The evening world., 1911-01-05

~ Noioiuclt Gu Oluplttc uIitSS IL hoo
among its members. Nor can any
unless the clubwomen support 1t.
I'm New York. though there are more
women's clubs with larger memberships
than In any other American city, the
women have not made themselves felt
to this extent.
Could Accomplish Much.
"Ther are so many things they might
accomplish IL they went about 1t to-
gether.
Think Of the potentialities of power.
the tremendous unused energy of the
women OF the leisure classes in New
York! Why shouldn't It DO turned to
beneiting the city and tho State?"
But how" I asked. What reforms.
for instance. would you suggest the club
women OF New York might accomplish
what specific thingsT"
And being accustomed to the vague
generalities of reformers and their
looks Of resentful d!smay when called
upon for concrete ideas. I was unpre-
pared for Mrs. Valesh's prompt reply.
Building inspection, for one
tnAn8s 1uO CAup WOu0u OF new
York could prevent h repetition
OF such horrors A. the recent fac
tory nre In Newark, where so many
young women lost their Lives.
Its quite accidental ana the
msrsst luck that va don't have
such aros In New York svery day.
Perhaps nvs per cent. OF h fac
tories are equipped with adequate
fr~s-escapss. The city's force Of
building inspectors 10 much too
small. II 10 absolutely impossible
for them to see that thu law 10
carried out. Why shouldn't the
club women OF New York volun-
tssr a. factory ~inspsctors7
Let them take a map of the city and
assign each member to inspect the fire.
escapes within the territory allotted to
her and report on them?
Could Force Reform.
"The report thai could be made
up n published from this disin-
terested " would compel re-
form, as the city's inadequate in
specting force annot hope to do.
Surely protecting tho lives OF fac
SAy SO - " sAS ~ SA
OF leisure to undertake.
Then there's the matter OF employ
ers' liability laws. Europe is away
ahead Of us in this respect. Here manned
and helpless workmen and the women
and children dependent on them are
thrown back upon charitable individuals
for maintenance, when the industry
which has rendered them helpless should
be charged with their support.
Then there is child labor. We have
1t In New York In the form of children
who work at home In the tenements
before and after school hours at the
making of artificial flowers. &c. Women
could stop that"
Yes, but the parents of such children
are unable to support them without as
~sistance. The father cannot make
money enough. What are you going to
do about that"
"Thess children are usually born
OF foreign parents who work too
ohsaply. for wages moro approach
ing the scale paid in Europe than
that necessary to existence in the
United States. The parents should
be taught to dem. nd q fair COM
psnsation for their labor. They
should be encouraged to join trade
unions which will got 1t for them.
When a man works for union
wages he can support a family
without the assistance Of wife or
children 30 long as he keeps vol.
When he Is lncapacitated believe.
though | am not a Socialist, that the
state should care for his children.
After all. the welfare OF its children
should be the States most vital con-
Germ.
The Real Work at Home.
"And I do not believe II. tho
woman In industry. I believe that
women are bound to leave indus
try n devots themselves entirely
to their life work-tbe' only thing
in which they defy comp tition-
the bringing up Of children. I am
not speaking OF professional wo-
men. We will ave them in in
creasing numbers and in widening
fields. There will always be wo-
mon who need a wider scope than
the homo can give. But I think
no woman can be q successful
mother and follow q profession
successfully at the same time.
One or the other occupation must
become o mere diversion. II 1t Il
the profession that IL relegatsd to
the minor role, very we'll. hut
motherhood can never be a divsr-
sion.
These are only a few of the things
clubwomen In New York might do"
Mrs. Valesh concluded. Perhaps /
have dwelt too much on my own par
ticular 'isms.' The American Club
woman doesn't stand for any particu-