The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-23
OTHER COUNTRIES
Want WOMEN WHO
ARE WAR WIDOWS
Salvation Ar y Sending
English Women to Cana
da and Other Lands.
(By Mrs. BramweH Booth)
Wife of the General of the Salvation

| VIE OF the General OF the Salvation
Army.
The Women's Migration Scheme
| announced by my husband, Gen
Booth, can scarcely be described as
a new departure on the part of the
Salvation Army. In reality it is one
development Of the successful work fol-
the migration Of British women, in
Guiding widows with children, which
has been in operation for quite mum
Der of years.
| The new circumstances which have
arisen in the country demand that the
work should proceed on a much lar
ger scale. If this can be done we con-
| fdently expect a corresponding in
crease of beneficial results.
The General has ever felt a spe-
cial sympathy with widows. This
| was perhaps born of his strong love
for his mother, whose heart had like
wise been particularly drawn to this
class of mourners.
The outcome Of his solicitude has re-
| suited in this practical plan Of i'm
proving their conditions by removing
| them and their families to the more
| hopeful and inspiring environments of
Greater Britain.
should like to mAeke it clear at the
outset that the Generals scheme is
! not confined to any special class. It's
| benefits will be open to all worthy wo-
| men, irrespective of their personal
condition of 1ife-whether unmarried
or widows-and without special refer
ence to the cause Of their husband s
death.
The real point we shall consider is
whether their prospects would be i'm
proved by transference to the over
seas Dominions.
No Prospect but Drudgery.
AS to widows. for example, not on
ly those who have lost their dear ones
in consequence Of the war, but thou
sands Of others whose condition is even
more gIievcus. Tho majority of
these are left entiruly unprovided for.
They have to fight a long and weary
battle to keep the home going until
their children are of working age and
able to help with the household expen-
SEES, and so relieve the Strain{ Druid
gerry is their portion for the most part,
and struggle they ever SO hard, their
earnings are generally very meager,
their prospects always clouded.
In their unprotected state widows
are subjected, even more than unmar-
ried women to many disagreeable
things. One woman, who with her
daughter subsequently was migrated
to Canada through our organization
and is doing exceedingly well, has put
it on record that she was obliged to
leave a house in this country, where
cause her employer, to use his own
words, could not stick respectable
person"
believe that if these widows were
removed to more productive fields
their trials would greatly Lessen, and
their energies would be spent in way
that would be a real gain for the En-
pire as well as for themselves and
their, families.
Some Fine Records Made.
BY the Salvation Army's worldwide
organization it is made simple for the
widow to transfer herself and her
family from what may be an unprof-
liable and perhaps an oppressive en-
vironment for herself and dangerous
for her children to surroundings
which are more attractive in every
respect.
In the newer countries the openings
for the children are more numerous,
and there are greater opportunities
for the women's advancement on the
social plane from the fact of their sex
being in the minority rather than a
surplus as in the homeland.
The migration will be effected with
out cost to the emigrant, who would
also be fortified to meet any difficult
ties by the Salvation Army officer
whose services would be at her dis
posal. The general undertakes the
supervision of families sent out until
they are able 30 make their own way
without oversight.
Important results followed the Ar
my's first organized attempt to inn
prove the position Of women through
migration. All obtain employment
at once. The majority Of the wild
ows are undoubtedly happy and pros
porous.
Many have remarked, others have
found congenial and well-paid posi-
tons contrasting agreeably with their
former drab experiences. Excellent
accounts are also given of the chill
dren, many Of whom, now Of work
ing age, are Of great assistance to their
mothers.
Girls easily make their way. Some
Of them belonging to the first families
migrated are married. Indeed, the
Dominions offer excellent opportuni-
ties in all the ordinary occupations
open to girls.
Changing Her Name.
The boys have also done WELL but
the war has interrupted the appren-
ticeship to colonial conditions of many
of them, so to speak, and numbers
of migrated widows sons are with the
Kings forces.
One widow, formerly of Barking, di-
rected by the Army to Canada, in
1913. and now resident in Ontario, has
five sons and three sons-in-law with
the Canadian expeditionary forces at
the front.
The records Of the Army's migration
operations contain some very crafty
ing evidence of the humanitarian val
ue Of our work. inspiring and stinu-
lating to the worker in a sometimes
very stubborn vineyard For instance
a widow transferred by the Army from
most trying circumstances here in 1912
writes as follows:
IT don't know If you will be send
ing out emigrants this year, but I am
writing you on behalf Of a niece of
mine in Scotland. I may say my
daughter and myself are deeply CRATE