The Washington herald., 1912-03-06
BY DOROTHY DIX.


T e president of the Pin Money Asso-
ciat4oa says that during last year she
Ead .4g00 applications from married
wor n, working in their own homes,
who were anxious to be told some way
TO can a little extra money.
This statement visualizes for us one
OF the most pathetic situations in life,
that OF the woman who is a domestic
slave, ana who works like a slave, for
q slaves recompense Of her keep.
Every woman who is engaged In
any selfrsupporting occupation that
carries III it a pay envelope is con-
tfunaliy called upon to listen TO the
wells ( the married women who want
10 find out some way in which they
hsan earn a few dollars. Nor are these
married women always the wives OF
poor rasl Oftener than not they are
the wives of rich men who give them
everything but money.
Indeed. there are so many rich women
who ~rs anxious 10 make a little money
with Rhich they may do as they please
that the managers Of the woman's ex-
changes, which were established to help
the needy. have found it necessary to
bar out the cakes and pies. the jellies
and preserves, and embroideries that are
Offered by women who not infreQuenuy
drive up in Il limousine when they fetch
the wares for which they hope TO get a
few cents.
There is no meaner injustice on earth
than that practiced by the tight-fisted
husband who refuses to give his wife a
personal allowance in accordance with his
means Yet there are thousands and
thousands of such men. They permit
their wives TO indulge in the widest eX-
travagance in dress, and to live luNuri-
ously, so far as maintaining an estab-
lishment is concerned, but the women
buy on bills which hubby religiously
audits, and they never have q penny of
their own. The poorest shopgirl handles
more money and has more financial in
dependence than they.
Some Suffer Cruelty.
These poor rich women are often put
to terrible embarrassment for the lack
OF money. Very often they suffer cruelty
from if, for many of them have come
from poor homes, and they would like to
help some unfortunate sister or brother.
or make the last days of a father or
mother easier or more comfortable.
In order to get money wealthy women
or at least women whose husbands are
weaIthy-aTe often driven TO desperate
ard dishonest eXpedients. Sometimes
they 80 10 money lenders and become
the Prey 81 those sharks; sometimes an
accommodating grocer advances 4 needed
$40 bill and charges it up TO potatoes and
onions. Sometimes a woman sells a new
frocE for a tenth of its price to get
Ssfifrtis mohsX to buy comforts for some
one near and dear TO her, and whom il
Is her duty 10 help.
Nor need any stern moralist blame the
women married TO stingy men who do
these things. Any wife who makes her
husband q comfortable home, who bears
and resrS his children. who keeps up his
social position and does all the multi
tarious things demanded Of the modern
woman who is at the head Of an estab
lishment, earns not only her board and
clothes, but money IN her hand, and il
her husband refuses TO give it TO her
she is perfectly justified in taking her
own any way she can get II.
But the wife's lack of money is not
always the result OF penuriousness on
the part Of her husband. Oftener than
not II is the outC ONE of poverty, of an
income that is not sufficient to meet the
demand made upon il In this day Of
best he can. He is as generous as pos
sible to his wife. and she knows and
appreciates il, and her desire TO make
money Is the outfi of Ecr love
.or him. She wants TO ease the burden
tlEu he baars-
1t is Il hard thing for i woman 10
look al her Eusb.nJ and sec h:m work
ing beyond his strength to support his