The Washington times., 1910-02-28
EMPLOYEES RESENT
APOLOCISTS' WORDS
Self-Supporting Women Deny That
the $40 a Week Salary Brings
Moral Decrepitude.
By SELENE ARMSTRONG.

s25, and now. for the first time since
reform and TefOTmeTs began, We are
going 10 nave something 10 say about
It.
Mrs Eva Mcdonald Valesh. one OF
the organizers OF the American Fedora
ton OF Labor. md the recognized leader
OF the women wage earners Of America
has asked the question, and has en-
phatically answered. NO" Preachers
labor leaders, teachers, and public
speakers, asked il. thunder No" in re-
ply, and then utter the platitude:
only a higher wage standard for
women can result in a higher stan
dard Of morality"
The reformer has exploited the moral
decrepitude OF the girl who earns SIC
a week, and the moral safety Of the girl
whose pay envelope contains So. until
the one is looked upon as q fallen an
gel, and the other as an angel whose
shoes were made 10 order for the
straight and narrow path. and will
never fit any other.
Now let US see what the girls them
selves have 70 say about IL. Here is the
story Of one Of those fortunate Sa5C0-a-
week girls When I asked her views on
the moral safety Of the S1500-a-weel,
girl, this is what she had TO say:
Increased With Salary.
Il am EirI who earrs $500 a week.
1 ind that the temptations which cross
my path are more frequent by far than
those which come TO girls know earn
ing 5000 f. week. These temptations
have increased p-OportionateIy with my
salary, since I began work at SD 50 Uer
week. and when am earning 5000 a
week I intend 10 carry q copy Of the
Lords Prayer in ny bag as an altidote
10 worldliness and discomfort. md q
safeguard against the unspeakabla
temptations 70 which the girl on q good
salary is subjected every day OF her
life
In the first place, my friends are
people who earn nothing-not even their
incoETes. The women I know ride I'm
auto Tlohiles, wear beautiful gowns and
give parties that make me green, win
envy. When 1 put on my Black picture
hat, and my pale gray coat with the
chlnchllla collar (Which represents the
savings and scraDinGs OF a whole ,-ea-1
and go out among these women. 1 come
nome Win som ethlng raging and boiling
IN NV soul
I remember that my forefathers were
gentlemen when theirs were unncard of
ana then / picture 10 myself the sDIen-
ara ana euectlve things I would do and
say II were as well gOWnCd and we'll
Eroomed as they. Because I am MAXIM
just enough TO afford carefully planned
ana pretty gown occasionally. Ird tha.
me liltIe van ties are growing upon me
ali Jne time. The admiration ,,f nv
men friends who tell me (and v~ha+
girl stops 10 think just how little of In
man means ihaJ am the cieVerest
FlIl Iney know; that for a woman who
Is not handsome 1 am sometimes so
happy and so youthful that I become
as by some magic the prettiest girl OF
llelr acquaintance This admiration is
peCOnl.l .lg more necessary TO me. and
ma that / demand more and more of il
For Little More Money.
And so, the world Of pleasure Is
ever before me, like some isnus fat1us
that fancy could grasp in NV hands
II only made a little more money. The
lights, flowers, and fragrance Of tris
world; its laughing men and women
have called 10 me so strongly since 7
began TO earn my twenty-five q veey,
Ihat the one Opportunity have had 10
marry a man who could give me IT'S
WedlJn and position was almost too
much Tor me. althoueh did DO+ ca~o =
"Trip Tor him To refuse him REQUIRED n
strength Of character that 1 prOba bry
coI!o not summon, If he ever asked me
So a girl on S25 week has tempta-
uons, aIier all They are far moro
seductive than the refOrmer knows.
now the girl on SO a week goes
nome az The end of a DAYS work AMI
spends her evenings resicnediv. If mo-
conJentedly with an oil stove and =
good novel or with her girl friend goes
70 Lhe moylng-plcture shows. She is
rarely sufficiently animated. sl-f4Ci-
emily we'll dressed. and. therefore e1,f
nclently attractive, TO be thrown con-
stanuy IN the way Of temptation. !"
Don't talk 10 us about the sl0-a-
week girl said some OF them indie
nantly, when I asked them what thev
think about Il. I'VE belong N bar
class: but ve have come to hate the
sound or her name Why is il that
people talk about her like She vas 5if-
ferent from other girls. She is inst
else" ''' 'o0'
Works In a Store.
May Bowers is a girl who has q Dosi-
ton in Cne Of the large department
stores Of Washington. When asked 10
tell how she had lived when earning
SO a week. she replied:
"Of course 7 am always for WON,
ans getting the highest wages she car.
But all this talk about the girl on $40
week not being able TO lead the
4tEAL cNLA Oh lLlt laAAES me urea AA ny
when I earned so a week. and iived
entirely on ii. 7 didn't have all I want
ed. Of course. But not as much rempta-
ton came in my way as 7 have now. for
now I dress a little more, and 90 about
little more. The Cirl who doesn't
make much doesn't dress and go out
like The others. OF course If she has
weak nature she will some day lie or
steal or DO even worse things But tho
girls on $40 week don't do Z any
sooner than any others"
MIS-. Marion Webster, who IS presi-
dent OF the stenograDhers' union, said
she wanted 20 put herself on record as
faVor1nS higher wages fo- women.
Salt cf the Earth.
"But / also want To go on record. f"
she announced, "as believing that the
SO week girls are the salt Of the
earth. 1 know Mrs. VaIesh did not
mean that they weren't But lust the
same they are getting a little bit sensi-
tive about being before the public. and
they have a right TO. It's the $40 a
week girl, poor thing, that gets blamed
for the sins OF her rich sister,
Louise Haynes is a cashier. who has
held her position for four years. When
I went 10 her and asked her to tell me