The Connecticut labor news., 1924-03-29
HOUSE SERVANTS ORGANIZE
 UNION FOR OWN PROTECTION Open Headquarters in Washington and Elect Officers; May Soon Apply for Charter
 in A. F. L.

Washington, March 29.-Something new in the labor union movement is the National Association of Wage Farmers which women of the country have formed primarily for domestic workers Headquarters have been purchased in this city and a practise house estab- ished, which has many of the features of a school of domestic science.
 Miss Mamie H. Burroughs of the District of Columbia is president of the association. The other officers are Mrs, Mary Bethune of Florida, vice president; Miss Minnie L. Bradley of Connecticut, executive secretary; Mrs. Maggie L. Walker of Virginia, treas urer; Miss Elizabeth |. Carter of Massachusetts, chairman of the invest ment board, and Mrs. Lizzie Fouse of Kentucky, registrar.
 The association is hera1ded as "a labor organization with a constructive program" This program is set forth categorically and strangely enough a demand for more pay and shorter hours does not appear as the first fundamental object of the movement
 To develop and encourage efficient workers, to assist women in finding the kind of work for which they seem best qualified, to elevate the migrant class of workers and incorporate them permanently in service of some kind and to standardize living conditions are the listed primary purposes of the union of colored women. Then comes the wage question which is stated merely as a desire to secure a wage that will enable women to live de- cently."
 Other objects enumerated are: To assemble the multitude of grievances of employers and employees into a set of common demands and strive mutu- ally to adjust them; to enlighten women as to the value of organization to make and supply appropriate uni forms for working women through a proht-sharing enterprise and to infu- ence just legislation offecting women wage earners.
 There are three million Negro wo- men engaged in domestic and personal service occupations in. the United States. Negro women wage earners are the only large unprotected labor group in Amrica," says the announce ment of the formation of the new union. "Unorganized labor will be ex- plotted and mistreated. An organized labor group gets fairer wages, better living conditions, greater respect economic justice. Then too, labor organization that functions properly develops in the workers greater skill and general efficiency, pride of occu- patton and improvement in general con- duct. The latter improvements are as important as the former considera- tions."
 In one of the reports of the National Woman's Trade Union League of America the statement was made that 'of all the hard fates to be met, the hardest that the American born child can face Is to De born little colored girl baby, and this sad truth is here put into words that may be reserved in expression, but contain depths of suf- fering for our co1ored sisters" |
 Representatives of the Women in In- dustrial Service listed 156 establish ments in the Middle West employing over 10000 Negro women, and reported that general standards for this class of workers were found to be some what lower than the average and their |