The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-10
THE :HAsKIN LETTER
The Needle Work Guild
By Frederic >. Haskin.

The Needle Work Guild Of Ameri
81 has special catechism. It is .
the shorter cariety and contains muel
valuable information. The answer t,
qestion one states the object Of tn
guild as being: ITO collect and dis
Etribute new garments to hospitals
homes md other charities" Sine
the opening Of; 1915, the guild ha
added q new object that viii have ,
lyitai interest in view Of the presen
friend Of world events. It is arrang
ling to open workrooms in Europe. Ii
(which destitute women from Bel
Igium and other war-ridden countrie
will be given employment at small
wages, which will enable them t,
Iproyide their own necessities Til,
Jgarments made by their work viii
be distributed among those most II
need Of them.
Within the last two weeks. ever.
member OF the four hundred ode
branches of the Needle Work Guile
OF America has received an emer
gency call, issued from the centra
Office in Philadelphia, asking for {
special contribution OF money fol
this purpose. The regular donations
Ito the guild each year consists chief.
Ily OF garments for distribution in this
country. But as the guild is affili-
ated With the National Red eros,
Society, IL feels obligated to give
Especial aid in relieving the distress.
caused by the war. A unique plan
has been formulated that will givu
laid in a most efficient manner.
Several years ago Mrs. John Wood
Stewart, or. New Jersey. the funder
or the Needle Work Guild of Ameri-
lea, had occasion to spend year in
IlLyons, France. The success. OF the
Organization in the United States led
|her to form a branch in Lyons. The
words. Needle Work Guild" could
not be reproduced in French SO the
Lyons organization is known MS the
Vestiaires pour les Pauvre ct NAL
ade" thouse for clothing the poo,
land sickl. The president is the
daughter ora former president of the
Swiss republic. and the secretary Is
an American Woman who has beer
living in Lyons for fifteen years
lSince 1t Is a direct branch OF the
IGuild Of America. It is In r. position
to handle contributions from this
country The Lyons organization
has a number Of sections. two OF
which are composed entirely Of work.
ling girls. These girls have been EN-
Iployed in the silk mills and are now
destitute because the war has closed
the factories and deprived them oil
their livelihood. 1t is therefore most
fitting that the guild should first Of
fer assistance to those who hereto
fore .have given assistance to others
The Needle Work Guild is to open
workrooms in Lyons in which EN-
ployment will be given to These
women workers who would otherwise
be in distress. The rooms are to bt
kept comfortable and warm and tn,
workers are to receive twenty cent.
a day for their work. This small
sum will do much more to secure
comfort there than in this country
In addition to the workrooms FOL
the women of Lyons. others are tt
be opened for Belgian mothers, tt
which they can bring their babe!
and be supplied with materials tt
make garments for themselves ant
their children. Thousands OF POL
gians are now in Lyons. Over SOC
of them arrived on one day last sum
mer.
The material to be used in these
workrooms is to be bought In Ameri
ca at wholesale rates, amounting to I
little more than half price. The plar
of the guild will thus benefit three
classes of people: The soldiers anC
poor people who will receive gratui
tously the new clothing thus manu-
featured; the women who are paic
wages while making 1t: and the
American cotton growers. who will
thus have an additional demand FOL
their cotton. The work will be ex-
tended to other cities in Europe II
the contributions make 1t possible.
The Needle Work Guile was frs
established in England byS Lady
Wolverton, who founded en- orphan
asylum and worked continuously t.
supply clothing for the little folks
for whom she had made herself re,
sponsible. She called upon hel
friends to help her and finally
formed the nucleus of the Needle
III w WIN tNru1M. uG OL6dulLdllOu- w dh
SO beautiful in its simplicity that 1t
quickly sprang into popularity
among philanthropic women Of every
class, from the kind-hearted queen
to the little maid Of all work. The
only condition of membership is the
contribution Of two new articles Of
clothing each year. ar
Mrs. Stewart organized the first
branch Of the Needle Work Guild of
America in Philadelphia in 1885. II
received its perpetual charter in 1896
and its growth since than has been
most remarkable. The work is car
ried on so unostentatiously that few,
persons are aware of its magnitude.
Every large city and many small
towns scattered over all the states in
the union now contain branches Of
this guild. which last year distributed
nearly a millions new garments to
those in destitttion and need.
The Observation-Disclosures branch was
started recently. Last year that