Evening star., 1918-02-03

of age Will rot he utilized by at least
four of the largest packing houses Ill
Chicago in their night work Let US
hope that this is but the beginning ana
that similar action on the part OF ehl-
ployers in regard to their mother
workers viii lie nation-w iGie.'' said Miss
Nc Doweil.
INQUIRIES into the why of the night
work among the foreign-born women
of Chicago elected some interesting
information Most of the women were
helping their wage-earning husbands.
whose small incomes could not cover
the family's needs. Others We're striving
to pay inde 3tedness for medical care
Many of the foreigners are scrupuloas
in this regard. some having a super
stitious belief that a child who mas
been i'll and received the physician :
care will never be strong until ms
bill is paid An indirect reason for some
of the night work was found to be a
desire TO commence the purchase OF a
home or to make payments on one
already partly paid for. The desire OF
The Slavonic people to own homes was
found to be very general and very
strong.
Miss Mcdowell presented some in
terestiug figures regarding the foreisn
element in her state. According 10 the
last census Illinois has i6i l.'a foreign
born women more than twenty years Of
age. At least :.uu. .ouli Of these women
are either wage-earners or they are
the wives ard daughters OF wage
eainers Those in the industrial world
as wase-earners are young, mostly be
tween sixteen aud t" enty-tive years OF
age. many OF them married anu VIM
young children.
"A robust people are the foundation
stones for a government Of the people
and by the people. said Miss Acl'oN-
ell an wartime when life seems chra :,
and waste of life beyond calculation
the women and children become an
asset TO the nation. Healthy mothers
and healthy babies are material out OF
which Americas s future must be built,
Many of these foreign born are seri-
o,Isly handica pped socially and indus
trially because they do rot understand
the language of their bosses nor speail
the tongue of the community IN "hich
they live Difficulties arise because
they do nor understand orders: they
do not know the labor laws and are
easily deceived and exploited by the
unscrupulous. they become Victims OF
unprotectea machinery and fire because
they cannot heed the warnings given in
print and by word of mouth.
..,rhe safety first method for these
women is for them to learn tine t.ngllsii
language. said Miss Mcdowell and
she makes a plea that women desiring
to render volunteer war service may
consider the teaching OF Ensiish To the
non English speaking woman in indus
try The foreign-born woman Is = ne
cessity in war emergency Industries,
she states. and ''if they did not do the
work, industry would be paralyzed
The hetterment of her sisters and
brothers in industry has been life
work with Miss Mcdowell, for she is
the child of parents who reared her
with true consciousness of the value
and dignity of labor. Her father, Mai
Malcolm Mcdowell. who gained his I'll
tie in the civil war, dealt in iron and
steel in Cincinnati. He was man OF
rare personality ready with instant re
sponse to any appeal for help, doing all
within his power to raise the burdens
of the afflicted or downtrodden.
Before she went to live among the
workers in the stockyards Miss Nc
DoweH was q resident of Hull House.