The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-25

preakIastp Tor my son, who has Just been
mustered out OF the service. and who Is
none too strong. .. - t4 ''I
Your Excellency have brought up
five children working for the B. r..
have made their clothes in the ticket
Booth. for Il was quiet at night and I
mad time to sew, read or rest. My SUI
periors would come through and see me
sewing and never say a word You
couldn't have such privileges working In
a department store. We don't need our
morals looked into-Awe are moral
women. attending to our duty, to our
Lord. going to church and observing our
religion"
I've been fifteen years at night work"
said Mrs. Alice Nulty, 'and I never
broke down. The character Of every
woman who goes to work for the B. r..
4. Is investigated, and we have to have
pondsmen to certify to us, Ave of them.
AS for young girls working, we have to
raise our right hand and swear that we
are 81 years old.
Il like night work because can look
AFTER my two boys better In the day and
l get plenty of time for sleep was a
rurfe on Wards Island before I got this
,op, and believe me It was different and
r. T."
e' iSaoei ctracnan testined that che
asked for night work 30 she could take
care Of father in the day time, II was
easy work on the cars, she said. much
easier than In store or factory"
annie Connolly gave the Governor a
good laugh by relating that she was
after losing her health and her husband
|, WE'VE years ago. and IL was goo
thing. too. for then she went to work as
ticket seller and got her health, but
not her husband, which she didn't want.
Then there was plump and pretty girl
VINO said her name was Helen Maxwell,
working as surface care conductor,
and before she took that work she was
In Sea View Hospital with hemorrhages
or the lungs. She was the picture Of
health yesterday, but OF unhappiness, as
she murmured: ~
The city'n have to take care of me
again IL I've got to 20 back to indoor
work. 1 weighed 12S pounds when I
started on the surface cars and now I
weigh $50 pounds" In answer to inouir-
les Miss Maxwell said the toilet facilities
were good for the employees of the City
lines and the division superintendent
| room was given to the girls for their
private rest room with q matron In
charge soon after she went to work in
January, 1918.
Wants Money to Buy Farm.
Mrs. Charlotte odeil, a tall, vigorous
conductorette. dark eyed and good look
ing, made an excellent impression.
4 prefer night work." she said. IT
have children and I want time with them
In the day. Ny work Is not hard
standing and pushing a button. 1 have
worked in a kitchen. serving the family
TN midnight, and find this easier.
It's fascinating position to work for
the B. r. T.. and though my husband
VIII work at his trade when he Is mus
tered out, want to keep on too, to get
money to buy a farm and educate my
children.
But since the law Is passed II is
SO that I only have q three hour run and
l get S1.17 a day for that. Formerly
earned $28 a week. can't get along
with such small wages. but I'm taking
the short run because I don't want to
leave the B. r. T."
law went into effect she worked from
to 10 in the morning and from to
$3.50 In the evening. II wanted night
work. but somebody else picked the best
runs on me-" she added
Mrs. Murther and Mrs. Hughes white
haired and extremely ladylike looking,
said they had worked twenty-six years
for the B. r. T. and were drawing the
pension twenty-five years Of service en-
titles them to. Mrs. Hughes. looking
like Sunday school teacher, spoke
glowingly Of her occupation, and how
she could make tea on the little stove In
her ticket cage. However. the law now
says that the ticket sellers must have
an hour to go out for lunch, so the
tea in the cage doesn't 20 any more,
much as the women may like II.
Mrs. Marie McComsky testified that
she had visited all the B. R. T. stations
and found that all had toilet facilities
for the girls. At her station the mems
bowling alley and the depot masters
ONCE had been taken for rest rooms for
the women. Five Of us women on tho
Fiatbush line are working with our hus-
bands as motormen." she said. IT'S
said We are immoral. Could we be
immoral with our husbands? Why, II
a girl among us gets foolish and fiirts
we report her ourselves and get rid Of
her. There are no prostitutes and no
drug fiends among us"
Hearing Comes Too Late.
This stirred Gov. Smith. who demanded
to know who had said there was. Miss
Wren read extracts from the present.
ment OF the Grand Jury in which these
Helen Mccormack. assistant District At
torney in Kings. to the same effect She
added that as the Governor had taken
some OF his facts from these sources she
thought he believed these misstatements.
The Governor can't examine into
everything personally" said Mr.. Smith
somewhat testify. Whom am to ask
IL not the District Attorney OF a
county,
Ask the women themselves" came A
chorus. Whereupon the Governor asked
why hadn't they asked him for a hear
ing II gave every one a hearing who
wanted it," he said. IT worked on II
from 8 In the morning till at night for
three weeks. You didn't come before me,
Miss Wren.
Miss Wren explained she became, the
attorney for the women only recently
and that they had not been organized
for prompt action.
Miss Mary Donnelly. who Is working
for the B. r. T. now, and who fidgeted
! q II throu0h thu hAa ring anxiously link