The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-22
From the New York Post.

XOJ OMEN have gained two more M points in their fight for equality. W They may stand up to eat their
 luncheon and they are now amitted to the "honor system," which means that they
 may eat all they like and pay for 1t at
 the door, according to their memory and
 their conscience. Furthermore, these op-
 portunties have come to them downtown
 In the financial district, at a new restau-
 rant, from which men are excluded. The
 biggest captain of industry of "the street.
 might buy seven big railroads before
 noon, or save the nations credit. or wreck chain of banks, or finance Asia, but he would be politely and firmly turned away from this new restaurant, should he chance to go there when it occurred to him that it was time to have a bite. But his stenographer or telephone girl could sail in there, a welcome and honored patron, and have all the advantages of & gentlemens agreement at the pie coun- ter or the steam table It may be the beginning of a. slight restitution for all the hungry years through which women have been forced to sit, foodless, in the galleries of the banquet halls of uptown hotels, looking down, literally, but not | figuratively, on their heroes in evening dress at the tables. Now the men can
 stand on the curb and gaze through the windows and see how they like It.
 l This is the latest move in the constant
 ly developing business of the noon feeding
 of the thousands who work downtown. It | foIy hx, nratt tnr
 that has several places exclusively fol
 men, which have succeeded. The man. agement decided to experiment with wor1-
 en and to give them the same fare, the
 same service, or lack of service, as they prefer, and the same accommodations and
 exclusiveness as the men had seemed lo appreciate. Of course, there are many places in which rooms or tables are re- served for women, but, outside of. clubs and church associations this is the first eating place in the city from which men
 are absolutely barred. The patrons like | it. At any rate, their number has in- creased steadily since the place was opened a fortnight ago. and those wb1
 were there on the first day are still com ing. "It is such a pleasant relief" sai one stenographer, 'in the middle of a day spent with office boys and million aires and brokers" Of course, the relief Is not complete. for the walters in the place and the attendants who serve the clans and hot joints at the steam table and those who ladle out the Ice cream and cut the watermelons and pies are all men.
 That" explained the manager lis to give tone to the place. New York, rich or poor, uptown or downtown, takes it's
 restaurant standards from the big and best hotels, where waitress is unheard of. I don't know whether man can
 hand out sandwich with more grace and deference than woman, but New York
 wants that sandwich from the man, nevertheless, just as much as 1t wants It's
 sweetbreads financiere, and there is no
 more genuine New Yorker than your
 woman who works downtown in the Wall street zone. who knows the secrets of its finance and never tells.
 Suppose all the stenographers in this
 city below Maiden Lane and north of
 Beaver street should tell all they know.
 That is too much for the imagination.
 Suppose half of them should tell half they
 know Still too much for the imagina- ton. Let us drop the subject and admit that the noon-time luncheon whims Of those women should be catered to- So far the women have proved worthy of the honor system. The "spies." also women, who move about the place casual ly, trying to look unconcerned or as if
 they were endeavoring to decide whether they want liver. and bacon or ice creai.1 or apple pie, but who, in reality, are loo;s- ing out for cases of dishonesty or lapse Of
 memory, have not had 8 case to report so far; not a woman has eaten 20-cent
 lunch and then said 'I5 cents" at the door.
 Another innovation, so far as women are concerned is the standing-up privi- l lege. That is a real advantage In the
 first place, it rests girl yho has beel
 sitting at a typewriter all the morning to stand up to her soup and charlotte russe, but. more important still. 1t affords daily
 exhibit of the hang of skirts. It doubles the opportunity for criticism and com parison, which hitherto has been confined to hats jabots. and waists as the only l portions of gct-up that appeared above bthe atabie. BUtss 'ab everybody Ki0ws