The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-04-15
NOBLE LITTLE WOMAN
HELPS WORKING. GIRLS
Daughter Of Famous Chicago
Judge Devotes Life to Prac-
tical Cause.
Takes Part in Effort For Equit.
able Conditions For Fac
tory Girls.


William Barnum, formerly Judge in
Chicago, has opened headquarters at SO
Rivington street, New York, for the
purpose Of organizing workingwomen
into trade unionists, and, in general, to
inaugurate an aggressive campaign in
their behalf. Miss Barnum was FORM
erly resident Of Hull House, in Chi
cagO, where for several years she
worked with the working girls and
women of that city. forming clubs and
classes, ETC., but finally she came to
believe that the fundamental principle
in the solution of the labor question Is
trade-unionism. After working some
time in Chicago as labor organizer
amoung women, she went to Boston
about year ago, and her record in that
neighborhood shows her to be both an
enthusiastic and successful organizer
During the textile strike in Fall River
she was especially active in helping
to maintain the girls On strike, found
ing with her own resources home for
two hundred of them.
The headquarters of Miss Barnum
are situated in an old Knickerbocker
mansion within a stones throw of the
college Settlement" and in order to
win over the workingwomen more read
lily the rooms have been fitted with lux
uries and conveniences so as to present
the appearance of a Well-appOinted
club, rather than the headquarters of a
labor organization. The official appela-
ton Of the organization launched by
Miss Barnum will be the "Women's
Trade Union League" and she will act
as secretary of the league until 1t gets
it's sea legs. Personally, Miss Barnum
has that peculiar charm of manner
which puts even a bashful person at
ease in her presence. Speaking of her
present aims she said:
when left Chicago year ago the
workingwomen Of that city were fair
ly we'll organized. Thirty-five thousand
of them were members Of trade-unions,
or about one-fourth of the total number
at work in organized trades. Here lin
New York; where there are perhaps a
quarter Of a million Of working girls
and women conditions are far worse.
They suffer from every possible indus
trial evil. They are treated unfairly.
work IN unhealthy, places: endure 1one
hours and low wages, and there is a
vast amount Of irregular employment.
1t is the basic principle of the league OF
which 1 am secretary to point out to
this host of workers. how, as individu-
ais, they are helpless. while in organ
ization may be found a betterment OF
their lives and protection under the
law. We also seek to inculcate the inn
portance to unionism and society OF
keeping the peace in times of strike y
Miss Barnum's experience and prov
en- fitness as a labor organizer is bound
to be of great assistance to the work
ingwomen of New York, who, as she
truly says. suffer from every possible
industrial evil" The condition is due
in a great measure to the ever increas-
ing immigrat tion, an abnormally large
percentage Of the immigrants seeking
employment in the city in preference
to going into the country. 1t Is to be
hoped, therefore, that Miss Barnun
will achieve even greater success in he1
present undertaking than she has done
in her previous ventures of the kind.