New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-01
HAIL MISS DAVIS
AS COMMISSIONER
Aatis Join in Rejoicing wifi
Suffragists at City's Rec
oguition IF Women
HAPPY OMEN
FOR NEW YEAR
leaders in Cause" Predict New
Charities "Commish" viii Go
Slow but in the Right Way.

Miss Katherine Bement Davis assumes
,,.dav her Office as Commissioner OF
CHARITIES amid reioicings from suf-
,-,s,s,s and sntI-sunrasists Both see
"a, her appointment; praiseworthy rec
.g,,,ion OF the ability OF women to
..-ve the community. Mrs. Arthur Muir
r.v podge. president o. the National As
.oc,stlon opposed 20 Woman Suffrage.
ia hat the sunragists had been
ro-sinr for thirty years FOR the advance
men, OF women and that it was in ac-
.o-ssrce with their convictions 10 per-
~, women 10 hold Offices when the
ro,,en we're better fitted for the office
than any men were.
aIve do not consider this a triumph for
,ornan suffrage" said Mrs. Dodge, but a
a,.,lnct recognition OF the anu-sufrage
c,,,ention that in such appointive posi-
,,ons the state should have the advantage
- the service Of valuable women citizens.
We differ from the suffrsgtsts only in
the matter OF the ballot We want the
advancement Of women. but we do not
think II will be furthered by the vote"
su1ragists. however. were fankly de-
lighted in the honor 10 Miss Davis, not
only because OF their personal friendship
and admiration for her. but because they
saw in It a victory for the cause
%, isa happy omen for the new year,
aid Dr. Anna Howard Shaw.
Tits a wonderful step in advance. - said
Miss Mary Garrett Hay. 1T will be
victory for women. because Miss Davis
viii make good. She wouldn't have &C
cepted II she didn't know she was equal
10 II. No. the politicians won't bother
her much. OF course. she won't be able
10 revolutonize things in minute. That
isn't her way. Shell 60 slow, but she il
20 in the right way"
Miss Elinor Byrns made capital o. the
remark Of a man friend Of hers who had
objected 10 Miss Daviss appointment Oh
the ground that the city prisons were
such terrible places they weren't ~ for
a woman 10 have anything 10 do with.
They aren't SO terrible for Miss Davis
as they are for the women who are In
them" retorted Miss Byrns IF they are
50 bad as all that, it IS certainly time for
woman 10 take a hand and straighten
things out II is men who have made
them what they are
This appointment impresses me not
only as a great victory for the cause, but
an excellent thing for the city. Miss Da-
Wis is not a sentimentalist. but she is a
humanitarian. and there is no doubt that
her work viii be along general humani-
tartan lines"
II was recalled with glee by friends Of
the new Commissioner that she was capa-
bic OF practical deeds when occasion de-
handed. II was while she was tenement
house inspector in Philadelphia that she
took 10 window smashing. not as suf-
frage argument. but as means Of oo-
tanning the safety Of its occupants. The
house had been condemned by the inspec-
tors. but il was not closed by the city.
Miss Davis. according TO her friends,
took few Of her young women assist
ants. and they went forth by night and
broke every window in that house so
that it was no longer habitable.
At the time Of the Messina earthquake
Miss Davis was on vacation IN Sicily
but instead Of Fastening away TO place
more restful. she stayed and opened a
shoe store The sufferers from the earth
quake. OF course, were shoeless. so Miss
Davis sent cable messages TO England and
America for wholesale lots of shoes, which
she sold for a few cents TO the natives.
She practically took charge of the relief
work. the city officials being incapable
Of the task before them, even the Mayor
was working under her direction She
also started a system OF road building,
which was adopted by the city OF Pa
lermo and called after her the Davis sys-
TEN" The Pope and King Emanuel both
hOnored her for her work.
Her work al the New York State Re
formatory for Women has attracted
worldwide attention. and Germany has
established q Bedford Institute" mod
elled after the one she created at Bed
ford Hills. New York.