Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-03
wOuLn u CLUB AND CHARITY

AftneTAl. teueEhllon OI WQAlNAH Nlhhat o'AN
the plan outlined is considered one Of :he
most important that has yet been under
taken by women
The principal work Of the Industrial COM
mittee OF the General Federation for the
coming year will be to secure the passage
of a bill through Congress for an apprO-
priation to enabie the tbureau OF experts TO
Investigate industrial conditions of Ameri-
can working women.
ton. This Is admitted by Charles +. Neil,
commissioner Of labor. II has been ac-
noyledged by scores OF economists, sOciOlO-
gtsts. settlement workers. and pnilanthro-
pists. II IL can be made clear TO the Grub
women, the investigation will certainly tol-
low.
Last February a group of women well
known in the federation, including Jane
Adams, Mary r. Mcdowell, head of the
/ University OF Chicago settlement and mem
Der of the Industrial committee, and Lilllan
ID. Walu, heao of the Nurses settlement,
New York, had an audience with PRESIDENT
Roosevelt at the White House, and, after
explaining thO- object OF the committee,
asked mis- aid in securing the necessary APP
preparation. the president gave his heart
lest approval to the plan, and promised TO
give IL sanction In his message To congress.
He asked Miss Adams to write him
letter explaining fully the scope OF the de-
sired investigation. Miss Adams wrote,
and received a most cordial and sympa-
T'he industrial committee has held con
ferences with the commissioner of labor
and other experts, and is now at work pre-
pairing the bill which will be presented to
| conEfess soon after II convenes in Deem
ber II will be the part Of the club women
| their Influence to induce senators and. rep
resentatives to vote for the passage OF the
1 bill. The effort must be systematic, and IL
| must be concerted. Each club In the feder-
\ alton Is asked to send three petitions, one
| to the representativ from the congressional
district and one to each of the senators
| from the state. The petitions should be
| signed by every member of the club when
! sends them, The committee does not think
=
| women to request them to sign their names
| to three petitions. .,.
] should be remarkably interesting for many
| reasons IL Is a comparatively short time
! earners but the time has been long enough
| for them to have worked great changes in
| the Industrial world and in the family lie
! Of the country. The great mass OF working
women begin their toll at the age of four
teen. The average length of service as a
wage-earner Is seven years: tnus we M, nave
part of industry Their attitude toward
their trades and occupations is totally dli-
ferent from that of the men workers This
difference of attitude serves to separate
men and women in the trades and finally TO
AFFECT the whole conditions OF wages, hours
| of labor and other conditions. Broadly
speaking, the presence of women in indus
try has lowered wages and disturbed condi-
lions. In some trades women have actual
ly raised wages, and in many they have re-
duced the number OF working hours per
week.
estlng is the, effect on the family life. We
hear a great deal lately on the threatened
disintegration of the American bone, on
race suicide marriage and divorce evils
etc. Many good people believe that IN
creased Independence of women lies at the
bottom of these supposed evils, and depior'
the Invention of the typewriter and tbs
introduction of the factory system. 1t has
yet to be shown that the marriage rate has
| been affected in the so-called working
classes by the Industrial independence OF
women. Miss M Carey Thomas, presiden
Louis biennial, produced statistics TO prove
that practically all women In the wage
earning classes have a chance OF matri
mony, and no one who knows the class hai
any doubt that all the women expect tC
marry. In that class the largest number
of children are born. 1t Is, then of thu
working classes, who are the mothers o.
the next generation of Americans, should
be prepared for motherhood. Viewed IL
this light, 1t becomes clear that factory
conditions are matters of national interest
The Consumers league has revealed man!
of the conditions under which these futur,
mothers spend their working years. Thu
Child Labor Committed the Women's Trad
). Unidn leaguei the Settlements, and othe
have been instrumental In reforming SOM
4 OF them. But when a story Is told of news
girls In the New York subway workini
time of for luncheon, when a strike II
the collar factories In Troy reveals the fac
: that 1000 starcher girls were workin!
: under prison rules, and were fined 20 cent
for dropping a single collar on the floor
when II is related the girl cap=makers ar
required to buy their own sewing machine
. and to pay for the power that runs tn
machines and the thread and needles uset
on them, when 1t is shown that in certai
underwear factories operators are neve
4 allowed to leave their machines, even a
a the noon hour. and In other clothing trad
factories girls are locked in all day whei
stories are published of women working
T In the filth and dampness of packing
! houses, up to their ankles In slIme,--whe
OF tod he WaUVII
shocked for a moment, but recover
!, Gui,e ayyS says But these are Isolate
The filming system In factories and shop
is worth the attention of expert lnvestiga
Q tors. AS one OF the striking collar starcher
a Investigate, the isundries. you can't te
d T Tli s0Ou' wages by looking at the pay
:. Not only factories, but department store.
packing houses, business Offices and othe
places where women are employed in larg
numbers viii come within the scope of tn
A proposed Investigation 1t has been tie
= years since any official report was made O
u the subject. The facts gathered at tn
e time are quite valueess now The in
vestigation proposed by the committee wi
= be far more complete, more inclusive tina
) anything ever attempted in this countr
or any other. TIL eco-Operation of ever
club woman is earnestly begged In In
next issue OF the Bulletin further detail
VIII be published. suggestions for gettin
the petitions before congress will be mad
given.
r The twentieth annual convention Of III
st Young Women's Christian association {
If Nebraska will open at Fremont Ibis ever
IN ing al 1880 o'clock at the Congregation,
s. church with praise service lead by Mi.
Is Esther Anderson, national secretary of n
a city department. Miss Ruth PaXson. ST,
s. dent secretary OF the American committee
'r will deliver the convention address. Ate
70 several preliminary sessions Saturda
morning the business session will be hel
he at O'Clock. Mrs Emma r. Byers. seer,
m tary Of the Omaha association, will condu,
"a the finance hour after which reports frol
r local associations will be heard The col
m ference will come at II o'clock Miss Ande
g. son to lead the city conference and Mi
IN PaXsOn the students conference Repor
n of committees and recommendations TO n
n state committees viii come in the afte
) noon. Saturday evening there will be
Al song service followed by an address bF Mr.
n Byers OF Omaha on 1.-THE Fruit OF II
u Spirit" and the convention will close wit
m a reception by the members Of the FIR
mont association.
~ A get one" banquet will be the featu
re of next week with the Young Women