Evening star., 1909-05-16
MRS. RICHARD WAINWRIGHT
AND THE WELFARE WORK

| in the new building. Every provision is
| to be made for those who may be
wounded by machinery.
There is now a rolling chair in the new
bureau and woman doctor to assist all
those who are taken ill during office
hours. just now. as the Washington or
ganiZaticn is so young, every effort is
suggestive and remedial and not radical.
In all such work i: is necessary to go
very slowly, to feel every inch Of the way
ahu TO be quite sure that each move is
for the lasting good and not calculated
to arouse suspicion and ntagonisnl
which would prove deterring. Every re-
sponsible man whom we have approached
has been more than willing to cooperate.
and. armed with authority which such
sympathy means, we ere about to under
take a systematic crusade of national
housekeeping which will sweep the coun-
try from ocean to ocean.
**
There is a point which has been ap-
pealed most urgently to all who have
entered on this work. said Mrs. Vain
wright, 'and that is that in nearly all
cases where employees labor under un-
comfortable or cruel conditions it arises
from cases of what may be called dor
mant consciences. Almost Invariably
when attention is called to the condi-
tlons the man who is responsible is
willing to improve them. This is what
gives US such hope for the future
am unwilling to believe that the Amer
lean millionaire, except in rare instances.
known throughout the world for his gem
erosity and prompt charity, is willing to
grind his millions out of his falow-be-
lnss In cold or creature discomfort Mrs.
j. j. Borden Hartman, who has done
such fine work for the welfare depart
ment of New York. addressed the " ash
inston branch not long ago and, among
other instances of tniS aspect of the
work, she said that il came to the knowI-
edge OF the committee that a certain
house, where the train men slept and
changed their clothes. was in a bad con-
dltlon, and the women asked permission
to inspect 1t. The superintendent re-
whether the place was in proper order
for ladies TO visit. Evidently he was
much perturbed by what he found and
by the knowledge that the committee
ment of the president of the road For
he made grand housekeeping, and
when the committee inspected it their
verdict was praise. not blame
Another case which Mrs. Hartman
told the Washington society was that of
a man who owned one of the sky
scrape:s of New York-a kind-heartsd
man, he proved to be. though he had
been unconsciously cruel to his fellow
men, This mans wife became Interested
on tour of inspection into the condi-
tion of stationary firemen.
Inc committee visited the very house
which this Womans husband owned and
round that the firemen eX Sted under the
most horrible conditions three stories be-
low ground. There was no place for them
TO bathe or dress after their unuttera bly
d:eary labor sometimes in temperature
Wnlcn would terrify a South Sea islander
Ihey had TO go out into the open air in
their CRIME and sweat and fatigue and
run the risk of taking pneumonia, after
each day work in the cold weather. This
lady went to her husband. He promptly
condemned the whole findings of the court
or inquiry. He told his wife that in erect
ing ms building he had employed the hes.
architect and had empowered him to take
the best care of every one who had to
work In the premises. His wife asked
MIN TO accompany her and see for him
self. He did SO. Then he sent for the
architect and that gentleman spent
very uncomfortable half hour. Th own
er Immediately remedied condit ons for
his stationary fremen. Mrs. Hartman
said that in the rarest instances only did
owners express unwillngness to remedy
when fagrantly unwholesome conditions
were uncovered.
Now in nearly all these divisions o.
labor there are unions which look after
the welfare OF the members. and neither
civic federation nor the welfare depart
ment wishes. in avn instance, to claim
credit for inaugurating the wo.k. What
the women who are in the federatlons
want to do is TO interest the wife AMI
daughter and mother OF every man who
has large industrial or commercial inter-
ests and thus gain the ear OF those who
direct and employ labor. What this wom-
an of whom Mrs. Hartman spoke did for
stationery fremen In one great New York
building can be done all the country over