The Washington herald., 1913-02-28
FEMINIST MOVEMENT
IN ENGLISH CAPITAL
Women Of Fabian Society Seek Re-
organization Of Social
Conditions.

The vanguard OF the feminist move
ment in London are the women of the
Fabian Society. Mrs. Bernard Shaw
and Mrs. Sidney webb. whose hus-
bands were the original Fabians. are
important members. and Mrs. Charlotte
| Wilson is secretary OF the women 5
group.
The Fabians are Socialists. Their
| aim Is the reorganization of society
by freeing land and industrial capital
| from class ownership and vesting them
in the community for the general ben
eft. There are to be no idlers or
wasters in this system. but every per-
| son is to be trained in the occupation
for which he has aptitude and prefer
enoe. and every one is to be econom-
ically free and Independent.
The Fabian women, therefore. are
working not only for the political free
dom Of women. taking an active part
in the suffrage agitation and encour-
aging the participation of women IN
local affairs where their citizenship is
now recognized. but they are making
a most comprehensive study of the
work Of woman in the past and IN the
present. her fitness and her disabilI-
ties. SO that the claim for her economic
independence may be based on accu-
rate scientific knowledge.
Study First Pursued.
Natural disabilities of women as
workers and the disabilities of mothers
was the study first pursued in this
connection. The physiology was pre-
sented by woman physicians. and the
Views OF women workers who were
mothers as well were given. The re-
suit of this study forms some OF the
interesting tracts of the society, with
a preface by Mrs. Bernard Shaw.
But il Is the study OF present work
ers, with workers themselves. in all
fields. professional and industrial, down
to the lowest form of drudgery. as wit
nesses, that to-day is proving of such
interest and profit to these Fabians.
Actresses. doctors. shop assistants. fac
tory women, charwomen. and domestic
servants have in their turn been asked
to appear before the society and tell
about their work. to supplement the re-
ports from the outside.
In a recent meeting in Cemments Inn.
Mrs Jenner. a laundry worker. told
Of that field from her experience and
answered questions. while other women
gave accounts OF their investigations.
From all of which II appears that while
laundry workers are often better paid
than other workers. there is in the city
= terrible exploitation Of the s-shilling
means Of support The gay. befr1zzled
girl walking Piccadilly at night Is often
the tidy. hard working girl, with hair
in crimping pins, to be seen daytimes
in the laundry. Also that married wo-
men working are expected to accept
lower wages. while at the same time
employers Of their husbands will justify
q low wage paid them because 'the wife
is working"
To secure Justice to women, the Fab
ian women have what Is known as a
right to work" committee, whose duty
1t is to look into grievances. They have
taken up the question of the married
school teachers. Of the girl messengers
in the postofice. who get less than the
boy messengers, and recently when the
council founded at Westminster Institute
a school for cooking for boys they tried
to secure the same kind Of school for
the girls.
All of the members OF the vanguard
are engaged in special work, political,
economic, or social service. They are
not theorists, but are demonstrating by
their lives the advantage Of woman's eco
uomic Independence.