Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-27
TEACH THEM TO WORK
Industrial Labor for Critten-
ton Home Girls.
MRS. KELLY'S SCHEME
WOULD HAVE INMATES LEARN
HOUSEHOLD DUTIES.
Enthusiastic Meetings of Conference
Today-Practica1 Demonstra-
ton of Labors.

What might be a far-reaching reform
idea was presented at the morning session
of the national Florence Crittenton con-
ference today in Wesley M. E. Church. In
suggesting a way for lettering the indus
trial instruction in institutions for poor
girls of this country Mrs Florence Kelly,
representing the National Consumers
League, and a member of the managing
board of the Manhattan Trade School, pre-
sented a plan which she believes will do
away with the present evils of specialized
labor, so ruinous to the prospects of thou
sands of dependent or struggling girls, and
which may be a solution of the much
discussed servant girl problem. Instead of
taking girls into industrial institutions and
teaching them absolutely nothing but work.
ing buttonholes. or something else as mar
row, which. she said, can but throw them
eventually into a much overstocked trade
where poor wages are paid and good eye
sight lasts but a few years, why not broad
en- their lives by making of them skilled
servant girls that are eligible to we'll
paying positions in refined families that
will be only too glad to get them?
Then we shall turn out every year
class of working girls who will be vastly
better satisfied with their lot than blind
pdupeTS, anu WHO Will supply d great want
in this country" she said.
The address of Mrs. Kelly was in line
with the topic under discussion at the meet
ing Of the conference this morning-"Indus-
Homes" Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett, vice
president of the national organization and
superintendent of the general work re-
quested Mrs. Kelly to speak on this subject
which she has been interested in, it is UNI
derstood, for many years, because of the
manifested tendency in some of the Crit
tenton missions to teach the inmates to
make articles for sale in the general mar
ket in an effort to make the homes self-sup-
porting. Mrs. Barrett said she believed this
to be wrong move, being unjust to the
girls who work and also to those who COM
pete with them on the outside, but who are
not subsidized they are.
The Devotional Service.
The usual half hour of Bible reading and
prayer was conducted this morning by Mrs.
Byron Barlow of Baltimore. Besides Mrs.
Kellys address there was paper read by
Mrs. w. Starr Gephart of Baltimore on the
same subject, advocating the recognition of
individuality in the girls taken into the
homes for instruction. This speaker de-
plored the fact that many persons look
upon girl who has strayed as If she ought
to be quite willing to work for them for
nothing and be thankful for the opportun-
ity.
Speaking of trade institutions, Mrs. Bar
rett said she feared the idea OF helping the
individual was giving place in these days
to the institutional idea, developing the lat
ter without regard to the former.
The usual demonstration of home work in
the local Crittenton mission was held this
afternoon, and luncheon was also served
there to the delegates.
The Afternoon session of the conference
began at 3 o'clock. The topic for discus
sion at this meeting relates to private
charities and public institutions for the
reformation of hayward girls, and Mrs
NJ A. Thayer of Boston and others will
speak Reports of a business and other
wise practical nature will also be received
from the delegates this afternoon.
The evening meeting will begin in the
Wesley Church at 8 O'Clock.
Private Maternity Wards.
A letter was sent to the conference by
Mrs. Fred T. Dubois wife of the Senator
from Idaho expressing regret that she could
rot be present to present paper on Moth
erhood as a Means of Regeneration" which
she was to have read at the afternoon ses-
sion yesterday.
DIR, Louise Taylor-Jones read a paper on
THE Value of Private Maternity Wards
urging that they should be made q part of
Florence Crittenton homes. She said her
experience had been that 30 per cent of the
mothers who are cared for in private ma
ternity wards keep their children after re-
covering, but that only about 40 per cent
of those who go TO public hospitals or pri-
vate saEitarfums do 80. She said the ex-
pense would be very small in Atting up the