Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-04-18

Your names will be kept in strict
confidence. Sincerely,
MARGERY doom.
My Dear Miss Doom:
I am a constant reader of your paper
and, therefore, would like some advice. /
am a young girl, % years of age, and am
employed in one of the stores OF
this city as a salesgirl. / am working
Mt a small salary. Now. what l would
like to know is this: I am an honest and
straight girl and have to put up with talk
from the superintendent and others that
is not fit for any decent girl to hear. There
are some of the girls working in the same
place who have what some call a pull
with the superintendent, because they
listen to them and talk back to them in a
way not fit for anyone who calls herself
q lady to listen to. Now, l don't bother
with either of them, and am looked down
on and scolded for things that are not
worth while mentioning. What | would
like to know is whether it is the same In
every store, or are there some respectable
employers and employees to be found?
l was brought up to be a good and true
Christian, and will always remain SO. q
Is not there something to be done to stop
this? 1t is unbearable. l stood 1t for -FOUR
years and think 1t is about time to
change. 1t may bring many a girl
on the ROAD to ruin, but 1 have CON-
LlOl v LiJRCA aio 0OA
would like to hear from some of The
Star readers and see what they think.
A READER.
Yes, my dear girl, there are many
employers who respect the young
women in their employ and treat them
with the consideration and courtesy
they would desire shown to their
daughters or sisters if they were placed
in the same circumstances. That there
is a large number of men who 8
their positions of authority for selfish
ends is one of the darkest blots on our
Industrial organization. These men
are safe from any punishment, for the
girls who are practically dependent
upon their favor for their daily bread
and for the few clothes they can buy
out of their small salaries are afraid
to complain to those higher up for fear
that they will lose their positions.
If the girls themselves would stand
together. if they would use their CON-
bined efforts against these men, they
could accomplish wonders. A letter
to the head of the firm stating the
conditions and bearing the signatures
of a group of girls who nav to put up
with the insults of these creatures who
like to call themselves men would in
most cases make the term of employ
ment of annoyers a very short one.
Most heads of department stores feel
the responsibility not only for the lives
of their women employees, which they
protect from fire and ~insanitary con-
ditions, but also for the moral atmos-
phere in which they must spend so
many of their waking hours.
If girls would only realize that it is
the quality of their work and not the
so-cal1ed pull" with those in author
ity that counts in the long run. they
would pay more attention to the for
mer and less to the latter. Even a
foorwallker and a superintendent may
some day find another man In his
place, and then what happens to the
"pull?"
If l were you I would write a letter
to the head of the firm making a COM
plant. By doing his you will benefit
not only yourself but the hundreds Of
girls who may some day have the grave
misfortune to be under this mans au-
thority. If you do not see your way