New-York tribune., 1907-01-17
Mr.. GEER FORMS GUILD
Tells Business Women He NeUer
Intended to reform" Them.

Talking 10 a meeting called for the purpose of
organizing downtown club for business women,
IN St Pauls Parish House, No. o Vesey street at
yesterday the Rev. w. Montague Geer, vicar
OF St Paul's. protested Indignantly against the
construction which has been placed upon his pro-
posed enterprise, and appealed to those present In
the name of fairness and justice. TO throw them
selves in line with the work and form the guild as
somewhat of answer to all sorts of inexcusabe
misstatements.''
Business have their downtown clubs. in
tended primarily for the luncheon hour" he said,
land II is beyond me to divine why stenographers
and typewriters should not have one. 1t is not
against the law of the land But my desire TO
such club has been seriously misrepre-
sented. I trust unntentionally. Words have been
imputed to t.lst did not use. and thoughts at
tributed to that 1 would repudiate vigorously
any one else. j never used the word rest or
mission reformatory.' / had thought of
charity, and think it hard that man who wants
to stand by those who TO his church to say
their prayers should have such motives imputed TO
him. i am not at all surprised at the indignation
aroused the basis of those Misrepresentation
would be indignant if any one else had said what
] have been accused of saying. / have suffered
great deal by reason of the pain that these mis-
representations have given. What decent man
would be hurt by the thought Of giving pain to
those whose lives he wants to make peasanter and
more agreeable? How senseess ii would be for me
ALLEVIATE the regard of those for whom and with
whom / want to work! How outrageous 1t would
be for one who wishes the interest OF
employers to begin by alternating their regard
GIRLS LETTERS ACCUSE EMPLOYERS.
Speaking of matter afterward. Mr. Geer said:
Everybody knows well ! do that there is
small minority of employers who are unfit for
any young girl be associated with. but TO accuse
of having stigmatized the whole class of en-
ployers and stenographers is outrageous"
OF the existence of this small minority Mr.
Geer had ample documentary evidence in the form
OF letters which have come 10 him since his address
at st Paul's week age when he first proposed
the guild Of stenographers and tyPewrite,rs One One
to the scheme and said: -.
sbn 1ne haTe rdad for long one Ge wish
TO thank you from the bottom of my heart for
one human being has recognized the peril OF l girl
for and e hs o If
and mothers only knew the risk their daughters
ofcesl There are 80 few offees that 4 for
# tG CHARACTER MSc6 m for onnE Sn gr Of me
ways Of the world. to associate with. The, girl
fight without much assistance from the world in
general Instead OF being upheld and protected by
being brought before the public eye in disgrace
ful manner. If the average business man were
only a gentleman. the pathway Of the working
girl would be much sn0Other he and
typewriter OF about six years experiences: s, con
fiemen TO work for in my position but am sorry
to say that have not always found It thus
while that is sample Of many in this & city ;t At
meTerything was SO lovely But. alas 1t did not
hold out so very long, and l discovered that it was
WomaH i9 ean @ work IN n that Office many Weeks
she will be compelled TO follow my footsteps II she
Is woman in the true sense of the word
GLAD OF LEGAL ADVICE.
Another letter was even more strongly worded
The writer said that while she had never. by word
or action. invited such thing. improper proposals
and advances had frequently been made to her as
a matter of course. and she is afraid to change
her position though she Nigh: better herself by
doing lest she should find herself in office sim
lar 10 several thaI sne mas Ieit 0d one IGcasion:
exclusive set told her. in so many words that men
did keep women stenogra2hers for business
work
Another correspondent wrote about the subject
from another point @ view Years ago; she said
she had resolved that If she had an office Of
her own il shoGa d be to % aeed g a9d r. 6e s
has realized her desire. and no one can have
eiatad She panticuiary Commended the legal bti-
reau which Mr., Geer wants to establish In eonnec-
names Of several men who make practice OF not
gayns stenGsSpners ana r%no %aG are ar his Nr Geer
said that expects the legal bureau to be one of
the most important features of the work he also
explained that he had no intention Of Limiting the
work stenographers and typewriters. but wished
to include all business women
MRS NoURsE TELLS OF CHICAGO CLUB.
The only other speaker at the meeting Mrs
Harriet Nourse, who described a similar expert
ment in Chicago. This club offers so many ad-
vantages TO its members that all the women in
l.
they are selfsupportng, ard it is so prosperous
that it has to give away its money after having
ss:t ali it could in fine furniture, grand piano,
china, linen and pictures. The place is so lovely
all wealthy clubs in the city want to hold
their meetings there. There is restaurant where
even roast beef and chops served at cents
an order, and library well supplied with books
and magazines There are classes and lectures and
dances and receptions. There is house in the
supporting have outing at a cost Of
S3 80 q week Fifty cents of this is for the room
and 50 covers the cost of meals secured at CLUB
rates al one of the most fashionable hotels in the
locality The whole thing is entirely self-sustain
ing and has been so from within "A few months Of
the start.
AT the conclusion of Mrs. Nourse's address Mr..
Geer said that though IL impossible to form
any organization at that time work would be be-
gun Immediately, and he was sure that something
was going to be done large scale. At little
safter-rneeting IL decided begin serving tea
and coffee next "Wednesday, when another general
meeting will also be held.
most of them left their with reference to
future action. There would probably have been
much larger attendance had ii not been for the re-
ports that have gone abroad to the effect that Mr..
Geer contemplating rescue work among
stenographers and typewriters.
Among those present were Miss l.. Elwen, from
f ii. Harrinlan's Office and Miss Anna ]. Jupp.
Building Both expressed much interest In the plan
and Miss Jupp said she had often wished she could
start something OF the kind herself.
The financial resources of the enterprise now
amount to SOL received in three small checks. but
there a general impression that If the plan gees
through money viii not be lacking.