Evening star., 1936-01-21
Plea for Work or Homes
For the Forgotten Woman
70 the Editor Of The star:

70 the Editor Of The Star:
AS SO much space is given to letters
from men and 80 seldom one appears
from 4 woman, may ask the courtesy Of
the publication of the following:
During the period now termed the
depression years. condition which
still prevails-daily we have read Of plans
for securing employment for men, but
nowhere do we read Of the necessity Of
women being given employment, with
the exception Of . few who were put to
work making over old clothing for dis
tribution among the needy. Yet, for
years, there have been thousands upon
thousands Of educated, refined. expert
enced business women walking the streets
of our great cities, unemployed, discour-
aged and hopeless; women who, because
they have reached middle-age or over,
have found no further demand for their
services in the business houses OF the
land. Though millions Of dollars have
been provided for purposes Of relief, there
are no paths opened to them. They are
told that they must be ION relief" before
anything can be done for them, and when
they do apply at welfare ofiices through
out the country they are spoken to IN
an insolent and intolerable manner by
women who, perhaps through acquaint-
ance with some politician, are holding
executive or clerical positions, and there
appears to be no one to whom to COM
plain about the abusive treatment to
which they are subjected.
There is a remedy for this, but appar-
emily no one with suficient initiative to
apply it. In some Of the great Western
kns Hf NIL 80 1l0 q r.
propriated for relief and spent for this
purpose and for the salaries Of those dis
tributing these dollars, there are many
kinds Of raw products that could be
utilized; factories could have been
erected and hundreds Of men and women
could have been employed in these plants
and the Offices where the clerical work
would be done.
II the Government cannot find em-
ployment for the educated unemployed
women Of the land, unless they are ION
relief" then let homes be erected to
shelter these women with at least the
comforts necessary to life Of respect
ability. And let the women who are
placed In charge OF these homes be
women OF sympathetic understanding.
women who will not be permitted to con-
tinue their abuse Of others because they
happen to be acquainted with wealthy
member of the board"
May suggest that the Government.
in providing refined shelter for these
unemployed women whose savings and
resources are exhausted and who are
driven to desperation, take over some
of the numerous vacant houses that can
be found in every large city and convert
them into restful and clean homes. per-
mitting those who can to pay nominal
charge, and let those who cannot remain
there in safety while seeking employ
ment. To help to raise the funds for this
project reduce the salaries OF those poll
tioians who are SO liberal in spending the
Governments money among highly paid
employees, while offering the needy q
monthly pittance out Of the many bill
lions that have been provided for relief.
Surely the refined, educated women OF
our land are as worthy as self-seeking.
greedy politicians. Let some action be
taken at once in the interest OF the all
too-long forgotten woman"
MARION HUMBERT.