The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-01
CAN CLUB WOMEN SAVE Thh !, :
SERVANT GIRLS MORALS?

Rbeta cbilde Dorr. In her scien,'fSS ,,sr,, ne
and tS"asa accurate analysis OF the problem tSe Os
"The ProdigaI Daughter Inahss ,ssre ~
startling statement In the May ysf one
| HAMPTON Magazine that at leas. oi,r nro
third OF our Prodigal pnueh,ssIs ,,o~t
drafted from the ranks OF oomeshhe ~ ives
crs. In n convincing, fashion osino sn from
| her reasons for this charge, quotlnS tio t
| Investigating boards and accurate avno sv
| tIfc reports. and In conclusion sne nlann' ,,n'
| plea TO the club women OF lns Soueo
| try TO look into the matter OF tne,. e,aLn the
| workers and see II they cannot Inake NV Nv. :
conditions OF domestic servitudG ps.'''
and more agreeable. Says Mrs, porr A.
"Yonkers. N. Y, large town on. on s,.d ~
this end In Yonkers there has oesn cen
established a womens institute, Tor tle
exclusive use Of domestics. IL mas as az,
! employment agency and supports ciasaSo .',,e
in domestic science for those girls "no
wish to become more expert workerS'
There arc club rooms and recreauoh Pai .
lors where the girls receive ana M S.
their frlends-Includlue their men iTieh9s.
group OF liberal minded women esihp-
lished this unique institution. when "
well patronized by the superior class OF
domestic workers in Yonkers, Ihe duee
are small. and members are allowed 10 :,
share club privileges with friends IL Is
not unusual for employers TO prescnt
their domestIcs with membership cards IL
cannot he said that the women s Institute
has solved the servant problem FOR Yon-
happy effects on their own indlVlduai
problems.
"The committee on amusements and va
cation resources OF working girls in New
York is collecting n long list Of farm
houses and village homes In the noun
tains and near the sea where working
girls, and this includes domestlcs. may
spend their vacations for very little
money. The committee made an investi-
cation OF the vacation resources provided
BY churches. settlements. business estab-
lishmcnts, and phllanthropic bodies in
New York, and found that only about 5000
working girls were helped to country
holiday In the course Of the year. Six
thousand out Of nearly 400. 600 girls In
thousands of domestIcs. Is a figure which
makes pretty bad showing for the
greatest city on the continent 1t Is
probably at least no worse than other
cities.
Every summer, as families leave the
city for country and seaside, domestics
are thrown out OF employment. 4 do
partment in the women's club can exam
Inc vacation possibilities for domestlcs.
The clubs can also deal with the employ
mcnt agency. Some women's orGaniza-
lions have already taken hold OF this de-
partment The women's educational and
Industrial union Of Boston conducts a
very large and nourishlng employment I
agency. Women's clubs can study the
laws OF thelr own community In regard
to public employment agencies. They
and boarding houses for working women
preventive work is better than reform
measures, but both are necessary In deal
Ing with this problem. Women have still
much work TO do in securing reformato-
rles Tor women, New York Is the first
state TO establish such reforna tories for
adult women. Private philanthropy has
onered refugees and semi-penal institu-
lions. The state stands aIoof.
Even In New York public officials are
strangely skeptical of the possibilities Of
reform. Last year the courts of New
YORK city sent 5000 delinquent women to
the workhouse on Blaclkwelrs island. a
place notorious for the low state OF its
morale. They sent only seventeen women
10 Bedford reforn13tory. where n healthy
routine OF outdoor work and a most ef-
ieGtiVe system administered by n scien-
tinc penologist does wonders with its
Nothing but the Will and the or
ganized effort Of women will ever solve
INC most terrible OF all problems. or re-
move from society the reproach OF ruined
Momanhood which blackens IL now