Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-07-30
A PATHETIC PLANT


 Mrs Ar,emus Jones of Butte, Mont, makes q very pathetic plaint. II is that Butte is in need of more dressmak' s,s She says there are so few dress ,,oLers there that the problem IS n ,,r;ors one for every woman in the city. Ii is impossible almost for one to get . satisfactory frOck, as the dressmak' s,s arc oyerworked. And the dress ,,skers knowing they have the situa' finn in their own hands, have become nositiye autocrats. so that the women of Butte are all slaves to them. They are praying for the east to send out a score or two of competent dressmak' CTS. and as special indueement they tell how men form such great major ny ir their city, that an unmarried woman is quite curiosity.
 Our poor sisters in Butte are really to he pitied. No doubt some of them are compelled to appear in costumes that are positively dowdy, all because of the lack of dressmakers and the beartlessness of those who are there.
 However, we might be able to sug- gest solution for their difficulties if they would permit us--one that is tried and true. Why not take the sit uation into their own hands and do some of their own dressmaking! Or if their education along that line has been so sadly neglected that they are utterly incompetent, they can at least save their daughters from ever find ing themselves in similar plight, by having them learn to sew.
 Every girl, no matter what her cir cumstances may be, or what her chosen work, should be taught to sew and not only that, but to do all the things necessary in the keeping of home.
 Of course, the woman of wealth may never know the necessity of having to do those things herself, but how much better able she will be to direct her ser wants if she understands how they should be done. Besides she might lose her wealth--such things as that have occurred
 However, it is not the women of great wealth who are most often lack ing in this very essential knowledge. It is the girls of the great middle class who are not compelled by necessity to learn those things and who are allowed to grow up with the false idea that If they do not know how to do them they will never be required to even attempt them. One foolish mother, whose daugh. ter was employed as second maid in a family of means, actually encouraged the girl in such ideas. She used to say, "Well, if Margaret doesn't learn how to cook she will never need to do it."
 Yet she could hardly hope to marry man of wealth. and no doubt she looked forward to having home of her own at some time. Do you think if she marries a man with an average sal ary that her home and his will be a very happy onea And she cannot sew, either. l wonder if she will develop sufficient financial ability to manage SO that the average salary may be made to cover all the manifold expenses. Per hPs, but more likely she will be one of the many who struggle along under increasing burdens for awhile then final ly become discouraged and seek refuge 'n the divorce courts.
 The girl who can do her own sewing can dress as well on half the expendi- ture as her friend who can not sew. And besides, she can exercise her indi- Hduality in making her garments. She would not be found stranded like the Butte lady if there were not sufficient treSsmakers, or if they were all busy.