Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-04-23
BUSY YOUNG WOMAN IS TIE SECRETARY
 ID MRS. WILSON
H a Il d g Correspondence and Engagements of " First
 Lady" Ardnous " orlz.
EBy Sidney E,SupX

'i'S SltlSN f4sDtA
 Washington. April 22.--With inc ad vent of general prosperity in t6e coun- try there follows 8 demand foa shorter hours of labor on the parl of working men. Generally thes Sc demands are granted. Al the same time Sta.e leg islaures are gradually reducing the hours of laboy for women There is one place where t1e hours 0f labor have not been and are nor likely to be shortened. Th.s place is al the white house. There the hours 0. labor a day grow rather ,han decrease, and of all the positions at the white house which are eXactin& in time, the wo:st is that Of social secretary to ne First Lady of the Land"
 Miss Edith W. Benham. daughter Of Rear Admi1al Benham, United States navy, fills this position.
 Miss Benham is an athletic young woman, The position of social senre- tary at the white house requires an athletic woman because the work is so arduous.
 Mrs. Wilson stepped out of her pri- va home, where she attended 10 he. own correspondence and social en- eagements. into tho white 'louse wiln- out preparation for her new duties At once she found she would b. u55z able 10 cope alone with he daticS.
 Miss Belle Hanger, daughter 0f one Of Washington's old and distinauisnol families. had served as 2oe;ai sccre- taIy 10 the first Mrs. Wilson. Du :rg th illness Of the latter, Miss Hanger became engaged 10 be married and resigned. Therefore, the mansion was without g social secretary when the new Mrs. Wilson moved in. Miss Ben- 1 ham was asked to talk the task.
 Begins Work q. $ a, la.
 'AIiss Benham gets to the white house shortly after o'clock every day except Sunday-and somettmas CT Sunday. tco. In addition to the mail Mrs. Wilson receives, which is heavy and from every official home in Wash ngton and elsewhere. and from social Washington, Mrs. Wilson gets the usual letters she received prior to Ter marriage. Miss Benham classi- fies i7 and letters that do not require 6 personal answer from Mrs Wilson, Miss Benham replies to.
 A great part of tAe daily mail has to do with engagements and social events. Every Thursday afternoon Mrs. Wilson is "at home" to those to whom she, through Miss Benham. has sent cards This "at home" affair is i arranged by Miss Benham. To the lef- ters with regard to these teas, Miss l Benham replies. In addition she makes out the list for each weeks i cat home'' '' Miss Bcnham has to cull i a great mass of calling cards left at | the white house by he social elite, in i cluding wives of administration of 1 ficials.
 Miss Benham's position is not un- like. in many respects those of Messrs. Tumulty Foster and Brahany, the | presidential secr9tasies at the eXecu tive offices. she must carefully go ever her lists. made up from the let ters and cards left at the white house. and be certain that no woman invited i, to call and personally pay her re- spect to Mrs. Wilson is slighted in any way. She must nave as much regard for the precedence in which these feminine guests are cared for as do inc social secretaries at the state department who make out the lists of diplomatic guests for all of- iicial functions.
 Mrs. Wilson devoted considerable time to charity prior to her marriage to the president. She did not aban don this work afterwa.d but she had to delegate the greater part of it to Miss Benham. There are many ap- peals received in the daily mails. To these Miss Benham must reply very often without comforting with Mrs Wilson
 Every day at 10 o'clock Miss Ben ham places herself a. the disposal of Mrs. Wilson. Together they go over the plans, not only for that particu-