A $50-a-Month Gamble on Seattle’s Working Women

The Young Women’s Christian Association, located at 718 Third Street, has been in existence for only about one year, but in that time, owing to the many hard workers among its managers, it has grown and developed to an extent that places it today among the permanent and useful evangelical institutions of the city.

The second year opens under equally favorable circumstances, with the home association duly recognized by and affiliated with the International Young Women’s Christian Association, whose headquarters are in Chicago, and strengthened by the experience of the first year’s efforts. It seeks to broaden its field of operation by opening an active campaign in the interest and for the welfare of all young women in the city, irrespective of creed or class. The excellent board of managers that did such good work during the first year was replaced at the annual meeting held last Monday by the following officers: President, Mrs. William H. Wellson; vice presidents, Mrs. H. G. Parkhurst, Mrs. B. P. Daniels, Mrs. Clark Davis, Mrs. J. C. Keith, Mrs. R. E. Lunt; treasurer, Mrs. J. C. Robinson; secretary, Miss C. Y. Robinson; recording secretary, Miss Mary Martin; corresponding secretary, Miss Nettie Wood.

The most important work transacted at the recent annual meeting was the resolution passed looking to securing for the home association a trained secretary. In accordance with suggestions received from the International Association at Chicago, these secretaries are educated and trained specially for this work, being women of executive ability qualified mentally and physically to cope with the duties of their position, and with practical experience to ensure the successful advancement of any branch association placed in their charge. The International Association has agreed to furnish such a trained secretary to the ladies of this city providing that $50 a month for four months shall be guaranteed. If this four months’ salary, or less, is assured, they will send a responsible, well-trained woman, and will in turn guarantee that in the four months she will place the home association on a paying basis, by broadening its field of operation and increasing its membership by making its existence felt among the young women of the city and by creating classes for their benefit in languages, penmanship, dressmaking, cooking, physical culture and other useful branches. The home association, after passing the resolution favoring the securing of such a trained secretary, appointed Mrs. E. S. Tremaine a committee of one with authority to solicit and receive monthly subscriptions covering this $50 a month guarantee. Though all the officers are urged to solicit subscriptions, no one but Mrs. Tremaine is authorized to receive any money.

At the board of managers’ meeting last Monday it was also decided to put a paid secretary in the rooms until a trained secretary is secured and put in permanent charge.

The association during the first year was unable to provide as fully as desired for the temporal and moral welfare of the young women in attendance at its meetings, though it has well provided for their spiritual welfare. It now seeks to afford them opportunities for social intercourse and recreation in accordance with the original aims of the organization.

The membership of the association today is about 100, and any woman of good moral character, irrespective of creed, can, upon the payment of $1, become an associate member, which entitles her to the use of the rooms, but gives her no vote in the management. To become an active member it is necessary that the applicant shall be a member of some evangelical church.

At present only the reading room and the lunch room are open and in full operation, at 718 Third Street, near the corner of Columbia. The reading room is open from 10 in the morning to 5 o’clock in the evening, while lunches are served to women only, from 11 o’clock in the morning to 2 o’clock in the afternoon. These lunches are not only for working girls, but for all women down town, either shopping, on business or for pleasure, and the managers call special attention to these lunches, which should be better patronized by all women who may be down town between the hours given. Women are invited to bring their lunches at the noon hour, where they will be served with coffee, tea or milk for 5 cents; coffee, tea or milk with bread and butter, 5 cents; sliced meat and cake in addition, 10 cents.

The reading room contains an organ, which, together with the daily papers, the Post-Intelligencer included, is at the disposal of all the members or those using the lunch room. Social evenings are to be pleasing features in connection with the rooms as the work develops, in which music, literature and health talks will predominate.

An employment bureau, open to all applications, is now run in connection with the association, and is free to those seeking positions. This is an important adjunct which employers and employees should not overlook.