The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-06-21
Country Girls and the Parcels
Post--Its Effect on Amer
lean Womanhood.
why WOMEN MUST GO TO CITY
Places Lost In Villages, They Are
Forced Into Hives Of Brick
and steei---TemptatIons
Must BE Met.

OF the country, the girl who Is bios
soming Into MATURITY"
II would take thousands Of her kind
from the stores and offices OF the
country towns and send them 10 the
city there to be the prey Of the yul-
lures OF commercial and immoral life
an II n played today in the hives OF
iron and stone
II would give to the world In the
end many broken women instead OF
women able TO bear robust sons and
daughters for their country's veal,
Others would play the game nobly-
and make the best Of a bad system,
but making the best OF II would be SO
much worse than a country life. that
even the strongest OF the girls would
fail when weighed In the balances Of
real success
Instead Of thousands Of girls who
ARE hanging on in the cities today,
there would be many thousands more
many thousands who would live
from hand to mouth az clean, pure
American girls, But the number who
live otherwise would be increased for
rot all have the stamina and the forti-
tude to stand out against the tempta-
tions and deceits OF a great city.
There would be many more young
women following the ignis fatuus OF
music or art In the cities while the
folks at home skImped and shaved 10
give the girls nm opportunity The
girl heart must be full the girl hands
occupied or she VIII be restless and
miserable AT present many girls are
satisfied to be employed at home. from
which employment they usually step
into homes or their own Lucky girls!
Under the competition brought
about by parcels post. the country
stores would gradually decline, throw
Ing young women out OF employment
al clerks AS the town declined, the
professional men would lessen III mum
Der, relieving the girls Of situations in
Offices And among these SO relieved
many would come 10 the city. some
10 work, some to Mt themselves for n
higher calling such as art and music
and medicine
! wonder IL the folks back home
realize how much good. hard.earnod
money Is being dissipated by daugh-
ters who ara studying art and music
IN Chicago2 And | wonder II they
realize how many Of the hundreds who
are studying have no more fitness for
success ID the line they pursuing than
q town COW for algebra It's all right,
Of course. II the folks back home can
afford II, for It gives the girl look In
on the busy life and, In way. II pol.
ishas her but II Is pitiful sometimes
to brush back the curtain aud see
what seifdenial ii being praeticed to
give the girl advantages for which she
Is fitted merely to dream OF never to
carry into execution,
Thousands and thousands OF dollars
are being spent for music in Chicago
today by girls who have no talent
and by young men, too. as for that
And under the system that would tear
down the country toWn--the parcels
post system thousands OF women
with the blush OF country health In
their cheeks would come to the city
with their dreams of becoming great
singers or musicians or artists! And
the harvest to the things Of the city
that hurt would he great!
You may argue until lie cows come
home and you cannot deny this. Ii is
happening every day all about us In
the cities, And when ! tell you the
truth am not slamming art or music
or inspiration to succeed. | have re-
spect and admiration for all those yir-
tues and especially for the young WON.
an who goes through the fire OF the
cities. coming out unscathed and
worth while in the profession she has
chosen.
But what | want to ask you, mother,
is: "oo you want your girl to take
the ehanee7"
II you don't. fight the parcels post
bill. Do You believe what have told
you? Read this excerpt by A. w
Douglas in the National Magazine and
see IL he doesn't speak the truth as
like what have said as two peas:
"0ne Of the problems of the day, >
he says, SIS the congestion of the large
cities and the drift from the farms
and the small towns to the great cen
ter of population, and the evils which
have arisen because of this congestion
are very serious and very difficult t.
solsei
The retailer in the small town ant
village as q rule is an independent
economical and level-headed American
citizen 1t is certainly good dea
better for the country at large that h
should continue as such than that h
should be forced to seek employment
in the large cities and become a mer
clerk in the huge department store
and In the catalog or mail orde
houses"
You win see from the above thu
Mr.. Douglas believes that not only til
women clerks but the proprietor hin
self win be forced into the cities, an
/ haven't doubt but that in tim
should we be unfortunate enough