Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-29
| CLUBWOMEN OF THE NATION
Valuable Institute Outgrowth of Women Trade Union League
Biennial-Democratic Womens School In Political
Organization Closes-Centennial News.
BY CORINNE FRAZIER.

BY CORINNE FRAZIER.
~ NE of the most constructive
accomplishment of the BIZ
ennial convention of the Ma
~ tional Women's Trade Union
League of America. held this
Summer in Kansas City. Mo. accord
ing to Ethel Smith. member of the
national executive committee, was the
establishment of oneday institute
on trade union organization, designed
to start the ball rolling in the direc-
ton of self-eXamination with view
to discovering the respective causes of
success and failure in the past. in or
der that the league might work out a
scientifically planned procedure to re-
place the trial-and-error method by
which it has operated up to this time.
Such excellent results were obtained
from the organization institute that
the national committee which had
planned this feature of the convention
was appointed to collate the material
presented and to carry forward the
work begun at Kansas City as a per-
manent part Of the national program
Throughout the day set aside for
the institute session the delegates, in
response to 81 list of searching queS-
lions laid before them, first analysed
the problem of organizing women and
then offered suggestions for perfect
ing that organization.
In establishing this orga niZatiOn in
stitute the league was acting as a
trail blazer. opening the way for
more technical and orderly OrganiZa-
ton among those labor unions includ-
ing women in their membership.
T ~, tto oonfiAnnfIv
pect that it will have far-reaching re-
suits If carried forward in the
same enthusiastic manner in which
it was begun. Considerable thought
was given to the situ&tion which
has arisen with the growth of the
new industrial South, and the con-
vening body addressed an appeal to
the President of the United States,
governors of States, Congress and
State Legislatures, asking for two
things which they decreed were nee
essary for the protection of labor in
the Southland. Their appeal asks
first for guarantee of the right to or
ganize and protect workers against
the common abuse of the injunction
by interference with their lawful ac-
tivities," and second, for legislation
which will replace the 9, 10 and IL
hour day and the 60-hour week with
an eight-hour day and one day of rest
in seven"
In addition, The delegates voted to
inaugurate a labor education program
in the South, and to train league menn-
bers for the complex duties of the
Headquarters staffs both of local and
national leagues.
x = ): x
THE Legislative program or the
trade women as outlined at the
biennial, bears q close resemblance TO
those of the other powerful national
women's organizations. Support or
the child labor amendment and It's
was stressed as the pfl-
mary piece Of Federal work. A reso-
luton was adopted reiteratinG the
leagues support of the bill for a
Federal department Of education and
one renewing it's demands for enforce
ment of the merit system in CLASSIFIED
civil service.
Adequate appropriations for the
Federal Women's Bureau, Children
Bureau and the Federal Board or No-
cational Education are called for in
other resolutions adopted by the
body. The workmen's compensation
law for the District Of Columbia was
Reimbursed and opposition was de
clared to the blanket amendment Tor
equal rights as advocated by the Ma
tional WOman's Party.
In discussing this opposition, Miss
Elizabeth Christian. secretary-treas-
urer of the league. asserted: In the
labor market women are not d sex
but an element in the highly COM
petitive labor supply. Like any other
such element, they are used by en-
to undercut competitors, I'M
less the women's labor is standardized
as to hours and SCALE Of wages. For
that they must bargain, as the men
have done, which means they must
first be organized into unions. And
because that process is slow, with
peculiar difficulties where women are
involved, we must have laws to re-
lieye the worst of the hardshipS until
the equal footing is reached.
"The fact that there are laws for
women and not for men represents
no discrimination between men and
women in reality. for men do not need
nor do they want the laws. Working
women, we contend, should have
them. whether men do or not, because
women both need and want them"
The tenor of the resolution drawn
up covering this issue was that in
dustrial equality does not necessarily
imply "identicaF' conditions or iden-
teal laws for men and women-but
rather. laws which will give equal
pay for equal labor and proportional
rights and privileges, and finally, that
women actually engaged in labor are
the ones best fitted to judge Of the
needs of their group.
Election of officers was part or
the routine convention business. Miss
Rose Schneiderman of New York
was elected national president, sue
ceeding Mrs. Maude Schwartz also
of New York, who resigned. Mrs.
Schwartz is now serving as compensa-
ton adviser for women injured in in
dustrial accidents in New York State.
Agnes Nestor of Chicago Is the new
vice president, and Elisabeth Christ
man Of Chicago was reelected secre-
tary- treasurer Mrs. Raymond Robins
again was chosen honorary president
of the organization.
Miss Ethel Smith of Washington,
who, in addition to her duties as
of the executive board. has
acted as legislative secretary for sew
eral years, with offices in the Capital
City. will continue her duties with the
league, acting as legislative repre-
sentative on the women's joint con-
gressional committee.
The hundreds of delegates who
gathered at Kansas City for the bien-
NAL represented thousands of women
at a wide variety of trades,
including printers, bOokbinders, cap.
waist and cloak makers; dressmakers,
L. ~yIo aIyAr Ia
workers, mattresses, cooks. laundry
cleaners, dyers and pressers;
telephone operators, retail clerks,
teachers, Federal employees. postal
that was all, until the motorman halt