New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-31
MRS. BELMONT IS
AMAZED AT MISERY
Sees Women Almost Max
ed and Starving Babies
in Suffrage Line.

u didn't know there was so mucn
misery in New York"
Mrs. o. II. P. Belmont rubbed her
back as she said this. as il some OF
the misery had settled there. 1t was
Yesterday at noon, and for three hours
she had been packing rolls. tea, sugar,
evaporated milk and fruit in paper
bags, for the Sunday packages that
were given out to every woman who
applied at 10 East 4lst ST.. 3,
For two hours Mrs. William Jay and
Mrs. Charles Childs had been handing
out the bags to steady procession
of women who poured through me
rooms. And at the end Of 1t MIS-
Belmont's two helpers echoed her when
she said
81 didn't dream there was such aD-
lcct poverty in this city of ours.
At 10 o'clock. when the doors opened
ninetv-nine women were waiting out
side. BY noon nearly 300 had come
eaten their hot soup and rolls. taken
their bags and departed. twenty-five
more bags were given out IN the AFTER
noon. e A.
"Forty-irSt 81. is the nome VI Lne
bread line" Mrs. Belmont SAID. on
the West Side, at the Hotel knlcker-
booker, is the mems bread line. here
is the womsn's line.
some one called her attention TO the
fact that a dozen hungry looking men
had gathered outside the doors.
"They can go somewhere else, sne
said. "There are so many places men
can 90 that women won't go. "onei,
won't stand on the sidewalk IN Drea9
line. and that is why we have arranged
this so that they can come inside, ese
in quiet and receive their gilts "herc
no one is looking on
"She wants something stronger tnan
milk" said the mother. Give her soup
The baby is starving
And more than a pint OF rion soup
vent down that baby's throat. The
children ate two quarts apiece. Ihen'
with her bag of food for over SUNDAY
a pair Of shoes and stockings lor hel-
self. some underwear and cariare' the
woman went away with her pr0od.
"Soma of tho women" Mrs. Belmont
lid leone with absolutely no clothes
but a coat and skirt. They have news
napers tied around them under the
coat One girl who came here for soup
got lob at dishwashing for SO 5o q
week. The boss asked her why, she
didn't take off her coat. She couidn l.
because there was nothing under H.
and he said she couldn't work win
coat on. so she lost her Job.
1--WE are negotiating now Tor -FOUR
hundred shirtwaists, so we can NJ ou'
tbose women whose lack Of clothe :
prevents them from getting work. we
hone TO have the waists Monday--good'
strong ones. We believe in having the
hest of material in everything i,oh
eouo 70 waists. that we give away
Mrs Belmont criticised strongly the
MAYORS committee on non-employineht
and various other mems organizations
formed for relief They let the people
starve while they decide what to 40
she said ,,.
"At the meeting in the METROPOLITAN
Onera House lest Tuesday for the un-
employed $4,000 was gathered, and l
haven't heard of a cent OF II being eH,
pended for the poor. We went ahead
with this soup Kitchen as soon as we
got 81 900 and trusted for more 10
come. and il has come. think that
the city should eXpend every cent IL
gets as soon as received. Starvation
doesn't wait. But that is the way. The
men commit errors, and the women
patch them up. Some day. said MIS-
Belmont, with a look at a Suffrage
poster on the wall, eve shall FIX politics
so they can't commit errors"