The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-01
Giant Task
Is Taken On
by Woman
BY LAURA Lou BRooKMAN

MA service writer
NEW YORK, Sept. There will
not be single neglectful husband
in the United States if Mrs. Kath-
erin Blocker Meigs' plans mate
rialize.
Nor a debutante who goes to a
party without a "dingbat."
Nor a harasssed dinner guest who
attacks the salad with the wrong
fork
Mrs. Meigs-blond, attractive and
enthusiastic-just has embarked on
ore of the biggest jobs a woman has
ever undertaken. She is the newly
appointed social secretary" Of the
Postal Telegraph Company and it
is her task to correct Americas
social errors.
From her desk in a Fifth avenue
office Mrs. Meigs will solve etiquette
problems, arrange entertainments,
send flowers, supply shopping assist
ance, remind husbands of anniver-
saries-in short, shoulder all the
burdens a social secretary might
dispatch for any one in the country
who wants this service.
There are so many possible duties
involved in this new job that Mrs.
Meigs admits she hasn't thought
them all out yet.
Originated the Idea
She originated the idea of the de-
partment, convinced Postal Tele-
graph officials it was a worthwhile
venture and thereby introduced am
entirely new field for women in
business.
Il started with the idea of form
ing shopping service" Mrs.
Meigs explains, and the rest just
developed. Having lived on the
Pacific coast I know that often
women in other parts of the coun-
try have errands they would like
carried out in New York. Unless
they have very patient and de-
voted friend here to come to their
rescue, these wants go unattended.
Then I began to think that a lot
OF social problems could be solved
from central bureau. A woman
might want to give party and be
relieved of the responsibility of or
ganizing it. Or she might want to
know exactly how to lay table for
a formal dinner.
"The idea of furnishing 'dingbats'
came next"
Did Commercial Films
The term "dingbats" is new
society slang for chaperone and it
might be as well to explain here
that Mrs. Meigs' name is in the
New York social register, that her
ancestors arrived in America in
1910, and that in days before the
World war she was one of the first
New York debutantes to abandon
the butterfly whirl Of society for a
job involving hard work.
That first commercial venture
as her latest-was original.
Il knew a man who had written |
a scenario he could not SELL" she |
said. HE wanted to produce it with
his friends as actors and actresses.
I'd never seen a motion picture |
camera, but photography had al
ways been a hobby with me and I
told him I'd make the picture.
After it was finished we made
another. Then I began doing film
for commercial organizations. The
second year I made a profit of IS 900
and was proud of It'll"
Benefit to Children
The Meigs' home is on Staten
island and Mrs. Meigs believes it
is quite as possible for a woman
to combine home life and office
duties as it is for a man.
1t seems to me children are
really benefited when their moth
ers have interests outside the
homes" she said.
Il believe that explains the in
creased respect so many children
have for their fathers as compared
with their feeling toward mothers.
Being constantly with the mother,
the modern boy or girl becomes
bored with her"
During the next few weeks Mrs. !
Meigs will be organizing her staff
and finding out how the nation
feels about its social problems. Her
assistants will work through shop
ping services, entertainment bureau
and other agencies already estab-
liShed.
She must get these details worked |
out and operating smoothly during
the next few months, for she antici-
pateS a big rush of business doing |