Evening star., 1902-02-14
PROBLEMS DISCUSSED
Suffragists Would Reform In
dustrial Conditions.
PRESS CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN SAYS
TIDE IS AGAINST WOMEN.
Alleges That Departments Seek to Ex-
cIude Them From Avenues
of Employment.

of Employment.
The attendance at the First Presbyterian
Church this morning, where the National
Suffrage Association held its eighth ses-
sion, was larger than at any morning ses-
sion yet. The seats were nearly all filled,
and the men and women who occupied
them seemed to be there for business.
Just before the session convened Mrs
Elnora Babcock held a press conference
in the Sabbath school room. She an
nounced that as different portions of the
United States needed different remedies,
and as the south was fertile field, the time
would be allotted to hearing from dele
gates from the southern states.
Mrs. Young of South Carolina said that
she found newspaper work the greatest
factor in the dissemination of equal rights
ideas. AS member of her state press as
socation, she declared, she had never had
any opposition in the association on ac-
count of being woman editor, except
from one man, who had insisted that 1t
would ruin any press association TO nave
women members.
Mrs Funk of Maryland said her eXpe-
rience had been that where articles were
properly prepared the newspapers accept
ed them.
suggestion from Mrs. DeMerrit of
Maine was fayorably received. Her idea
was to have the newspapers adopt Wo-
mans column devoted to woman suffrage
in the main, but seasoned with other items
Of interest.
Agrees With Suggestion.
Miss Maddox of Maryland agreed with
the suggestion of Mrs. DeMerrit, saying
woman in looking over a paper for recipes
for mnce pie and fruit cake or something
to beautify her complexion will stumble
across a paragraph about woman suffrage
If there is woman's column. and that she
will undoubtedly read and digest it.
Mrs. Chesborough of Buffalo pleaded for
clear. condensed and up-to-date articles for
the press. The difficulty that the woman
suffrage organization encountered, she said,
was in furnishing to the newspapers some
thing new, showing what advance had been
and was being made in the work.
The convention listened to a prayer by
Rev Ida Hultin. sang one of it's own
hymns. and then speedily got down to work.
The first paper presented was on Indus
trial Problems. Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby,
chairman Of this committee, submitted the
report. She showed that in many kinds of
business where women have once been en-
p,oyed there is now tide setting in against
having women about a all.
Michigan" she said, has set the pace
for other states to follow, in that it devoted
a whole session of lis annual convention to
this same subject. Not only was there a
strong paper by Mrs. Ella Whipple. state
factory inspector for Michigan, but the as
sociation had come into touch with large
number of women's organizations whose
delegates discussed the industrial problem
from their point of view. Nothing made a
greater impression on the public than the
session which was called A field day for
labor
.'Numberless Instances in daily life con-
(dinually demonstrate the disadvantages un-
RI hi liSfr
>the struggle for daily bread | will refer
only to the latest phase of this experience
here in the nations capital.
Sick Leave in Departments.
IAN effort is now being made to do away
with the annual sick leave of employees
on the plea that women take advantage
of it-a covert attack on the work of wo-
man itself However. investigation shows
that the per cent of sick leave granted is
highest in the interstate commerce de-
partment. where not woman is employed.
IL per cent here, as against I per cent in
the Agricultural Department, where many
women are engaged.
The discrimination against women on
the civil servicel list continues. In the War and
Navy Departments am told not single
woman is being taken on the force. When
a clerk is needed the three highest names
on the list are certified for appointment
and If one is man he Is chosen, but if
not, the demand Is quietly dropped until
the situation is changed.
1T is well that such women of intelli-
gence. personal influence and good position
should come to feel the discount at which
disfranchised labor is held, for they are
often strong enough to help change condi-
tons which press more heavily on unSkilled
labor.
THE committee has joined hands with
Mrs. Florence Kelley, whose kindred work
occupies an important part in the program
of the Federation of Climbs Mrc
asks our assistance in securing data es-
pecIdIy concerning the number of women
factory inspectors and regarding the child
labor laws In the various states This COM
mittee would be glad of such information
from any of the delegates that it may be
included in the report that will be imme-
diately sent to Mrs. Kelley
Industrial Problems.
The industrial problems before us are:
First. 10 come into realization that it
Is as necessary for our political party to
embrace all classes and interests of women
as it is for the republican or democratic
parties to cultivate friendly affiliations with
mems labor organizations.
Second, to bring the wage-earning wo-
man Into our ranks TO give us her point of
View and her cooperation in securing the
weapon of protection which all alike need
Z are glad of the adherence of women
from the colleges and professions which
have been forced open TO them by half a
century of woman suffrage agitation. Yet
1t is fully as important for the establish
inent or Just conditions that the wage-earn-
Ing women should md a forum here where
they may plead their cause
ihird. TO SO emphasize the fact that the
real underlying industrial problem is not
TO remedy this or that wrong: not to secure
more favorable conditions for any particu-
I2T class; not to put women in office nor to
keep them there, but to so stimulate the
consciousness In all OF the solidarity of
human interests that no artificial distinction
shan prevail to prevent the realization of
that enduring oneness of huma nifty which Is
implied in the fatherhood and motherhood
of God. en ,.Gs
When woman shall come to feel that 1t
is her most sacred religious duty to embody
In social life and protecting statute the love
and wisdom Of the divine motherhood she
will concentrate her energies upon obtain
Ing the ballot. the only way by which this
motherhood can be exnressed In s.oyarn-