The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-08

SOCIETY HERESS, UNION PRESIDENT
Raymond Robins Bride Holds Unique
Position as Leader Of the New York
Woman's Trade Union and breaches
the True Value of Cooperation to
the Working Women. 49,.

If Kuropatkin should turn Jap or
Pierpont Morgan should turn socialist,
neither of them would present a more
unique or remarkable figure than Miss
Margaret Dreier, the wealthy society
woman of Brooklyn, who was married
cago and who has been elected president
of the New York Woman s Trade Union
league, an organization formed entirely
of working girls for the sole purpose of
enabling labor to cope with capital.
This girl, who never has had to work
q day in her life, has become the head
and leader of all the workingwomen
Of New York city.
Will Inherit Million.
Mrs. Robins, who will inherit a mil
lion or moro in the near future, is the
first society woman to ally herself with
trade unions. Her sole object was to
place her own sex on an economic foot
ing with men. Mr.. Robins and his
bride have had everything in common
since. they met about year ago. Their
one idea was to secure for working
girls and women fewer hours, better
wages and sanitary surroundings.
Mr.. Robins is head Of the Northwest
ern Settlement society of Chicago.
Like his bride he comes Of a wealthy
and distinguished family, whose only
aim has been to uplift the poor. He is
also superintendent Of the Municipal
yer, but has cast aside a brilliant future
at the bar thru his earnestness in seek
ing to better the needy. He is grad
uate Of Columbia college.
''Born in the Blood,n
It isn't a. cultivated thing-my in
terest in in working girls and working
people," explains Mrs. Robins. "It
was born in the blood and bred In the
bone. From the time was able to tod.
die l can remember receiving all the
working people I met as friends in my
own house. My fathers latch was up
to everybody. I don't mean that he
created an artificial condition for meet
ing and entertaining working people,
but whoever happened in naturally at
the house became our personal friends;
man came to tea and dinner, and [ came
to know them all Intimately.
When grew up helped my. mother
In her philanthropic work. She founded
the Home for Recreation for Women
and Children and that interested me-.
Then took up hospital work and from
that Just drifted into league work. Aft
er awhile l dlscovered that these people
who work, who battle for sustenance
and who know the world and life and
its meaning, interested me much more
than the people who live under artificial
conditions. [ soon grew to find more
interest in the girl who works than in
the girl who spends her time at board
ing school and afterward in the draw
ing room. There is no comparison be-
tween the two. Take the average So
ciety girl of from 20 to rs years before
she is married. What does she know7
Absolutely nothing She has had no
experiences to form her character. She
IS mere nonenltity. A working girl Of
the same age is an active, well-devel-
oped, clearsighted human being. She
knows the meaning of things. She has
theories and views and ideas. Her mind
is much broader, keener and more bril-
liant. Her ideas are more sane.
Works for Ribbons.
"As yet, however, the workingwom-
an has not learned the true value of
co-operation;. She is only Just. begin
ming to realize that, as an individual,
she can make no progress. So many
girls go to work in mills and factories