The Washington herald., 1912-11-20
WOMAN
ON POLICE FORCE
Mrs. Alice S. Wells Talks in Unita-
rian Church on Need of
Female Officers.
PROMINENT PERSONS
ATTEND THE MEETING
It Is Held Under Auspices Of the
Committee for Social
Betterment.

Commenting in laudable terms on the
work performed by the police officer and
maintaining that the police department
should stand side by side with the best
occupation or profession, Mrs. Alice
Stebbins Wells, OF Los Angeles, Cal.
made an address last night on THE
Need OF the Policewoman and Her
Work." at the Unitarian Church, under
the auspices OF the committee for social
betterment, of which organization Mrs.
Henry F. Blount is the president. Rev.
DR.. L. G. B. Peiree, pastor OF the
church. introduced Commissioner Ru-
dolph as the chairman OF the evening
who presented the speaker.
The police department, according to
Mrs Wells, who is the first policewoman
in the United States is the least under
stood department in the public service.
but by no means the most UnImportant.
In fact we could not get along with
out it she said. Very few people
know how many hours and how many
days the policemen work and very few
know how much pay they receive. Little
thought is given them. and yet they
protect US by day and by night. They
are without companionship. II they are
not socially ostracised. they are socially
neglected. Who invites them to a social
function They are constantly associated
with criminals and their lot Is by no
means an easy one. l believe that the
work of the policeman should rank side
by side with any OF the greatest pro-
fessions today"
In speaking of how woman Is invading
mans sphere. Mrs. Wells said: You
men took our work from US. Originally
women cooked your bread, wove your
cloth. and made your soap. There are
hundreds OF thousands of women in fac
tories to-day who are there, not because
they want to be there. but because they
have to be there. You men are to
blame"
Necessity of Them.
The necessity OF women police officers
was explained as follows by Mrs. Wells:
Women hesitate TO go to a male police
officer for information. This is easily
understood, and. as a result II behooves
every municipality to provide women Of
ficiaIs who can render help in many
ways where man would be almost en-
tIrely powerless.
The polIcewoman's work is largely
preventive. Her special province is to
make complete the work done by man.
by supplying what mans work lacks.
That ought to he true in every activity
where women are concerned. believe
no woman has right to supplant a
man, and there is no demand for women
in strictly mans work. but woman's
place Is to do that in connection with
mans work which is peculiarly her
own.
The mental picture one would natur-
ally COnJure up in thinking OF woman
minion of the law is very different from
Mrs. Wells appearance. She is rather
small. though not slight. and one who
heard her talk in a low. sweet tone
would be apt to hazard a guess that she
was college professor or a litterateur.
Woman's suffrage has been a great sue
cess in California. Mrs. Wells thinks
Although previous to its Introduction
there were many who were bitterly op-
posed to IT: at present all unite in de-
clarinG that so far its introduction has
had a beneficial effect
Ushers for last nights lecture were the
following students from the Washington
College of Law: Miss Hope X. Thomp-
son, Miss Martha VI. Krumke. Miss Adele
NJ. Stewart. Miss Mary L. Kiddoo. Miss
Sue NJ. Lacy. Miss Ahtoinette Avery
Miss Susan NJ. Slye, Miss Margaret Ste
wart.
The committee for social betterment
for the District Is as follows:
Cuno H. Rudolph, Rev. Ulysses C. B.
Pierce, Judge Wendell P. Stafford. E. H.
Droop. Bishop and Mrs Earl Cranston,
Mgr. William T. Russell. Rabbi Abram
Simon Rev. Randolph H. McKim, Rev =
Wallace Radcliffe, DIR. and Mrs. Harvey
W. Wiley, Hon. and Mrs. Henry B. +.
Mcfarland. Rev. John Van Schaick. jr..
Hon. Charles P. Neill, Mr.. John Joy Ed
son, Miss Flora Wilson, Mrs. Miranda B.
Iulloch. Rev. Samuel II. Woodrow, Miss
Janet E. Richards, Mr.. Michael I, We'll
Ter, Justice Stanton Peelle. Col. and Mrs
Henry F. Blout. Judge William II. De
Lacy, Rev. Henry Noble COuden, Judge
William Mack, Mr.. William F. GUIDE,
Rabbi Louis Stern, Mrs. Ernest p. Bick-
nell, Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur 7. Ramsey,
Mr. and Mrs William Tindall. DIR. and
Mrs. Lyman B. Swormstedt, and Miss
Nettie L. White.