New-York tribune., 1908-05-12
WELFARE WORK
For the Betterment Of Conditions
for Workers IN Al Industries.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau


Washington May 1.-THE first formal meeting
of the welfare committee of the National eiN'
Fedora ton, which is holding three days sssslo"
here was devoted to business session IN the
morning a visit to President Roosevelt at the
White House at 2:SI o'clock this afternoon "hen
he received large number IF the women ana men
concerned and enthusiastically addressed theH'' d
late afternoon session under the auspices OF the
public employees committee Of the 1ederatlon OF
which Secretary Taft is chairman, ana receP-
tdon and addresses this evening
Combating the idea that the nation represents
the average, and not the best. the PRESIDENT
touched on government liability to employees say
ing:
want your help in seeing that the government
occupies position good as that OF the best EN-.
ployers instead of being down to the average II
not below II. | am trying at this time TO get a Ia"
enacted which will allow the employe damaged IN IN
the government service through no !aulI ,. OF lr9
own 70 get compensation from his emplo{ef n yer
period in the worlds history the United Statfc .f
government. the government or TINS denocLduu iT IT,
governments in such a matter this. year and
a half ago, for instance. there was perfectly CON-
Panama P Railrosd An accident happened, through
That man and his children are on the verge Of
want may say past t the & hersg % G6 t bc he he
belongs, because there is no law by which /. the
head of this government. can give him that 70
in the government service. 1t is scandal and a
reproach to US that there are bodies Of our pe9pie
men claiming capitalists to have special right
to speak to US. who actively oppose the passage
who protest against the passage of proper employ
ers' liability laws I want you to help me through
enacted which will! make the United States gov
ernment a model employer. which will make the
only city under the absolute control of the United
States government Washington. model city.
New York and Washington had the largest dele
cations of women present ard the body was the
most notable from social and phianthropic point
of view that has met here in many years. In one
of the largest drawing rooms the New Willard
there assembled this morning Mrs. Charles
". Fairbanks. Mrs. William II. Taft. Mrs James
r Garfield. Mrs. Oscar Straus Mrs. Nicholas
Longworth. Mrs George Dewey. Mrs. William
Sheffield Cowles and number of other prominent
Washington women; Mrs. Laura L. Ray Mrs. J.
Borden Hartman Miss Anna Morgan, Mrs J..
kemys West, Mrs. Francis Higginson Cabot, Mrs.
Y. Everit Macy Mrs. Ernest Fabbri. Mrs Andrew
Carnegie. Mrs. John w Nicnols. Mrs Mary Hatch
Willard Mrs Florence NJ. Rhett, Mrs Donna r.
Easey, Mrs. Marcus NJ Marks, Miss Gertrude
Beeks and Miss Tessa /. Kelso, from New York,
and Mrs. Medill Mccormick. daughter OF the late
Senator Mark Hanna. and Mrs. Frank O. Lowden,
from Chicago. and many other notable women
the North. the South, the EaS, and the West.
Mrs Archibald Alexander, chairman of the New
York committee. made an address outlining the
work for welfare committee and dwelling its
great Importance The most of the morning
sion was devoted TO the organization of a woman's
national committee of the Civic Federation.
Both Secretary Cortelyou and Assistant Secretary
OF the Navy Newberry who to make ad-
deliver addresses other time in the course
of the convention
William r. Wilcox chairman Of the Public IT'LL
tiles Commission for New York City. talked this
afternoon The Needs of Federal Employees"
subject upon which the President pointed in
his address earlier in the afternoon
Marcus NJ. Marks, chairman of the committee of
the federation welfare work for city
ployes spoke The Condition OF New York
Citys Policemen
James OConnell. president OF the international
Association OF Machnists, spoke for the welfare
of the employed and there were several impromptu
addresses
The reception opened at $50 o'clock tonight and
after several hundred persons were received by the
appointed committees addresses made by Dr.
Seth Low president of the National Civic Fedora
ton; N J. Bachelor, master Of the National
Grange; Mrs. Sarah 5. P1att Decker. president of
the General Federation Of Women's Clubs; ANDREW
Carnegie. John Mitchell and others
One of the subjects of interest to New York
which is 10 be discussed is the conditions prevail
ing at the Brooklyn navy yard. Accommodations
for men and women clerks in government buildings
will also receive attention.