The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-23
VASSAR GRADUATES.
 TELLS 0F LABORS AMONG GIRL WAITS
Protective Leagues Doing Great Work For Uplift of
 Young Women in City.

Miss Orlena, Weed, a Vassar gradu- ate and a director of the New York Girls Protective league gave a. parti- cu1arly interesting talk Wednesday af- Gamma society of the First Church at the Protective Association headquar- ters on Myrtle avenue.
 Miss Weed was introduced by Miss Katherine T. Hewitt as ssthe mother of 2sOO0 girls all about the same age.'
 There are some girls said Miss Weed, which the churches do not reach and which the Y. W. c. A'sNdo not reach. It is these girls with which the Protective leagues are in touch"
 The aims of the league are moral protection, moral education, clean con versation, right thinking, wholesome recreation, better economic conditions and the insulting of faith in the possi- bilities of life.
 The leagues are doing vast amount of good among the working girls of New York by teaching them to report all cases of evasion offthose laws that were made for the protec- ton of the girl, to the directors of the league who take it to the proper au- thorities This applies not only to the factories but to the homes, stores, dance halls and wherever the girl sees that the laws are being broken, or not being carried out
 We are particularly trying to avoid a recurrence of the Triangle shop dis aster.,, said Miss Weed. .tand so our girls are taught to report whenever their employer fails to comply with the law which demands a monthly fire drill.''
 E So far reaching is the influence of the league that the other day a girl in the tenement house district report ed that the plaster was failing down in the hall and the landlord wouldn't have it tended to. The matter was taken to the proper authorities through the tenement house inspector and the plaster was mended iInmedi-g ately. A girl who is under age and working in a factory is reported and aided as much as possible. A girl without friends, or without work, or one who is Respondent is also looked after by the girls of the league and help is procured for her. Dance hall way, since the league includes all classes from girls of leisure to those termed wharf rats'' and all nationalf- ties, a remarkably accurate report of conditions as they really exist is ob- tained by the league.
 The value of the reports made by the girls themselves is incomparably greater than that of any outside ir- spector as they live among the con- ditions and know what easily might be kept from the eyes of a visitor to the place. The girls themselves are urg-. ed not to antagonize their employers but report all violations of the law to the directors of the league who take it to the proper authorities.
 According to Miss Weed it is re- markalole how enthusiastic the girls are over the work and how eagerly they report every violation of the law. It is the constructive work that keeps the girls interested.
 The league, which is supported by voluntary contributions, the girls themselves paying only five cents month dues, is only four years old and has 2,036- It is divided into 27 small CT leagues that cover every part of the city and meet twice monthly in pub lie schools, libraries or wherever it is convenient and a free meeting place can be obtained. A girl must be IA years old before she can join but there is no other age limit At the head of the league are two paid di- rectors, Miss Weed and Miss Eliza beth Bliss who devote their entire time to the work One of the monthly meetings is purely business and one purely social but in many cases the girls have become so interested that weekly meetings are held. Each lea que is self governing, the leaders keep ing in the background as much as pos sible and merely directing activities.
 
 ed to reports and to the study of laws applying to women and children. There is always a discussion of some topic, such peace in it's different phases which was taken up this win ter
 < A loan fund is maintained where girl may borrow money without in terest for as long a time as she wish es. SfAnd in almost every case we get the money back said Miss Weed. They also have an employment bureau which did some wonderful work this last winter.
 3ssstIt was heart rending though said Miss Weed, 'to come in in the morn ing and find some 100 girls facing you and each telling you that she must have something to do in order to live.''
 In the summer there is summer camp in New Jersey where the girls can go to spend their vacationsI
 Miss Weed concluded her talk by remarking the the wonderful soppor- tunity for such leagues here in Bridgeport where there are so many girls working in the factories.
 The Hospitality of the headquarters was deIightfulIy extended through Miss Hewitt and her cousin, Miss Rice
 Governor Whitman named George