The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-25
AFTERNOON SESSION,
Strong Resolutions Adopted and
Three Interesting Papers
Read

Miss Severance read the report OF the
committee as follows, and the same was
adopted as whole by unanimous vote:
| The Pacific Coast Woman's Congress, mind
| full OF general sympathy and interest, congratu-
| lates woman upon her ascent; that so much of
! the long climb is behind her and the uplands
| so near.
ResoIued, That we encourage every effort to
secure woman's equal participation in educa-
ton, society, industries, business and State,
and TO give her equal opportunities. Especially
we emphasize that the home is primarily closely
interlined with individual and National in
terests, and we would enlarge woman's boun-
diaries in order to enlarge the home and all it
RESOLVED, That we do all we can to help those
women SO situated that they cannot help them
selves; to bring about juster conditions, more
elevat1ng surroundings and a sympathetic
environment.
RESOLVED, That we extend our gratitude to
the pioneers who have blazed the way to this
congress, especially those men who have
worked for US inside industrial, business, pro-
fessional, educational and legislative bodies
who have reached down ladders of help and
strong hand to lift.
Especially we welcome Miss Anthony and
her lieutenant, Rev. Anna ii. Shaw, appreciat-
other way so emphasize our gratitude as by an
earnest effort for the success of our pending
constitutional amendment to enfranchise
women.
RESOLVED, That we extend our hearty thanks to
the press for its just and kindly reports; to the
pastor and officers of the First Congregational
Church and to the rabbi of the Jewish Synagogue
for their great courtesy, so kindly volunteered
In our time OF pressure, in offering us their
workers who have made this congress possible,
not only its officers, but the great army of I'M
knowns who have supplemented their labors
and insured success.
SARAH NJ. SEVERANCE.
AGNES NJ. MANNING,
LILLIAN PLUNKETT FERGUSON.
Committee of Resolutions.
"The City's Air and Water was the
subject of the first paper, written by Mrs.
DR.. Elizabeth ]. Corbett. read by Mrs. DR..
Avery OF San Jose, as follows;
Had been asked to address you on the new
woman, the bicycle girl, the purity OF the
might expect to interest you, because air is
dry subject. But 1t is nevertheless q most i'm
portant subject. In air and water lurk the seed
and microcosms of all disease. In the air,
water, plants, carpets, curtains and other
things Turk millions of these disease germs.
How is IL any OF us are left to survive? Be-
cause scientists tell us that large nun Der of
microbes are not noXious. But bacteria and
their germs are not the only things that are
propagated by the sewers and impLre water.
There are the impure gases and vapors which
arise from them. While in one sewerage sys-
| tenn there are many advantages there are other
! disadvantages which detract therefrom, and
| the latter are to be found in the steepness of
our hills and the makeshift character of their
| sewerage construction. AS a result of this con-
| structlon they are gradually but certainly pol
| luting the water front and the low-lying dis
tricts. In many OF the larger sewers they con-
not free their putrlent matter for depth of
| three feet.
Statistics show that more than one-half the
! deaths resulting from impure air and defec-
tive sewers occur after the summer winds have
ceased to blow We should turn our attention
to the manner in which our sewers are con-
structed, and by constant efforts bring about
their improvement.
Now, let us turn our attention to impure
water. There are no means known by science
whereby water once infected by sewage i'm
purities can be SO purified as to be perfectly
safe for domestic use; In ell cases of doubt or
oraidQ fQr
be sterilized. Now as to the water of our CITY.
By courtesy | am permitted to read extracts
from report made by George Gaden to Mayor
Sutro Lake MERGED" he said, els natural
cesspool for about FIVE hundred families and
several hundred cattle. Then there are numer-
GUS hog ranches besides, and the filth which
reaches the source of our water supply ia
enough TO make one shudder."
Would not the primal law of self-preserva-
ton lead us to seriously consider the sug-
gesuon OF Mayor SutrO, that we take steps
looking to the supplying OF the City with pure
water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains?
Wewill next consider the Importance of ven-
tilation. All housewives know the difficulty of
keeping the air OF the home pure. There are
the odors of the kitchen and others which she
has constantly to combat. The disease caused
by impure atmosphere is known as an
toxemia-self.poisoning resulting from breath
ing over and over again the same atmos-
phere. In the poorer districts this disease is
more common than one would be willing to be-
lieve. Almost as much depends on ventilation
as on pure water, whether considered in its
relation to the single home or whole COM
munity.
Mrs. Steven Matthews of London, Eng.
land, was the leader in the ten-minute dis
cussion. She prefaced her remarks by
saying that she was proud of the nation to
which England had given birth, and that
she felt like mother visiting her stately
daughter. She spoke in the highest terms
OF the assemblage she was addressing and
extolled Miss Kate B. Stanton, Miss A
Anthony and DR.. Shaw in the warmesbe
terms.
Continuing, she said the Women of Eng
land had been working for the last thirty
years on the same lines which are carrying
the sentiment of the American women to-
day. The women of London have only one
more step to take, and that is the parlia-
mentary vote. When that is done her
work will be done or just commenced. The
women of London have cleaned up the city
and have given the sanitary condition their
closest attention, with the result that the
immense capital is comparatively pure.
Mrs. Sarah Pratt Carr said Mrs. Mat
thews had shown to the congress how the
women had cleaned Loudon, one of the
largest cities in the world, and she would
tell them how the ladies had cleaned Ie-
moore, the smallest town in California.
The ladies organized club, and, through
their united and strenuous efforts, removed
every particle of filth and the sources of
disease at certain seasons, and now the rate
OF mortality is lower than that of anv other
town In the San Joaquin Valley.
Mrs. Bowles told a similar story about
Pomona.
Miss Severance told of another town she
nad heard OF where the grounds surround
Ing the reservoir were leased out for pas
turage.
"Preventable Diseases" was the subject
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,