Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-26

ID. LYDIA KINGSMILI. COMMANDER
LONDON. Sept ga thriving
by women. and employing women onil;
a business of women. by women. and
for women-that's the firm Of Weaver
and Clarke. manufacturers, whole
underwear. FL Camomile Street, Lon
don, r.. G.
II Is n case of business pioneering
which. by sheer right OF priority, may
well have a prominent place when
the industrial history OF these times
comes finally to be written.
Women's fine underwear. in lawn,
SIR. and crepe de chine" runs the
formula OF Weaver and Clarke: and
the Misses Weaver and Clarke have
good by display OF business saga
city. executive energy, and methods
or fair play that has made many a
conservative and skcptical London
finally confess that women should
have the vote.
Weaver and Clarke look upon their
Work as more than business pro-
position, however. They regard them
selves as pathhnders, as demonstra-
ters of what women can do in COM
merce whom once the tradition OF
feminine disability has been broken
down by such presidents as they are
establishing.
y worked for years for mon as a
designer OF women's wearing APP
parel' said Miss Clarke. but al
on my own directly had the OPP
portunity. The first start made was
false one. l went into partnership
WITH a man. and lost all my small
me 10 go in with woman. 1t has
always seemed to me SO much more
natural that women rather than men
should conduct the business directly
-,
eventually ! entered into partnership
with Miss Weaver. who is secretary
and bookkeeper OF our firm; and to-
s i we opened works for the
ing: Our united capital was less Than
$500. truly absurd sum with which
20 start business involving the set
, ,sng up ,p,- OF machinery. the paying OF
MoIh Eiris wages, travellers salaries.
and all the other expenses attendant
on Such an enterprise
IN, Most hrms begin on their COM
b bined c ;antal We began on our com
capital, however, we made uD in worn
and hopefulncss, so we were NOT win
Out effective assets after ali.
ON our limited capital We had a
and when we opened 1 did as much
hard work. machining, boxing and
cutting. as any of my staff, in nd
aition TO the extra work OF designing
we were hampered by moro than
lack OF money" contributed Miss
Weaver. I'VE naturally didn't have
mat coincidence which is born of gem
erations OF trading experience, and
which Is generally an asset 10 IRON
IN similar positions. This handtron
often made us over-cautfous So thor
we occasionally lost golden opportunis
ties. But gradually a growing bcIicY
IN our own ability and a thorourn
knowledge of our business heInsa
years. A'
The advent OF women into tho
neld or commerce is an adventure. Wa
round II an exploration of hitherto
untrodden paths. For Instance. We
mad TO solve the problem or travellers,
the problem OF supplying large firm
with big orders. that of auditing our
BOOKS. and various other matters thai
not many decades ago would have
seemed as impossible for women 10 ar
tempt as flying. Sometimes we raceo
ahead; then we would meet with nm
expected difficulties and slinncrv
paths. Nevertheless we were aiwavs
advancing. and today our business Ia
become so fiourishing that motors
have been installed to drive the ma
chines. y this point tho partners
TOOK me from the cutting room into
the work room. Where there was mn
foreman in charge. bat where in from
OF our four rows Of electrically driven
machlnes SIXTEEN briGht-faced Girls