The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-08-07


human kin.
Within the Catholic Societies.
Young Ladies and Women's So
cieties are fruitful in Catholic works.
These are to be multiplied. extended
and brought to a higher plane of eff
ficiency. For this purpose the trained
secretaries, lecturers and organizers
are required. In young ladies' sodal-
ity, for instance, it will be found that
there is larger business than ice cream
festivals and card parties. Apart from
distinctly spiritual features, eco
nomfc ones are to be emphasized and
made part of the common delibera-
ton. The conditions of work and
wages, insurance and protection, op-
portunities of betterment, etc.; all
these are fit and proper subjects for
investigation, organized analysis and
action. Many other communal values
may be similarly taken in hand.
The Trade-Union League.
1t is wrong to permit the working
girl to be at the mercy of industrial
conditions as they are known to exist.
1t is futile to argue that young women
have no business anywhere except in
the home. The fact is that millions
of girls and women are in the indus.
tries, generally by necessity. Some
times they compete with men and de-
press wages, at other times they elm
mate man-labor altogether. Be all
that as it may, women and girls are
in the big stores, workshops and fac
tories to stay; they are not as we'll
protected as workingmen; they have
not yet learned to fix their proper
status in the scheme of industrial
progress.
This problem has been particularly
neglected by the Catholic societies.
What is to be done? Irrespective of
what the industries will bear, the prin-
ciple must be agreed and determined
upon that every working girl and
woman shall receive proper wages.
Charitable institutions shall offer the
workers no such assistance as will
enable INSCRIPTIONS employers to
hold down or further depress wages.
On the other hand, minimum wage
legislation and trade-union action
must be fostered and this presup-
poses education and organization for
economic and political purposes.
Women's Suffrage.
1t is not really so important now,
whether we are in favor of suffrage
for women or not. In many states we
already accept it for better or worse
and others are to follow. The Catho-
lie woman must be prepared to use
the suffrage, where she has it, and
familiarize herself with political is
sues. In the other states, she cannot
permit herself to be taken unawares.
1t needs no argument that here is a
large and all but uncultivated field
awaiting the Catholic woman. Here
as everywhere, she shall have to fight
for every inch of ground and her re.
ligion will not dispense her from the
fight. 1t does seem that God has re-
served for woman a decisive mission
in the plan of restoring the Christian
order of society.
| The Y. w. C. A.
Neither can we permit the Y. w
c. A. to usurp forever the Christian
name in association-welfare work. We
may admire the well-developed system
and many-sided activities; we may
give the Y. w. c. A. due credit fol
all the good accomplished and prof
ected, yet nothing that can be sale
for the Y. w. G. A. can be used il
extenuation of Catholic failure to d.
similar work of even a higher char
acter. This work must be done, soon
er or later, at one place and another
whatever the sacrifices we bring TO
all other Catholic demands, If Catho
lie womanhood is ever to interpret II
self to the American mind and maxi
manifest it's claim to superiority.