81 cents. six dinners and a Sunday
extra dinner and Sunday supper for
| S1.20, leaving enough out Of a weekly
salary of $6.25 for clothing, lights,
/ baths, linen, service, medicines, etc.
| Such hotels for women can be so run
and return 5 per cent on cost of build
ing, furniture and fittings. Taking out
ground rent and there would still be a
| sufficient return for the investment
| though not large surplus.
! The whole statement. which is in
/ tended to point out how conditions can
! be bettered and thus good be done and
hearts lifted up in hope, gives US in
sight, somewhat, into the condition of
very large class of women in England,
and prepares us for comparison with
the conditions of women of the same
order in our own country.
!
The seeding branch of the Kentucky
Democracy have passed resolutions
charging President Mckinley with be-
ing the father of the trusts. They have
added to the gravity of that allega-
ton that the United States is prosecut-
ing an unholy war against the Tagals,
10 a 70