The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-07

of available homes for Chicago
women who are in industry.
Life is dreary prospect for a
woman who has no comfortable
home," said Miss Merrill. women
need real home more than men.
I have seen women come to the
department of public weifare, down
and out, without hope in life, and
when we supply them with a home
like place. it is wonderful to see
how they brighten up. One night
in a comfortable home raises the
hope of these women and gives
them courage to go on. There are
also many married women in indus
try, and for that reason it is abso-
lutely necessary for the city to con-
slider increasing its inadequate day
nursery facilities"
Not Enough Rooms.
The rooming house facilities Of
Chicago are decidedly inadequate,
especially the accommodations for
women, was the conclusion of an
investigation of the housing Of nom
family women in Chicago conducted
three months ago by the Chicago
Community Trust Company. The
three principal rooming districts for
women were investigated; those
nearest the loop in residence neigh
borhoods on the North, South and
West Sides.
The North Side rooming district
west Of State street was found to
be "filled to overlooking with nom
family men and women. Household
ers heye don't have TO advertise
rooms in the papers. A card in the
window brings several applicants
within an hour" The Juvenile Pro-
tective Association in another sur
vey, found five thousand women and
ten thousand men huddled together
in rooming houses in this ward
No Place to Go.
The Community Trust survey says
of the West Side rooning section,
the 18th ward: "This is cid Chi
cago. Old families who began to
make the city gr1ht have gone,
leaving the decaying mansions to
be rented ss cheap lodging houses"
The Y. w. C. A. Industrial Service
Center says of the southern part of
this ward: "There were 10000 in
dustrial girls working within
radius of ten blocks. Last year the
West Side residence of the Y. w.
c. A. turned away 1900 applicants,
and many single women who applied
at the other homes could not be
admitted"
The Community Trust investiga-
tor says: Furnished rooms in the
18th ward, in comparison with other
rooming districts, have poorer
bathing facilities, poorer furnish
ings, more rooms at grade c (the
lowest grade listed) and furnish
fewer laundry privileges"
Wages Low But Not Rents.
Only eighteen, or 6 per cent of
the 300 rooms visited by the Com
munity Trust investigators rented
at less than five dollars a week.
Rooms renting from 5 to 3 dollars
comprised go per cent of those Wis
tied in the North, II per cent Of
those in the West, and So per cent
Of those on the South.
"Only few single rooms were
found to cost less than seven dollars
per week, over rs per cent cost ten
dollars per week, and over 30 per
cent were ten dollars per week or
over"
In spite of these high rents, which
were exorbitant considering that
the single women renting them re-
ceive even lower wages than white
collar men clerks, the acccmmoda-
tons were found to be unusually
lad. "Over 26 per cent of the
houses inhabited by non-family
women on the South Side contained
bathrooms used by more than six
persons, Of both sexes. The same
condition prevailed in Al per cent
OF the rooming houses on the North
Side, and So per cent of the room
ing houses on the West Side"
City Neglects Workers Comfort.
The lack of method and of mu-
picipal supervision Of the rooming
houses of the city, makes life mis-
cradle for the single women. The
low wages paid TO women factory
hands, clerks, stenographers and
saleswomer, combined with the high
rents and uncomfortable homes to
make it difficult for Chicago's Young
women to keep Off rne "easist
path" The city's neglect Of the
housing Of its single women has
been one Of the main factors in the
increase Of prostitution, the Com
munity Trust Company found.
The general living conditions were
found to be wretched. Only 81 out
Of the 300 rooms examined were
found to he coy and fairly COM
Portable. The rest were shabby and
poorly furnished. Eighty-five out of
the 800 were found TO oe "the
sort of a place we are forced to ac-
cept because Of the great range Of
needs we are asked to meet, which
means that the women are forced
to get as cheap a room as possible.
in a section which is near to their
work.
All Rooms Uncomfortable