The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-25
Frederic Haslsin's Len.


New York City. Feb. s4.-Therel
still exists today . popular super
stition that women are traitors to
their own sex, that they fight .
petty. guerilla warfare among them
selves, and that when a woman IL
down and out 1t is invariably . man
who comes nobly and distnterested-
ly to her rescue.
This may be true in some places,
especially in the masculine mind.
but it isn't 30 in New York. Here
Women for Women" IN = popular
slogan in the business and indus
trial worlds. and the city is filled
with feminine clubs and societies
whose sole object is the assistance
or promotion of their own sex.
One of the most interesting Of
these is an organization Of work
ing girls, known as the Girls Serv-
ice league, which is dedicated to
the aid and protection Of girls who
worn. Every girl on its member
ship list is constantly on the look
out for signs of distress or unhap-
piness among her friends and &C.
quaintances. When Laura, the
landlady's daughter. suddenly falls
into deep depression. or when
Katie comes to the factory with
eyes red from weeping, the G. s. l..
member does not remain an inno-
cent bystander. Usually, she puts
a tactful arm around Laura or
Katie, and says: Say, kid, if there's
anything wrong, come on >uD to the
club and talk it over with our Sec
rotary"
The league has two clubhouses in
different sections Of the city. each
possessing a free dormitory of some
IL or Is beds. and an employment
agency. Girls who are stranded in
New York are welcome to the clubs
hospitality at any time of the day
or night. Girls rescued from var
ious dangers and delinQuencies by
social workers of the New York
Probation and Protective associa-
ton are also taken in at the club
houses. Those who need medical
care are sent to hospital or
clinic; those who are out of work
are found jobs through the club
employment agencies, and others,
whose condition demands it, are
sent to a convalescent home in the
country.
The leagues clubrooms are large
and cheerful, with bookcases full of
good books; a piano and victrola,
and many games, including par
cheesi and checkers. The girls are
privileged to entertain their young
men friends here on several nights
a week, while every Saturday night
a club dance is given. Lectures on
health and thrift and working con-
ditions also take place every so
often. to which parents as we'll as
the girls are often invited.
The objects of the league, as set
forth in its constitution, are as fol-
lows: To protect girls from moral
danger. To promote moral educa-
ton. To encourage right thinking
and clean conversation. To i'm
prove conditions of work for girls.
To secure wholesome recreation for
girls. To stimulate faith in the
possibilities of life.
Every member is pledged to be-
friend lonely girls in the city and
those who are living apart from
their families. and to report girls
in need Of help: or bad conditions
in places where they live or work.
or find their recreation. She is
also required to study the laws re-
lating to health, labor. recreation
and protection, and to report vio-
lations of these laws. Girls are
also encouraged to make sugges-
tons for improving. these laws or
for securing better enforcement of
them.
Some Examples.
And to all these things the grow
ing membership list of the league
subscribes most earnestly, as a
few instances will illustrate.
There is the case Of Alverta, who
even now is being supported by the
club. Alverta was one of family
of 10 children who were very much
resented by their step-father. The
little Long Island cabin where the
family lived was most inadequate,
also, so that on the day that Al
verta became 16 she left and came
to New York. Here she secured a
| job in factory and a tiny room in
miserable boarding house. AL
though she lived but scantily, her
wages could not be made to stretch
| over the entire week. Always there
| was one night when she had to go
| without dinner.
On one Of these impoverished