Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-13

and industrial movements.
The task of making such an exhibit
and securing one as comprehensive ash
the plans call for is not easy by any |
means, but the national commission |
could not have put it into better hands |
than those of the League for Social
Service.
Its object is to stand toward all
those interested in social work in the
light Of a bureau Of information. where
one may get information or expert ad-
vice concerning anything which has to
do with the practical side of social
work. The men that are at the head of
it-Dr. Josiah Strong and DR.. William
H. Tolman-are experts, and acknowl-
edged authorities on such questions;
and under their direction the league
has been gathering data and Informal
ton concerning social work, until now
it is in very good condition to start on
the task of preparing the exhibit for
the Paris Exposition.
The method which will be followed IN
securing the exhibit gives assurance that
IL will do credit to this country in every
way. On all the principal topics a mon
agraph will be prepared by an expert.
who will describe carefully the institu-
tons and movements intrasted to him.
These different monographs Will , be
printed for free distribution at Paris.
When they are finished they. will be
turned over to the league, which will
then secure a collection of photographs.
charts. models. maps and lantern-slides
and other forms of illustration which will
form the bulk of the exhibit. In the So
cial Economy building ut the exposition
a room twenty-Seven feet square has
been set aside for the American exhibit
and here in wing cases and on tables the
illustrations will be displayed. wholly
novel feature of the show, however. Will
be the automatic lantern which Will dis
play the slides. 1t is a clever invention;
which enables the lantern to be loaded
with one hundred slides. and when set in
motion it needs no care or attention.
Each slide holds four photosraph1s II by
slide. which does away with the need OF
Il lecturer. Thus an announcement Will
be made that at a certain hour III the
American room the work that Is being
done by a certain city in the way OF pub
lie Fairgrounds or public baths Will be
demonstrated, and, after the audience
has gathered, all that is necessary is to
start the machine and the spectators can
see the pictures, which with the explain
atory slides in three languages. give them
an exact idea of what they came to learn
about.
Special attention is to be given to mu-
nicipal and industrial work. in which
there has been such progress in the last
ten years. There will be a wide and COM
prehensive exhibit of the park systems of
! the different cities in this country, OF
| Fairgrounds and gymnasia. of baths and
| public concerts and lectures. Further
| more. it is proposed to have certain city
days when the lantern exhibits will be
| devoted to the public work in different
cities. Thus there will be a Boston day.
when the pictures shown will deal exclr-
| sively with that city. and when at the
meeting it's works will form the topic of
discussion. In this way it is expected
| that the interest may be made greater
| and the discussion which follows less alb
| stract.
1t will, however, doubtless be the indus
| trial work which will attract the great
est amount of attention, because it Is in
| this branch of sociology that the most
| rapid advance is being made and the
most tangible results are being obtained
| The United States have been very slow
| in beginning this work for, curiously
enough our merchants and MANUFACTURE
ers, keen as they are in most ways. have
| that the better conditions under which
| their employees work the better results
| they obtain from them Now. however.
this has all changed, and this country Is
| name treatment of operatives and en-
| ployees. Dr. Tolman, who has made
| for Paris. says that few have any idea
| how much is being done here. Through
| DR.. Tolman the league has been in very
| close touch with all employers of labor
| who desire to make its conditions easier
and it is constantly being called on Tor
| expert ADVICE. are OcSii-
| ming to regard it as something better
| than collection of amiable cranks, as
DIR. Tolman loosely styled it. Tor they
are beginning to understand that by i'm
| proving the condition of their employees
they are not only doing thing which is
good of itself. but they are beneiitinS
| themselves. and in the end are increasing
their profits In little pamphlet which
the league lately published is list of
some of the things which are now in act
ual operation, and it is well worth
reading. A few will give idea of
| things which twenty, or even ten years
| ago. were unheard of. In the list We find
! travelling libraries. mothers guilds, kim
dergartens, industrial schools, all kinds
| of athletic organizations, musical clubs.
| dancing classes, penny provldent FUNDS,
relief associations, baths, dining-rOoms,
large windows tinting of walls in restful
| colors, lectures and publications, social
| halls in factories, model cottages, cook
| ing classes. landscape gardening ana a
! dozen other things of similar nature
| All of these various improvements by
| means of photographs and lantern slides
will be shown at the exposition, and with
| them will be various suggestions for new
| improvements. Thus it will be seen that
| the exhibit will be of interest not only
/ to social reformers but to employers of
labor. and in this way will have a prac
| teal value which can be measured in dol
I lars and cents by those who may wish t.
| do SO. And this leads up at once to the
| plans which have been made Tor the dis
! posal of the exhibit after the. Paris expo
| sitOn has closed.
| The league for social service, with very
| limited means, has made for itself field
| of greatest usefulness as a diSsemina-
! tor of information concerning work in ali
particularly hampered by its inability TO
| illustrate what is being done. The plan
now is to take the, American exhibit at