New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-05
STRAIGHT TALK FROM
PRESS GIRL BRIGADE
Invited to Speak at Suffragette
Meeting, ErStwhiIe Listeners
Unload Warm Truths.
PERTINENT LIST OF DON'TS
Innovation Planned by Miss
Mary Garrett Hay Provides
Rare Entertainment at
the Hotel Aston.

Well the press girls" as Miss Mary
Garrett Hay fondly calls them-the press
girls got their innings yesterday. Press
grl, you know, isn't the same as paper
girl. A paper girl is poor little thing
who sells papers under the Brooklyn
Bridge at midnight and is occasionally
rescued by the Society for the Prevention
OF Cruelty to Children, when that or
RanIzation takes little time off from
getting excited about the hardsh'ps Of
child actors ana actresses.
4 press girl" is one who goes around
all day with her pencil getting items
about sunragettes. and so forth. to print
in the papers that arc sold under the
bridge and i'm other places.
II was Miss Hay who at a meeting Of
hcr Equal suffrage League, at the Hotel
Aston. Yesterday. gave the press girls
their revenge. Many time and oft have
the girls sat in a meek row At Miss
HAYS feet. silent crew. all ears. no
tongue They have waited on her some
times AT the headquarters Of tho Woman
Suffrage party
But Yesterday they spoke. BY Miss
Hays own invitation. engraved in orna-
mental letters. they came and sat not IN
q row az the chairman's feet. but in two
rows on either side of her on the plat
form And they talked They told the
suffrariSts everything they had been
burning To tell them for years. oh. they
had tho Grand time, those press girls
did. And Miss Hay sat and took it, and
the rest Of the suffra gists had TO, OF
course. Yes. from o'clock until $3.50
those press girls GRATED at the suffrag-
lists. feeling that they might never get
the chance again.
Doesn't Mention Her Troubles.
Miss Mary Taft, of The Times came
FIRST. That was lucky, because The
Times" Let the suffraGists of easy.
Looking very feminine in pale blue
.oThe Times" girl told how simple the
suffrage question was and how logical
the suffragists' demand. and never SAID
2 word about how ungrateful il is to
write TO the editor when they don't ike
the stories the press girls" write. The
suffrs cists sat back and purred. and
said how nice il was, and why hadn
,bov had the press girls there to talk 10
them before?
Miss Emma de Xouche. Of The world
followed. and "The World came down
on the suffragists. Not openly and not
all at once-gently, sugared -pill-edly, az
il were: but thoroughly. About five min
utes after The World" sat down ire
suffragists realized that they knew more
about newspaper ethics ;han they had
ever known before. In penitent murmurs
they said TO each other that no matter
how hitey-titey headline was they
would never. no, never, complain again.
They knew now that a story pad got to
have 90 or it wouldn't 20; that was all
there was about il.
Miss Helen Hoffman. of The Ameri-
can" was on the programme. but sent
word that she was busy getting story
that would bring her so and 80 was
worth more TO her. she guess d. IMAM her
appearance on that platform would he TO
the suffragists.
Miss Leola Leonard. ot THE Morning
Telegraph" then appeared in the ring
with three poems. They were spread
upon the records Of the league.
Then Miss Eleanor Booth simmons, OF
The Tribune" stood up. The Tribune"
was disagreeable, brazenly labelling its
contribution Some Don'ts for Suffra-
glsts" some OF the "Dont's" are ap-
peuded. for they seemed 10 pe spoken out
Of fun heart
Don't forget that newspaper people
Al. 'human and sometimes err. and don't
ascrlbc their mistakes 10 innate &C.
prayity
Some "Oon'ts" for SuHraeettes.
Don't think ~ district mceting-unless
there's d real nice lights big enough
io call Tor halc q column OF stralGht de-
ScflptiOn Tie copy reader would merely
throw il out dull stun.
Don't summon reporters 10 suffrage
headquarters fOr a story and then hand
them out a notice Of a meeting. That
isn't what the papers hire MS for
Don't just casually mention TO the last
reporter who calls late In the day that
there was a fire in headquarters that
afternoon and the secretary Just com
mltted suicide, and forget TO telephone
The other papers, whose representatives
called earlier IN the ddy-and then say
10 them when they complain next morn
ing uat YOU let therr-get scOoped. why
didn't know that was news.
Don't. n YOU chance 10 be doing duty
In the outer office Of a suffrage head
quarters. greet reporters who ask for
The hcaG II the organization with. Yes
sho's i'm. but she's very busy" We
know shes busy We know she doesn't
come down. like the male political lead
ers to sit with her feet on the desk and
have a good time. We know she's busy.
but it's important to get the news from
her--important for her and for US. The
peonIe i'm outer offices get into the ha hi