Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-26
AID FOR THE idle
WOMEN OF LONDON.
Their Work Shut Of, Suffering
Soon Follows-American Wo-I
men Start Knitting Works
Even Small Children Among
the Idle Wage-earnorss
fcorres. of The Associated Press,

fcorres. of The Associated Press.)
London. Oct. 1.-THE economic re.
suits Of war have fallen heavily
on the women wage carriers Of
London. Of whom over 10000 have been
gust first. In the single district Of
Islington, 900 were discharged the past
week by two bottling works, which were
forced to close down because their sup
ply of bottles from Germany had been
cut OFF. While the ponderous machinery
Of Queen Mary. Fund to give work to
women Is slowly making ready, the So
ciety Of American Women In London has
started a small knitting factory Of its
own in this populous district.
Mrs. Joseph wilcox jenkins started the
factory. She walked one day into labor
exchange where 600 women were regis
tered and asked for those who could
knit. They were then put to werk knit.
ting by hand socks and comforters, and
paid on the union scale of three pence
an hour. This insures q weekly wage OF
$3.50 for 40 hours work.
Funds for running the factory are OBJ
tanned by the sale of socks. caps and
belts. which are knitted expressly for the
soldiers and sailors. The purchaser is
expected to present the same to the men
at the front. Other funds are obtained
by contributions.
One of the employees in the American
factory is woman with husband out
of work. paraiyzed sister to care for
and seven children ranging In age of
three 10 1s years Her eldest. a girl.
earns go cents . week in a shop, and the
Lee IL,
week to the family. Since getting n
place In the American factory. the meth
ar has brought the family income up TO
Sass q week. s..
A delicate girl of % years. typst out
Of work, Is the sole support of her
mother and invalid sister. In addition to
her earnings, she gets five shillings a
week from the war relief fund. which
helps defray her weekly rent of s1.ss.
A pathetic case Is that of a one-eyed
girl, for whom arrangements have been
made to buy new glass eye, as the
enamel had worn Off the old one. ~
1t has been brought to the notice Of
Mrs, Jenkins that there is great suffering
among middle class women engaged IN
the arts. A music teacher said she had
earned but $40 IN week.
AS soon as permanent quarters are
found. the committee expects to branch
out. Meals at two pence each will be
furnished and nursery for children.
Already the homes of the workers are
visited and secondhand clothing given
according to the needs. S
The American women have won the
gratitude Of many families in Islinston
by their prompt methods Queen
Marys Fund Is equipping a factory with
machinery cut Of it's f7o,ooo but It's mem
bers do not seem to understand that what
is needed Is aid right now. and not when
the war Is over. Recently the ladies Of
Greenwich raised a fund - equip fac
tory, and unable to obtain financial 49,
sistance from the Queens fund. turned
to the American women's War Relief So
ciety, which straightway agreed to adj
vance SIS week fer wages. The factory
Is now running
The resident American women backing
the Islington factory are Mesdames Jen-
kins, e. Rickard. Curtis Brown. @.
Mower, Arthur Fay. Robert Mcclellan.
@. II. Short. Reed williams. Lorin WOOD
run. n, c. Darling. James Mitchell C. 4.
knight, H. I. Kseas aud =. W. Wueex-