New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-22
WOMEN STRIKE;
CITY SHUTS DOWN
Smiths Diary Tells of
Awful Day They All
Stayed at Home.
TELEPHONE FAILS
TO ANSWER HELLO"
Won by ANTI" Theory, Nurses,
Mattresses and Even Chorus
Girls Quit Work.

Diary of John Smith. October til.
1915:
Awful day. All the women in In.
dustry struck-knocked on work ana
stayed at home all day. Plan OF the
suffragists. it seems, TO prove that
woman's place is not the home. Jove.
there's nothing those women won't DO
to carry their point. They spoiled my
day and tied I'D the business Of New
York City purely for their own selhsn
purposes. And yet they claim that
women have sense enough to vote.
Rose at 8 and went downstairs for
breakfast. Not a sign Of breakfast
cook was home. striking. Baby yelling
upstairs-nurse on strike. Wife nearly
crazy trying to take care OF the KOS.
Telling her that this ought to make an
anti of her If she wasn't already one,
went out to the nearest restaurant Tor
breakfast. Nothing doing mattresses
all on strike.
Found a place where they have men
to hustle the hash, but had 70 sit an
hour before could get served. The
poor fellows were worked oil their legs
since the places manned by women
were out of commission. At my ONCE
found the floor unclaimed and waste
paper baskets running over with yes
terday's debris. In the corridor an i'm
pertinent woman told me the $500
charwomen of the city had decided to
heed the men who said woman's place
is the home. Kicked the waste paper
basket under my desk and shouted for
my stenographer. No answer. Looked
on her typewriter and found q note
saying she had gone on strike along
with the $4,000 stenographers in New
York. Said she didn't possess that
home in which woman ought to stay.
but was living for the day with her
brother-in-law, her nearest male rels-
tive.
swore a little, I admit. and then
took up my telephone to place an i'm
portant order that demanded attention
right way. Cot no response for half
an hour. at the end Of which time q
mans voice answered. When | told
him | was going to report the delay he
said If | supposed the 1.134 male OPP
orators could do their own work and
man the switchboards Of the 1851 girl
centrals who were on strike had an
other think coming.
Gave up business and went out TO
buy some undershirts | needed. De-
partment stores scenes of chaos-the
girl clerks hadn't showed up, and floor
walkers and managers were trying to
do their work. Naturally, as there are
so few of these higher grade male en-
ployes, they couldn't make a. 60, and
most of the stores put up their shut
tiers for the day.
Went to call on a sick friend in the
hospital, and found the doctors and
orderlies trying to clean the wards and
feed the patients. On the wall no.
tice said the nurses of -- Hospital
had decided that woman's place was
the home. Women have no logic. Be-
cause the wisdom of the world has
found that woman best adorns her
own fireside, lot of nurses up and
leave their helpless patients to die.
Well, no good in telling how the
day dragged on. | went home at last
to put on clean shirt to go TO the
club, where, thank goodness, there are
no women. Wife said the laundry
hadn't come. The 32,465 laundresses
of New York were striking.
Then the postman came and handed
me an insuffersble letter from a neigh
Dor of ours, whose husband ought 20
know better than to let her be a suf-
fragist. She wrote that 10000 woman
cigarmakers, S,722 woman printers,
5000 woman candymakers, 10000
tailoresses, 10000 woman makers OF
clothing, etc, etc, we're enjoying their
day in the homes where they belonged.
| tore up the letter and sought a roof
garden-wife couldn't go on account of
the kids-but | needed distraction. |
didn't get it. The stage was dark and
placard announced that the renowned
Sillsby Sisters, whose. act was the SEN
sation of the moment, had gone on
strike along With the chorus and ballet
to prove that woman's place is not the
home.