The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-03-25
INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS.

The Woman's Fortnightly Club, OF
Albany, N. Y, held largely attended
open meeting, at which Miss Helen
Varick Boswell delivered an address
on Industrial Conditions of Women
Wage-earners," on behalf of the well
fare department of the Civic Fedora
tion. She said in part:
Every woman in this country is a
part of the industrial life of the coun-
try, If not through her own efforts,
then through those of the men in
her family. She should acquaint her.
self with its conditions, and the
fundamentals upon which Industrial
life is built. We are striving for a
higher standard of living. How shall
we start to build up that IL not by
improving the condition of the people
who help to create the products Of
the world? The welfare department
covers such subjects as apply to the
health. the recreation, education and
housing of employees. Under its Or
ganization of cooperation employers
get together to compare notes, and to
plan such improved features as may
be worked out. Progressive business
men realize the economic strength Of
their position when they put time,
thought and money into the highest
development of the conditions sur
rounding their work-people. Many
business men do this without other
than their own prompting, but we all
know that public sentiment is a great
factor in bringing about any needed
reform, and it is we'll that there
should be brought before men and
women the old and new methods un-
der which work is done, so that we
may see improvements, see bad con-
ditions, and where judicious sugges-
tions may be made for improvement.
Just here is where the clubwomen of
this State can, and often do, exert a
powerful influence for good by per-
sonally looking after the degree Of
enforcement of laws and endeavor
for improving factory and shop condi.
tions. There will be found no great
er antidote to the dangerous en-
croachments of socialism than such
welfare work. The cry Of the Social
ist is always that nothing has been
done, nothing is being done, and
nothing will be done for the amelio-
ration of the working man and wom-
an. To show that much is constantly
in progress to improve conditions is
the best answer to the Socialistic cry,
and the way to prevent the making
of Socialists is to surround workers
with such conditions as will make
them comfortable in their work, hap
by in their homes, and appreciative
Of the form of government under
which they live. The real laborers
of the country have no Socialistic
trend. One of the best known lead
ers, Samuel Gompers, has said: 81
have kept close watch upon your So
cialistic doctrines and the work of
your movement for thirty years, and
/ am entirely at variance with your
philosophy. l am not only at va
rance with your doctrines, but be-
lieve economically you are unsound,
socially you are wrong, industrially
you are an impossibility."
The pessimists of the country have
had so much to say OF the horrors of
our industrial life that l am glad to
show some of its brighter sides and
to bring before you by means of Ste
reopticon pictures the many advances
and improvements that are daily be-
ing made for the comfort and health
of women workers especially.