The times., 1899-02-17
COUNCIL OF WOMEN.
Many Important Questions Discussed
by the Various Delegates.

For the first time the opening session of
the Council of Women was held yesterday
morning in the auditorium of the Church
of Our Father Heretofore the morning
sessions have all taken place in the Sunday
school room, on the side of the church
proper but yesterday morning such
crowd of people presented themselves that
the room was too small and the auditorium
was used The council remained in session
throughout the day at the church. but
when night came. with its inclement
weather. the elements were too much for
the ladies composing the council and the
evening session was held in the parlOrs
of the Arlington Hotel where the head
quarters of the council was established and
most of the officers are stopping.
Very little business of Importance was
transacted at the morning session and the
/ afternoon meeting was brief. The meeting
( at the Arlington was full of interest how
! ever and several of the best OF the women
/ speakers in the country presented their
! views of the questions under discussion.
| The programme for the meeting called for
reports from the Illinois Industrial Home
I for Girls, by Mrs. Emma K. Wallace; the
American Anti-Nivisection Society, by
1 Mrs. Caroline Earle White and the Ma
tional Council of Jewish Women, by Mrs
Henry Solomon. Addresses We're also to
/ have been made by Miss Sadie American,
Mrs Harriet Stanton Blatch. and Miss SUI
1 san b. Anthony. For some reason, how
| ever. the programme was changed and the
I report of Mrs White, of the Antl-Niysec-
I ton Society, was omitted. Mrs. BlatCh
was also unable to be present and her
place on the programme was taken by Mrs.
! Maud Nathan, who spoke OF The Social
Conscience in It's Relation TO Industrial
/ Problems" This address formed the theme
of all the evenings speaking. Mrs. Nathan
talked authoritatively on the subject Of
sweat shops and deplored the fact that a
great deal OF the clothing used BY the
soldiers of the American Army during the
late war with Spain was made in sweat
shops. She stated that the faulty goods
were furnished the Government through
the system which allowed the contractor
TO sublet the contract and for the latter to
Fe-sublet il. and so on down the line, each
making a profit until IL came to the poor
work women and wOrkmen, who really man
ufactured the garment and who were paid
pitifully small sums therefor.
In England there was law which re-
quired that all the goods furnished the
government should be made on the prend-
ses of the first contractor, and such law
was about to be enacted in the United
States. Mrs. Nathan described the scenes
in the sweat shops and asked the ladies
present if they ever thought of The work
of making the clothing they wore at the
meeting, where it was purchased, and how
made. Her remarks made profound inn
, preston on the audience and when Miss
Anthony rose to speak as the next num-
Der on the programme. she referred TO The
remarks of her predecessor on the plat
form in complimentary terms. Miss An
thongs talk confined TO the retro
gression OF equal rights.
During the course of her remarks she
said that the sweat shop so accurately de.