The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-02
NArIonAL W. c. IT, U. CONVENTION.
Reports Of the Various omcers Made at
Yesterdays Ses sion.

". q. L. u, called the convention to or
der this morning. Devotional exercises
were followed by the reading of a report
on the W. G. t. U. school of method and
parliamentary usage, by Mrs. Anna S.
Benjamin of Michigan.
Mrs. A. E. Carman Of Illinois, read
report of the medal contests.
PRESS WORK.
Mrs. Minnie Barker Horning, nationa
uperintendent, reported as follows:
There is no department in the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union, no line OF
work, from which the sentiment must be
so thoroughly extracted IS in the matter
of dealings with the Press. When you
approach the great fountain head OF
news, the Associated Press, with your
matter, the first question asked is: Is
it news? Is it news the people want to
hear? What 1.-THE people, want must be
the eriterion-not the w. =; 4. Y.
women, not the ministers, not the trades
men, not the brewers, but 1.-THE people.
Their motto Is 1.-The greatest news for
the greatest number" They work for
the interests of ALL and if we have news
that many people will be glad to, hear, on
to the wire it goes, and it is read at the
breakfast table in every CITY in the land.
CfO VI b11S. CN4tS11es1 ShiASiall "a a AlOtTO-
poliban daily with your story, if it is
news the eyes of the editor brighten, the
cabalistic marks so onto the manuscript
and you depart followed by the gratitude
of the editor. Much is forgiven of ineffi-
cheney and poor arrangement, if it is
news. II your story has no merit of
freshness or local spirit, money could not
buy space in the local column for it.
There is no union in our country but
what is planning and doing work which
makes that town or city better; what
you are doing is what the papers want,
send it to them, or let them know where
to so for 1t, and it is gladly used, but
your sentimental rhapsodies, detailed ao-
counts Of unimportant meetings, they
win have mono of. Be alive, and at work
and the papers are after your stories. Let
US Danish the sentimental and push for
ward the practical, so shall we succeed.
There is no such thing as friendly or
unfriendly press, the press is wholly i'm
PARTIAL all it wants is news. The year
has seen magnificent advance in press
work; more superintend ents are at work
and better work is being done.
To stimulate my state press superin-
tendents to greater diligence, I have q
silver reporters star which will be given
next year to the one whose report shows
the greatest amount of press work done
in her state A committee of three judges
will decide. '
Missouri, New Hampshire and New
YORK lead out this year, with many other
states following closely.
This is not the time to tell you of the
work done in the press department; my
report already in your hands tells that;
neither can l have the opportunity here
to suggest how the work should be done
or to advise as to methods. These sub
jects will be discussed in our press con-
ferences at five O'Clock each day.
What | would like to urge upon this
body of intelligent women, Is that they
magnify the work of the press in their
local unions. Each one of you can and
should be q press agent for every bit of
W. G. L. U. news that comes to your
knowledge; send it forth, to your local
| papers, to your state reporter, to your
national superintendent according as 1t
has value for these different uses.
Cultivate the journalistic instinct in
yourselves, the instinct to recognize the
| value of news, and the wisdom to rightly
place it. We are noted for being the best
advertised society in the country; let us
keep up to our reputation. Do good
work that makes news, and be sure and
| see to it that the stories of your doings
| are given to the world for it will over
come much of evil and raise the standard
| of our people TO higher planes Of purity
and righteousness.
Mrs. Emily Marston Of New York, sup
| plemented the report with few wor dis
about the metropolitan press work.
Miss Willard read the W. G. 7. q. mot
| to, so toll the worlds story today, is
to make the world better tomorrow
| Mrs. e. r. Ingalls, of Missouri read a
paper on narcotics. urging Congress to
enact a law which would enable states
to pass anti-cIgarette laws.
| cCunnr cAurNrCC DAVIS
Mrs. S. L. Oberholtzer, national super
intendent, repored for the school savings
bank department. in substance as follows:
The work of this department, which is
initialiand at the very base of economic
reform, progresses steadily.
Wherever the school savings bank is in
| use it Is recognized curb to extrava-
gance, prompter of industry and a pre-
ventive to pauperism. This is amply
proven by the testimonies of educational
authorities in charge of the different
schools in the differe MT states where the
system has been introduced.
Our W. G. Z. y. superintendent have
doubled in number during the year and
the women see more clearly the direct
bearing of individual opportunities and
incentives to save pennies and apply them
to higher uses has on the liquor traffic.
ings banks in the United States and there
are few which we have not the figures.
In these 800 schools, mostlyEpublio schools
the 3d. 900 pupils have deposited to their
personal credit 6,1S7. IA.
The method of the school savings banks
in use since first taken up in the public
schools of Long Island City in 1885, which
each year proves itself more valuable,
embrace in detail.
The administration of the system takes
but fifteen minutes of school time and is
popular with school authorities, patrons
and children. The scholars collection
deposits are made with the teacher once
week only, on Monday mornings, before
the lessons of the week are taken up. The
roll is called by the teacher of each divis-
ion, where the school is graded for the
collection Of the savings The roll book
is SO arranged that pupils can be given
credit for the amount deposited with a
figure and the name of the depositor need
not be rewritten during the session. When
the name Of a scholar who has anything to
deposit is called he steps up to the teach
er' S desk with his money and his copy
right card, naming his amount, two
cents, five cents oramore, as the case may
be, passing the money with his card to
the teacher. She credits the amount on