The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-11

obov are Here For-Methods of
BUSINESS and Progress Up to Recent
La5es.
from ST. Louis Globe Democrat
Cu1cAG0. June 29.-ln one of the hall
-ro,s at worlds fair headquarters there is
~, fraouent flutter of skirts, aud through
.Ia doors can be seen the appearance of
rr,at activity. The amiable secretary, Mr..
DicUnson. engaged in polite and diplomatic
or,nnent with some aggressive lady is one
- the daily sights Having created the
hoard of lady managers. the national COM
,,,iss;oo IS finding good deal of difficulty
:, LAYING out work for it. By the officers Of
.bo commission the board is regarded as a
great success. If you ask Secretary Dick
tnson hoy the ladies are getting on he will
say, "splendldly."
.tBut what are they doing~
ooh. they are arousing great interest in
the fair among ladies all over the country.
LoIiave the woman's building will be the
most interesting thing at the fair"
There seems to be no doubt about the in
drstry of the lady managers in stirring up
tbings The act of congress authorized the
lady managers and left 1t to the national
commission to decide upon the number The
only work for the lady managers set out in
The law was that they should have represen-
taton on the committees to make awards
where articles we're wholly or in part the
nroduct Of woman's labor. As the readlest
disDosition of the matter, the commits
sioners decided that each one of them
should appoint n lady manager. The
commissioners for California got together
and amounted each others mother-in-law
10 be lady manager for that state. The
commissioners from Oklahoma appointed
each others wives. One of the commits
sioners from Texas appointed his own wife
10 be a lady manager and his alternate com
missioner's wife to be the alternate lady
manager. The policy Of keeping a good
thing in the family was pursued by some of
the otner commissioners, who chose from
among sisters and cousins and aunts. But
when the lady managers came together they
developed great capacity for work. They
appointed girl pages. Two little maidens
stood at the door holding q bright-colored
ribbon across the entrance. A proposition
was brought before the board for consider
alton. One lady manager moved to lay it
on the table. The motion was put and
carried. Thereupon charming girl page
took the document, carried it across the
on the table" The discussion upon
the proposition proceeded as If nothing had
happened. A wicked male reporter asked 10
see the document He was told that that
was impossible. as the board had just Or
dered it laid on the table and it couldn't be
taken uu without vote. The reporter
snickered. The lady managers looked
severe. The young man got up and walked
out in disgrace, with difficulty getting over
the ribbon stretched across the door
Many interesting stories are told of the
lady managers, but everybody admits their
willingness to work and to 'stir up things"
One of the first suggestions offered from the
lady managers was that they should sat
once appoint concurrent committees CORES
spondlng to those of the commission, and,
later sub-cummittees, whose members
should be invited TO sit with the committees
OF the commission at every session." The
ladies further suggested that the members
of the board of lady managers from each
state should, at joint sessions of the COM
mission and local board, occupy seats adj
Joining, with extra seats reserved for
friends, to be invited from time to time. as
deemed desirable"
The idea of the ladies was set fourth in a
memorial complimentary to the commission.
In deciding that three women should
come from each state aud territory and
from the District Of Columbia you have
nobly remembered that woman shared
vita man the dangers and hardships iu the
PIONEER period OF this country, hes taken
with him every step in the progress of this
nation, and is entitled to share with him
the honor for what has been accomplished
Thus you have offered the grandest aud
most fitting opportunity ever offered
woman to demonstrate her ability in the
economic world.
So the memorial read. But the sugges-
ton that the lady managers should share
the committee work and sit with their hus-
bands aud soDs-in-law and brothers, and so
forth, In the meetings was ignored.
The wisdom Of such action was seen a few
days ago, when a national commissioner
threatened to throw local director out of 8
four,h-story window, and when another
national commissioner began to climb over
his desk ito get at him" Manifesilv lady
managers would have been out of place
there.
The next thing by the lady managers was
arequest to have the scope Of their duties
defined for them. A committee Of commits
siouers wrestled with this request The re-
suit was the recommendation that the lady
managers appoint an executive committee
of twelve and be allowed $500 a year for
stationery.
The lady managers asked for a building
Tor official and other purposes" salaries
Tor chairman and a secretary, and for
instructions SO explicit that there may be
no Misunderstanding of them"
In reply the executive committee of the
commission said that at the proper time q
building or accommodations would be fur
nlshed, and in the near future the board of
lady managers would be provided with
more detailed and definite instructions as
TO its line of work" To this the committee
added the following by way of artful fiat
terry: THE board is composed of an
earnest, intelligent band of ladies anxious
70 aid in every possible way the great work
OF the national commission. Your COM
mlttee will venture to express further, the
belief that without the united assistance of
the ladies the objects of the commission will
not be the success its projectors and friends
wish and have reason to expect"
About the same time with view Of show
ing further respect for the lady managers,
me commission considered a resolution.
mat the secretary Of this commission is
hereby directed to wire the Secretary of the
Treasury forthwith, requesting that official
TO modify the regulations which require
commissioners to swear to their accounts
70 that the same shall not apply to the lady
managers"
This was not all that was done to main
tain good feeling with the lady managers.
dS appears from a letter addressed by Sec
TeIary Phoebe W. Couzins to President
ialmer as follows: Il am directed by the
BOARD OF lady managers, worlds Columbian
commission, to extend to you hearty thanks
Ior the drive to Washington and Jackson
parks on Saturday
Inc commission also "heartily copRratu.