The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-15

sis and averaged about 10 transents a day. We served during the past year close to 400,00o meals at profit of a little less than one-fifth of cent per meal. In a smaller establishment that might not appear worth while but with us it counts up. I attribute much of our success to the great size of the house.
 People are continually asking me 1T the house really pays for itself. Yes, after paying off the mortgage on the original property the house has paid all expenses and given small profit be- sides. Now this surplus instead of being used to pay on the mortgage, is used to repair and refurnish the rooms, and to lay aside against the time we shall need to install new machinery. This will have to be done in about 20 years, and for the old house it will cost just $2000O. So you see we put aside 5000 of our surplus every year for it.
 Another question that is very often being propounded to me is if the Franklin Square house is philanthropy. Only in so much as the purchase of the original property. Just as the dormitories of Radcliffe college, of Wellesley and other similar institutions are. The boarders pay for what they get: but at the same time they get a great deal for what they pay. We, the management, are enabled to do this because We aim only to pay expenses, not to make even the smallest profit.
 T freely conced that such houses as the Franklin Square house are only palliative But while We are waiting for that far off millennium, when every girl can at tend school without working her way through and every employer shall pay wages ample for every working girl to have a safe and comfortable home, let us not forget that there are thousands and tens of thousands of girls who must live not only on what they ought to have, but on what they can get.
 You ask if l thought when the Frank lin Square house was first opened that we would have to build an annex? No, that was no part of our dream At our first meal in the old dining room. which is now the foyer and business offices, l re- call that l glanced about and wondered if l ever would see it full. I didn't that first year, nor the second, but after that applicants for accommodations increased so rapidly that the management of the kitchen and dining room were put to it's best reseating and serving promptly.
 When the original house overhowed we were enabled through the generosity of friend to buy the adjoining residence on Newton street, When that was filled and the applicants kept coming in we
  til all the houses on the block were con nected with the original building and managed as a part of it. Still applicants poured in. Finally we, the trustees agreed that the only way to supply this need was by tearing down the old res denees and in their place erecting build ing that would give more accommodations. The result Is our new annex''
 This new annex contains almost ex- clusiyely single rooms. They are for girls who are in active business rather than students. So great was the demand for them that each floor was opened ss the workmen went out. When the house was finally turned over as finished prac- tically every room below the ninth floor was taken
 Among the many unique features of the Franklin Square house there are several which are directly due to the kindly un- derstanding of Miss Castine C. Swan son, the superintendent and resident head of the house. When she came to the house some four years ago as assistant superintendent she found considerable number of vacant rooms. though appli- cants were daily being turned away. On Investigation she discovered that this condition was caused by the facts that only large and expensive rooms were while the applicants could af- ford only the low priced ones Realizing
 
 re oms with two windows some of them with private baths, at the same price being paid for small rooms with one window the young superintendent began to consider what was to be done.
 As a result of her consideration the rooms are now all let according to the income of the applicant. Girls getting above $l0 a week are not shown rooms which, with meals, cost $4.25 a week. Girls getting above S15 are not given rooms, which, with meals, amount to less than s That is unless these girls are willing to share a double room and so get ad- vantage of the lower rates. This plan has proved so satisfactory as worked out by Miss Swanson that other hotels for working women and girl students in this country, in Canada. and in England have adopted it.
 The next problem attacked by Miss Swanson was that of the employees of the Franklin Square house. 1t didn't seern ethical to her to be looking after the comfort and happiness of other people employees and leave those of the house uncared for. She managed to have one of the largest and handsomest private par lors in the old house set aside for the use and in the annex to secure for them a comfortable and attractive recreation room. She had the library and reading room opened to them on the same foot ing with the guests, and established the custom of giving them half of each le- gal holiday. On these days guests are invited to volunteer in serving tea. This not only pleases the employees but the