The age-herald., 1900-09-16

of a home for the business woman, where sine may feel an independence that cannot be enjoyed where she is compelled to nuhe a new boarding house every lew months.
 In discussing the need of an apartment house tor business women a Weil-knoMh Birmingham woman declared yesterday that it was Birmingham's direst need. Ihe two great hospitals she said that are being made ready for those sick in pody are noble institutions, but we need a nome for the large number of young Workihe women who are heartslck for sale ana economical refuge" She recalled the case Of a girl who came to Birmingham rom an Alabama village several weeks ago. She took a position in one of the large dry goods stores which she had wisely en- gagged before coming to Birmingham. In the selection of her boarding house she was most unhappy, and she experienced the greatest difficulty in finding lodgings Wlth prices to suit her salary She later secured a more congenial home at reasonable prices, but more than she is able to pay.
 "A cooperative home after the plans of the Julia TutWiler Annex at the University of Alabama, or a cheap apartment house said d practical woman, would quickly be filled with respectable, earnest, Christian girls. Ten dollars month is liberal sum to establish a system Of cooperative mousse keeping. The fires and lights would be ad- ditional but the cost of living would be so reduced that d woman with small sal ary would be enabled to live decently and probably save something every month. In many cases young women who are novices in the various industrial institutions re- ceive no salary for two weeks after begin ming work, and until they learn the trade they are at great expense since boarding houses ask pay in advance.
 In instances of this kind the home for wage-earning women could assist them in defraying expenses by the system of co-op- eratiye housekeeping. I know personally several young women who have come as strangers to Birmingham and who found little difficulty in getting work. but who were reduced to desperation in their efforts to find reasonable prices at boarding houses that were in respectable localities. They could not afford to pay more than the sal aries they received, and they were natural ly heartsick over the conditions that con- fronted them The subject of an apartment house should be one that Birmingham wo- men should consider seriously, and while they have already assumed many responsi- bilities and are so generous in their work for philanthropic institutions, I am confi- dent that they will take up the movement that looks to the protection of the hundreds of young women who focking to Bir- mingham and occupying positions in the business world"
 ''rhe need of a home for the unprotected business woman should be brought to the attention of the club women of the city, said well-known club woman. An insti- tuition of this nature should be a home not only for women who are crowded in cheap boarding houses, but for those who come to the city as strangers and are without protection It would prevent the downfall of many an ignorant girl who comes to the city alone hunting for work. It should be known as the home for wage-earning wo- men, and the only requisite for admittance should be the claims of an honest wage earner.
 "The opening of lodging rooms under the auspices of the Womans Club would at once supply a growing need in this city, and the club could not consider any move- ment that would be more practical in it's results. I hope that the club will consider plans and that the subject will be aSitated until Birmingham is fully awake to the need of such an institution"
 The Birmingham Woman's Club at one time considered the opening of lodging rooms for business women. The plan was