The Washington times., 1909-04-17
SLUR ON WOMEN
HOTLY RESENTED
BY BUREAU HEAD
Workers and Director of En-
craving Shop Angered
by Paper Story.
DENOUNCE CHARGES
AS WHOLLY FALSE
Committee Named to Set World
Right and Demand Re-
traction.

This is the most outrageous and un-
warranted slur on the honor and in
tegrity of women wageearners that L
ever read in an American newspaper"
The cold gray eyes of Joseph w.
Ralph, director of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing. blazed with
anger while seated at his desk this
morning he addressed a mass meeting
OF the workers of his bureau, men and
women. who gathered 20 protest against
the publication OF an article in a New
York morning newspaper. This repre-
sented that the National Civic Fedora
tion of Women had not only appointed
a committee TO Investigate alleged i'm
morality among certain women employ
ed as printers assistants in the bureau.
but would ask the Secretary of the
Treasury TO dismiss fifty regarded as
unit to receive the benevolence Of the
Federation.
Challenge To Detractors.
The story. printed under the caption,
sick a Moral JJpiss.'' was taken by
Director Ralph TO be a serious refiec-
ton on the entire body of women
workers In his department, and the
protest that he uttered was in the
broadest sense a challenge to all those
who doubt that the womanhood of his
department is oot far above suspicion.
The mass meeting, the like of which
mas perhaps never been seen IN a Fed
eral department before, was called by
Director Ralph at the behest Of the rep
rensentatives Of 4.10O toilers Of the bu-
reau. 240G Of whom are women, who
asked the director TO afford them op-
portunity TO demand official retraction
of the story and full apology from their
detractors.
Appoint Committee.
After nearly two hours of discussion.
during which many Of the women and
not a few men denounced the offensive
story as ian outrageous attack on
American womanhood." a committee
representing every division of the bu-
reau was named with the approval OF
Director Ralph and authorized to ap-
pear before the Secretary of the Treas
ury. Mrs. Samuel Spencer and Mrs.
Richard Wainwright, local members of
the Civic Federation of Women. and the
editors Of the local newspapers, and ask
their cooperation in branding the story
wholly aI5 unQualifledly false.
The committee will also demand that
the offending New York paper retract
the article.
Committee of Protest.
George NJ. Foster, chairman of the
executive board of the Plate Printer $
Union. No ?. was appointed chairman
of the committee of protest Together
with w. D. Leissler. president of the
Plate Printers Union. the other meni-
bers OF the committee follows: Miss
Helen BalleDger. Miss Bertha Strouland.
Miss Elizabeth Hardy. Miss Sally Graf
fin. Miss Gertrude McNaIly. represent
ing Federal Labor Union, No. 1z776; Miss
Katherine Drew. Miss Zeta Parsons,
Miss NJ. NJ Grammar, Miss Margaret
Wasche, Miss Mary 3. Carr. Miss EN-
ma Mccormick. Miss NJ McAtee, Miss
julia Collins, iss Lizzie Carpenter.
The appointment OF this committed
and the determination to turn the de-
tractors into humble apologists. came
at the close OF meeting that was not
without It's dramatic shades. 1t was as
sincere body Of workers as ever gath
cred under a Federal roof, all bent on
the desire 20 give the lie direct TO the
innueDdo that the women workers OF A
Federal workshop were not comparable
with those TO be found anywhere.
Ralph Defends Workers.
This feeling found fun and vigorous
voice when Director Ralph, aroused "a
defend the force he directs. declared:
MY honest and candid opinion is that
the conduct and morals OF the women
workers OF this bureau compares with
any Ike number Of women in America
Yes, viii go a step farther than this
their conduct is better as a whole"
burst of cheering and handclap-
ping greeted this declaration. All doubt
of the Directors intention Of going the
limit TO defend his employees was al
once dissipated.
When Mr.. Ralph followed this ut
terance with "'his attack on the integ-
rity Of our women Is the most out
rageous / have ever known and "lt is
hardly necessary 20 brand IL as a ma
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