The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-06
THE GREAT UPLIFT -:.
xIH-- -clubs for Working Girls.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

ing fund has been erected into what is known as the Interest Fund" and is set aside for emergencies. It Is for the use of any member of the Eleanor Clubs who Is temporarily with out a position and Is In need of funds or for any member. who is i'll and must go to the hospital for awhile. This Is always a loan. the borrower paying it back at her convenience but if times should be hard. the Illness long. or the girls salary small in the period following her borrowing. nothing is said of the loan. It is known that at some time she will pay it back if she possibly can. If not. the Eleanor Association considers that 1t has been money we'll used and that Is the end of the matter.
 Naturally back of all this ideal busi- ness arrangement one cannot help but see the big spirit of helpfulness that has prompted several earnest women to form themselves into the Eleanor Association. devote their time and energy to showing business women and working girls how to get the best home life for, their money. and put their own money into the htting out Ot good club houses.s without asking or expect ing; It's return This seems on the face of 1t a philanthropic venture. but the members of the Eleanor Association who are the stockh oiders and whose purses so generously open up and supply the fittings for each now club house. solemnly and seriously assert that 1t is business venture, pure and simple. If pressed in the matter, they will confess that they never take penny of Interest money on their in-J yestment, though 1t is charged and collected. then diverted to club uses. The only interest they seem to care to receive is+ the Knowledge that they have established homes where wo- men and girls on small salaries may live on business basis. and feel free independent and self respecting.
 This Is a fine piece of work. The only regret about 1t is that it is not yet big enough to furnish such home life to all the other women in Chicago twenty or thirty thousand in all. who nave to make shift at home life in nall bedrooms or cheap boarding houses; and miss the bigness, the help fitness of the -+Eieanor spirit" As fast as the Eleanor Association can 1t Is opening clubs, one to be com plete in, February, and the list of waiting. ones wiH more than fill 1t. And even at this rate 1t is a wonder full work for a handfuI of women to be doing.
 New York. with thirty thousand or more girls and women working in the big stores of the shopping districts. needs nearly a thousand these clubs for that section alone. Other cities of varying percentage of working wo- men and girls need them. as do manu- featuring centers. No city needs charitable institutions for its working girls who are well, who are at work. and who are proving themselves cap able. Nor does the working girl of to day want anything that savers of charity. She wants chance to earn a good living. and comfortable home In which to spend her nights, and she is always willing to pay a req sonable part of her wages for it. The Eleanor Association has proved how working women may be housed If only few prominent, helpful women of each city will get behind the move ment.
 Copyright, 1908, by Frederic J. Has.
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 .TOmorrOw~-The Great Uplift.-XIV- UPlift in Organized Labor.