Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-22
When Girls Don
a Swimming Go
To the Editor Of tho EVENING Star:

To the Editor of the Evening Star:
Sir: The Y. w. C. A. erected for the
purpose of promoting the working
girls interest-bahl Don't let that
idea prevail among the Newark peo-
pie, because 1t is farce.
A year ago this month a large num-
Der of girls Joined the Y. w. c. A. to
participate in the swimming classes
and enjoy an occasional plunge. Ask
any of the girls that registered for
the course how patiently we waited
for the opening of the pool. Every
inquiry elected the information that
they were sorry, but the pool, due TO
faulty construction, could not be used
This lasted until some time in June,
1914, when they did actually open.
Then we asked il we might double
up to gain something before the ma
jority of us started on our vacations.
This was refused some of us, although
| understand some girls got away
with it. | used to go to the pool
for a plunge on Saturdays going in a
little after 2 o'clock and coming out
sometimes at s and sometimes be-
fore, and 1t was this hard practice
out having taken the ten lessons l
paid for.
know of large number of girls
who have stayed in as long, and per-
haps longer, and not one have con-
planned of any Ill effects. For myself,
/ can say | have never felt better.
There were quite number, IN fact, a
crowd as a rule, but there are girls
who cannot stand 1t too long, and the
number would be diminished by de-
grees so that there were few of US
in towards the closing hour.
Last Saturday, September 10 to be
exact. new rule went into erect.
but not for working girls. They nave
arranged to give the pool to children
until $3.50 p. m. on SATURDAYS anu
after that, and until O'CLOCK, WORK
ing girls actually can have three
Quarters of an hour to swim or prac-
flee as thew see fit. Say, for instance,
Won take the Ais to 5 period, you can
not get your suit until Alb, but you
are obliged to come out at 3, SO tnat
really YOU do not get full three quar-
ters of an hour, as 1t takes time 10
undress and get into your pathlns
s,it Wonderful concession, isn't IL
Hardly worth while undressing
think. J.; ,h,ldren
learning to swim, in fact, advocate
n also am aware of the fact tnat
children have to go to school ourins
the week, but the closing nour "a
school Is either 8 or S;So o ciocK'
and / should think that some after
noon or afternoons, say at ociocn,
could be arranged for children, anu
NOT Saturday afternoons, the only AT
arnoon a working girl has to enjoy
tho pool In the day lime, ana now our
time has been boiled down To three-
quarters of an hour. / am an ONCE
ei,J and am practically tied sdcWn 10
INV chair all day and the two hours
or more that I have spent IN the poor.
when could do so, has given me ine
axarcise and pleasure most benenclai'
and now they dash the cup OF JOY
from our hands.
Thev claim at this late day that
of an hour is suncient
for anybody, yet there were countess
numbers of us who went In mornings
and afternoons during the summer
and thew never uttered a protest.
,rhev crowded two in a bathhouse
suitable for one. Some of us were
obliged to dress and undress In the
shower rooms; the lighthouses were
wet. due to the fact that plungerS OF
the previous squad" had just va
Gated them, and when we got through
with our teaser of a bath it was ut
terly impossible for us to take off our
wet bathing suits in the same bath
house without wetting our street
clothes.
come in contact with number OF
men who have contributed largely to
the association and ] wonder what
they would think if they were APP
prised of the facts.
I realize you have to do something
when there Is a crowd, but the girls
come and go to the pool so that there
never Is an overload.
However, a poor excuse Is better
than none "half or three-quarters OF
an hour is long enough for anybody"
and Just to think, fellow swimmers,
countless numbers of us took our lives
in our hands this past summer by
staying in two hours or more and they
never threw out the life line to us.
Believe this, girls, and they will tell
us another.
Dare we hope that some benevolent
citizen will come to the front and give
us pool, which we will amply sup
port II we are accorded anything like
ONE OF THE SWIMMERS"
September 81, 1914.