The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-30
THE IS AWEEK HOTEL COMING.
MRS. CLARENCE BURNS HOPES
TO OPEN 1T SOON.
n ID Intended for working Girls VINO Earn
o. or SOTO he Called the city Fed
GRAFTON Hotel-Ets Projectors Believe
uwon't Lose Money ny Its Low Rates.

GRAFTON HoteI-Its Projectors Believe
uwOn't Lose Money by Its Low Rates.
Those who plan hotels for women in New
York seem to aim at decreasing instead OF
increasing the rates. Fol instance, in the
first OF the women's hotels which came to
stay the minimum cost OF living is about sl2
a week. At the Trow-Mart Inn for work.
ing women under 81 and earning ti7 or less
a week, the charge for a room and two
meals a day liz from IS to $3.50 a week.
At another hotel intended for working
%giris-a hotel projected by Mrs. Clarence
Burns and some others and which is so far
under way that the bylaws have been
drawn I'D and stock at IS a share sold to q
few friends Of the enterprise the weekly
charge for a room and three meals q day
will be from Is to
The projectors Of this enterprise believe
that the hotel with rates OF s. and $3.50 a
week is what New York needs most and viii
continue to need so long as the present low
rate of wages continues to be paid to women
who make boxes, artificial flowers, bead
work and cigarettes, who work in twino
factories and at other trades in which Is 10
considered a good weekly wage Tor women
EMPLOYEES and in which the average earn
inxs are from So to "a a week, while be-
ginners get from s2.5O to s2,7S.
One of the projectors who comes often in
contact with these workers says the scale OF
wages quoted is absolutely correct.
Fortunately" said she, many OF the
girls live at home, and to such an increase
or decrease OF rs cents a week in their wages
Ia not of such vital importance as It is to
these who must board, lodge and pay their
way with strangers. Needless to say there
is a host OF the latter.
.Just now, when there is a lot Of talk bot
the increased cost OF labor, i am more inn
nressed h ever wNh the abominably
small wages paid to in some indus
tries. Think Of a young woman who has
learned a trade, who is very nearly as pro-
hcient at IL as she ever will be, working for
~ a week!
Yes, that happens all the time. Think
Of women, long past girlhood. working for
rs or IS. so a week, with scarcely a chance OF
increasing hat sum unless they are ex-
traordinarily swift piece workers."
Mrs. Clarence Burns, asked for particulars
about the new working girls hotel took
up also the same theme. Said she:
The time has come when there ought
to be an increase Of wages among the small
wage eamers. They ought not to be over
looked in the movement to raise wages.
The main purpose in mind in building q
three dollar q week hotel is to help these
poorly paid women, to provide surround
ings and food which will give them courage
to do good work and demand o fair equivs-
lent for it. We do not hope to give them
luxury at that price.
"A we'll meaning woman OF wealth asked
me the other day:
When you start your hotel are you
going to give ideal conditional
My dear madam l told her. you
can't get ideal conditions for % q day,
much lees for s. a week
Then I carefully explained that there
would be no alabaster halls and gold frescoes
in the building, no real or imitation palms
lining the staircasee, and she looked quite
disappointed.
people complain in all sorts OF hotels
which charge all sorts Of prices; they COM
plain In their own houses; therefore to
expect q working girls hotel to furnish
ideal conditions Is foolish.
For girls who earn only % and a week
and must board I'm afraid the new hotel
will not be Of any service. but to some
wage earners Of IS or 80 1t will be an In
calculable blessing. We hope.
YES, the hotel is IN assured thing. That
vas settled the other day at q meeting held
at Delmonico's. Our bylaws have been
approved by law, VI have chosen fifteen
directors, elected four active officers, sold
. enough stock to give us more than 1000
In the treasury and decided upon three
localities any one Of which IL In need OF
such a hotel as we propose to open. In
one Of these We will hire our building.
mo, we do not intend to build nor to
hire old houses which will need q lot OF
repairs to put them in sanitary shape.
Our intention 10 TO hire a double tenement
or aat house before it Ii quite completed
and have the ground floor divided into u
dining room, Office and parlors, the base
ment equipped with kitchen, laundry and
storerooms and the space intended for in
dividusl Kitchens upstairs turned into bed
rooms.
TO begin with, q nat house will look
more like a hotel than would an ordinary
dwelling, and by following this plan the
building can be made ready for occupancy
In a very short time.
Two or three women will share the
larger rooms, one or two the smaller ones
and every one will have a small iron bed to
herself. Floors will be bare except for q
strip Of carpet before each bed and the
furniture will be Of the plainest, but every
guest will be at liberty TO put up as many
Of her own little fixings as she pleases and
the walls will stand for.
Three meals Q day will be served and Q
luncheon put up for those who ant como
home 10 luncheon. We haven't got ~ far
a. planning the menu yet, and naturally
can't speak for the fifteen directors regard
ing that or some other details. but I can
say this, that it will contain sufficient good
plain food 70 keep q oTn well nourished
and in good health.
Yes, IL can be done at a charge OF % or
$3.50 a week for each person II q practical
h~ousekeeper Is In charge Of the hotels
oommissary department and without
ing the books to show a deficit at the end
OF a year. We DO not intend that the hotel
shall be q losing venture, for were 1t 70 prove
q money loser good-by to the prospect Of
another working girls hotel being started
very soon, and 1 hope TO see several more in
New York before very long.
"0h, yes; the name Of the hotel. We have