The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-08
The Footing" Custom.


other North Country" mills custom
known as footing" which compels the
girls employed To furnish wine and liquors
on holiday and festival occasions for
themselves and the men workers Public
attention has just been directed 20 this
custom by Canon Hicks, OF Stafford, who.
i'm his capacity OF chaplain TO the Stafford
hospital has seen the many evils 10 which
II s4sd--
For the first year, perhaps, after a girl
has entered her mill or factory, she Will
not be asked or expected 10 join with her
elders in one OF these "footngs." Tenn
perance has been strongly advocated
among the young in Manchester. as the
rolls of Bands OF Hope and church and
non-conformst schools can show, and
numbers make their working start in life
as pledged shstainers. But with the first
promotion, a birthday or a wedding in
the family, the unfortunate girais remind
ed by those who ought 10 know better
that the roofing" will be expected to
celebrate the event. Her wages at these
early stages cannot be large. and TO pro-
vide the bottle of whisky, the bottle of
port and the substantial plum cake, which
is the orthodox form for this useless i'm
position to take, she must either deny
herself for weeks some infinitely more de-
sired article of dress and save patiently
or lay upon her poor little shoulders a
miserable burden OF debt or borrowing.
II Is bad enough when she alone has TO
supply her co-workers with drink, for in
such case the quantity available will not
be followed by serious sitter consequences.
The worst occasions are at Whitsuntide
and Christmas. or big public holidays.
when all the women furnish their foot
ing upon the same scale. and much
drupkenness Is the result A regrettable
feature OF the evil IS that men should be
so dead 10 ell manly feelings as 20 coun-
tenance and encourage II as they do by
participating in the drink. Indeed when
the footing is bought, the idea is that
the whisky or rum is for the men who
share In Ii and the wine for the women,
though now IL Is not uncommon to pur-
chase spirits only.
In some OF the mills and factories ef-
forts have been made 20 suppress foot
ings" by forbidding them absolutely upon
the premises. Practically, however, this
attempt at remedy has proved almost
worse than the disease. as the only result
has been that the Carouse I'm such case Is
transferred 20 a public house where even
greater excess Is INDUCED In The more
respectable women themselves would hail
a deliverance with gladneSs, hui al pres=-
ent the system seems too strong for them.
About eighteen months ago the first
outside attempt 20 break down the habit
was made, when an "Anti-Footing
League" was formed Its rules were sim
pie. and it's members pledged themselves:
First. To take no intoxicating drink I'm
connection with "footnss' birthdays and
other occasions I'm the mill or elsewhere.
Second. To try TO exclude all intoxicating
drinks from such occasions, and. third,
TO try 10 induce others to Join this
league" Efforts on behalf OF the sex are
very well organized and united i'm Man
chester, though the district branch OF
the National Union of Women Workers.
AND this movement was readily supported
by the various clubs and societies be-
friend'ng the class. Among others which
took IL up was tho Girls Institute an
immense non-Eectsrlan establishment.
whore hundreds Of hot dinners are served
daily al the lowest possible cost which
has its lodging houses. evening classes
and host OF other endeavors AZ An
coats I'm the very heart Of the manufac-
tories. as well as holiday and convalescent
homes elsewhere. Telegraph.