Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-12

ssaas
MISS JANE adams.
| ture Mr.. Colt is honored as the Ameri-
| can founder of the university settlement
| in England The woman's settlement
work was an utilization of Mr.. Colts and
acted in conjunction with the Nelgnbor-
hood Guild i'll every way possible. Dr.
Robbins had secured tenement house
for the work and had inaugurated the
first girls school club in the country. a
year later the landlord dispossessed the
settlement workers without a days warn
ing, principally because so many people
passed up and down the rickety wooden
stairs that they were fast wearing out:
Settlement work as 1t is known today
may be said to date in this country from
1889, when the College Settlement in
New York and the Hull House in Chi
cago were founded within few days OF
each other. Soon after came the South
End House in Boston. founded by Prof
William j. Tucker of Andover THEOLOGY
cal Seminary. and a host of others. Ac-
cording to an interesting volume recently
published by the Russell Sage Founda-
tions there are now over 400 social set
Element establishments, with the safe
prediction that this number will be dou-
bled and trebled in the near future.
There are plans afoot to celebrate the
twenty-ffth anniversary of the crusade
becomingly in every social settlement
home, and Miss Adams is most en-
thusiastic promoter of this idea, she
is everywhere acknowledged to be one
of the vital forces in the propaganda
Hull House is the pride Of all those who
are sociologically inclined. and no visitor
who comes to this country to study social
conditions departs without visiting It.
Mrs. Humphrey Ward, the British novel;
list who has accomplished excellent work
in her London house. came to this coun-
try just to see Hull House before she
had made certain changes in her own
establishment. Every foreign ambassa-
dor or misister to this capital whom
pleasure or business takes to Chi
cage pays homage to Miss Adams. and
Mr.. Bryce, the representative OF Great
Britain, has twice been her guest and
spoken before her proteges. The guest
book of Hull House will be much
sought repository of autographs In the
years to CONF.
lone thing which I have tried to to i'm
press on American and foreigner alike
said Miss Adams, lis that Hull House is
not to be regarded as philanthropical, al
though it has certainly strong tendencies
in this direction, and has several distinct
charitable departments which are most
III. j
leading to apply the term phlanthropic
to its activities as a whole. 1t Is also
misleading to call settlement work char
ity work. though it should be so when
necessary. But a brilliant social writer
has recently said that the problems OF
the unemployed or of the working class
generally are too often COMPOUNDED with
those of the idle, the inefficient and the
unworthy. l have always said that to
mingle these two problems liz to render
iYrrnSSih1a tho solution of either Work.
ing people have different needs from
those who require charity, and by keep
ing the classes distinct Is to understand
and perform the duties of good citizen
ship.
1T is hopeful sign that SO many
we'll endowed people are working for their
poorer neighbors, working in the highest
way by giving Of their own intellectual
abundance. This is the new way, to give
yourself rather than your gold If / We're
to attempt to name the many uplifting
movements inspired by settlement work
and acting in cooperation with it it would
be tedious work. Briefly, there are the
regulation of child labor laws, the move
ment for Industrial education, the voca-
ton bureau. the national study of the
labor Of women and children. There are
hosts of municipal reforms. public play
grounds. public baths, public libraries. i'm
proved streets. housing and sanitation.
The labor unions have benefited by the
settlement work. and 1t has made its
impress on the financial system of the
country, and made possible the accumula-
ton of pennies under the best protected
banking systems.
Miss Adams. whose work is SO highly
regarded internationally. and who has
| received every honor when she has trav-
eled abroad, is a native of the state to
which she devoted her life. She was
born in Cedarsyille. ILL.,, and graduated
. with honor from the college at Rockford.
ILL.,. in 1881. Attracted by the social
movement in England she departed for
London after having taken course
in settlement work at the Woman's
| Annex in Cambridge. She visited the
| first foundation and personally studied
| the methods of Canon Freemantle, the
revered scholar of St Johns COLLEGE,
oxford. who took up the work of Tony
| bee after his death. and under Canon
| Barnett of Saint Judes in the White
| chapel district of London.
-
| She spent several years in the Brit
| ish capital. and Travelled extensively
! on the continent before returning to
! this county Since the establishment of
her Ike WOFk. tne Hull house, MISS
| Adams has been kept rather closely
| confined in her home sphere. But she
is an omnivorous reader. and she keeps
| apace with the times here and in alien
| lands. She is held in the Highest esteem
| by the present executive and Mrs. Taft,
and has several times been the guest of
| the White House. Former President
| Roosevelt and Miss Adams are warm
| friends, and he honored her in every way
possible during his administration.
| Miss Adams Is d powerful and mag
| netic speaker with a clear. penetrating
voice and a most convincing delivery. In
/ the early spring ste was the guest of
| the Congressional Club in this city at a
reception planned in her honor. and in the
| brief, stirring address made at the close
of the function she gained scores of re-
| cruits to her cause. Miss Adams pos
| sesses a saving sense OF humor. and she
| is noted for her bon mots and her ex-
| celent qualities in relating anecdotes.
Sic was deeply interested in the estab
| lishment of the national bureau for the
| benefit Of children. and with Mrs, Henry
G. Rainey, wife of the member of Con-
/ bly, for this end. 1t is branch Of the
| Department of Commerce and Labor, and
has direct control over children who are
dependent on the public for education and
| employment. Miss Adams will visit
| wasl ington this winter In the interests
/ OF legislation growing out of her crusades.
l not only in Chicago. but as national pro-
lnoter of settlement work.