The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-13

university education. When too poor
to do so they take pupils or even go
as servants in order to find the means.
The men students are as generous
and sympathetic as the professors and
often coach the women for nothing,
besides helping them in every possible
way. The women who attend the lee
lures are chiefly the daughters of pro-
fessiOnaf men. Numbers. however,
still study abroad in order to escape
the harassing regulations of the gov
eminent. They exc out precarious
livelihoods. often living several in a
room, their condition differing in no
respect from the working girls of the
country in which they are staying.
After such Spartan training it is
not. therefore. surprising that in this
time OF general unrest they should
join forces with the men and insist
on making their wishes heard. TIL.
Moscow ladies have led the way, and,
with the help of women from other
cities. have organized an association
called the Union Of Defenders or
Equal Rights for Women. They de-
mand absolute equality with respect
of the suffrage. education and right
This powerful union is composed Of
different societies. which include in
their scope almost every side of a wo-
mans life. 4 petition has been sent
to the governor OF Moscow. signed by
over 900 women. asking for equality
between the sexes in municipal af-
fairs. This union also demands the
inclusion OF some women on all the
juries that hate TO try female prison
ers. rs they contend that men are un-
able to understand the physical con-
ditions which lead women to commit
certain crimes.
II Is most significant fact that
this association has been incorpor-
ated with the Russian Union OF In
ions. lately founded for the political
liberation of Russia. One of the most
striking features is the way the sexes
are working hand-in-hand: this in
creases the power of both for good or
evil thousandfold
Women's clubs are forbidden in
Russia and when few ladies in St.
Petersburg wished to form an asso-
citation for mutual help the govern
ment consented to allow its existence
on condition that it was called a
philanthropic institution. 1t is the
nearest approach to the modern wo-
mans clubs than the Russian lady
can attain.
Its aim is the meritorious but in
Russia easily misunderstood one CT
trying to raise the tone and ideals OF
Russian women so as to fit them for
the work which lies before them. 1t
is an extraordinarily we'll organized
institution. whose business is carried
on by council of capable. clever wo-
men. 1t is divided into II sections,
among them being department to
arrange courses of lectures. a regis
ter for finding employment for women
and bureau for money lending and
savings banks combined.
This society. which consists of over
1000 members. takes an active part
in alternating any public calamity.
During the inundations which so often
occur in Russia local centers are in
stituted TO work more efficiently and
during the winter it collects money,
Clothing and food for the relief of
those suffering from famine.
The late war has had the effect of
opening out many occupations which
were formerly closed to women. We
find from the latest statistics that
1000 female officials are employed
in the % Russian state railways. They
act as booking clerks, points-women
and some are engaged as guards;
their pay is very small. but they re-
ceive free lodging and some per-
quisites.
Many women of the peasant class
are asriculturalists. who enter the
factories during the winter to avoid
starvation. and most of them hate it.
The majority of the factories where
women are employed give free lodg.
ing to workers. These lodgings re-
semble large barracks and in many of
them men, women and children all
sleep in the same rooms on wooden
planks. Those who hire lodgings in
the neighborhood are no better off, as
the rooms are very dirty and over
crowded The highest wages they are
paid are in the cotton industries,
where there are 81 per cent more wo-
men than men. Here there is no diff
ference between the wages of the
sexes. In most factories, however,
the wages Of women are deplorably
low