The age-herald., 1901-12-05

A1AAaJ oAlGihOOiit 1OlAiaHi nAA0 OA Dr. W. H. Tolman of New York. secre- tary of the league for Social Service. gave a talk along the line of work in which her husband is so well known, that of social and industrial betterment.
 This work is one in which the Woman's Club is in deep sympathy and at the meeting yesterday it enthusiastically en- dorsed the plans outlined by Mrs. Holman.
 It is the club women of the country, as Mrs. Tolman said, who foster so many great movements and their attention was particularly directed to the great problem of the day. the harmonizing of labor and capital.
 Mrs. Tolman told of the organization of the League of Social Service. which was effected nearly four years ago. It's purpose was for social and industrial betterment.
 The feeling between the employer and employe was widening gradually until it had become necessary for an organiza- tion to step in that would tend to pro- mote a feeling of brotherhood and that would show that the interests of labor and capital should not clash. but should be cooperative.
 Mrs. Holman emphasized the trend of the times towards solving this mighty labor problem, recognized as the most important one of the century. She re- ferred to the strikes. the causes that led up to them, and she recalled the strike of the Western Union Company in New York. which she witnessed.
 Picture" she said, "the moment when at the tap of a bell five hundred employees filed out of the building. Men turned pale and walked out solemnly, determinedly."
 Mrs. Tolman said the purpose of the league was to prevent strikes; to bring about feeling that would make them impossible; to show to the employe that his interests were not antagonistic with that of his employer.
 She recalled instances where men who operated immense industrial plants had asked how conditions might be inn proved, and when they had acted upon suggestions made by the league the re- suits had been satisfactory to both the owners of the great factories and to the men and women employed in the factor ies.
 Mrs. Holman told of the owner of one of the largest industrial plants in the country who was anxious to improve the conditions in his factory, but who did not know just what step to take
 Dr. Holman asked of the hundreds of men in the factory were provided with a comfortable place to eat their meals. It was learned that the employees had no place of this kind, and the owner of the factory, acting upon Dr. Tolman's suggestion, added a comfortable place where the employees might eat in peace and quiet. Along this line, Mrs. Holman referred to the influence women could exert for the women employed in the great department stores Many of these stores are now provided with rest rooms and restaurants especially for the com fort of the women employed.
 In all movements looking to a better Mrs. T6lman said that public opinion must be brought to tear upon them.
 Public sentiment is the great edu- cator," she declared.
 After Mrs. Tolman's talk, a number of club women heartily endorsed her ideas. Mrs. Frank Woodruff. Mrs. Zac Smith al others made brief talks, dwell- ing upon the importance of the subject
 In an interview Mrs. To1man talked most Interestingly of the work in which her husband is engaged, and to which she is devoting her time.
 'It is a missionary journey" said Mrs. Holman, in speaking of her visit south. of accumulative studies to those who are unable to investigate conditions and yet who reallze the necessity for municipal, civic and industrial improvement The league was organized by Dr. Strong, one of the most profound thinkers and writ CTS of the day. Our New Era-The Twen- tieth Century City being among his great books. After investigations into the con ditions in factories and the great indus trial plants, it was decided that the plans adopted by these large corporations for the betterment of conditions might be brought before other corporations and that is why Dr. Holman was sent to many of the large cities in the country. to present the plans that have been tried with such success by the largest corpor- atlons in the country
 Mrs. Tolman, in speaking of social bet torment, referred to her work in the tenement district of New York. She, with ner husband has gone to the very source of things. and she possesses vast fund of statistical information bearing upon the question with which the reformer is dealing.
 Mrs. Holman is an unusually interesting woman, and the moment that she be- gins speaking it is evident that her in- vestigations have not been superficial. She has been in close touch with the conditions she describes, and she has seen the direct results of the work of the League for Social Service. In both this country and abroad. she has studied