Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-12
MOTHERS CONGRESS
National Meeting at Dss Moines
Will Be an Occasion Of Great
Importance.
Men and Women Of Great Promi-
nence to Take Part in the
Program
Something About the Aims and OBJ
ject Of the Organization-Edi-
torial Excursion.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. May 12.-The National
Congress OF Mothers. which meets in
Des Moines May 81 to %. is expected to
bring to this city several hundred of the
most prominent specialists in child
study and in the Improvement of the
environments of the home. The mothers
congress was organized in 1897 by Mrs.
Theodore w. Birney of Washington, as
sisted by Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, wife OF
the California millionaire. and Mrs. Ad-
lai Stevenson, whose husband was then
vice president. Mrs. Birney has said
that the real aim Of the organization is u
to make the true value Of the home fully
understood, SO that women may not go
into other avenues opening to them
without realizing the opportunities and
beauties of domestic life. The congress
has no quarrel with modern conditions
which open to women so many avenues
of employment, but as the leaders OF
this movement say. is striving to keep
women with families Of children from
falling behind the times. getting rusty"
and growing old before their time. The
central object of the whole organization
is the child-how best to train and edu-
cate him and give him the right start in
the world.
Since the first organization the con-.
gress has perfected state organizations
| in the following states, the name OF the
state organizer being given in each
case:
Ncbrask Mrs. II. n. Heller. Omaha; I
Illinois. Mrs. Roger B. McMullin. Ev-
lanston; Arkansas, Mrs H. Cooper, Lit.
tie Rock; Maine, Mrs. Edward Osgood,
Portland; Georgia, Mrs. William Keene.
ATLANTA; New York. Mrs. D. o.. Niears
Albany; Florida. Mrs. Teresa Smith,
Tallahassee; North Carolina. Mrs. Rob
ert Cotton. Falkland; Missouri. Mrs.
Mary H. Weeks. Kansas City; Utah,
Mrs. Mary c. May, Salt Lake City;
| IMichigan. Miss Harriet Marsh. Detroit;
lPennsylvania, Mrs. Frederick Schoff,
Philadelphia: Virginia, Mrs. Kate Bar
rett,s Washington. D. c.; Connecticut,
Mrs. Frances Sheldon Bolton. New Ha-
wen; Iowa, Mrs. Isaac Lea Hills. Des
AIoines, and Los Angeles destrict, Miss
Mary Ledyard.
Mrs. Hills went to the last national
convention in Washington and presented
1 the attractions of Des Moines in such a
! Favorable light that the congress voted
Ito hold its next session here. Since that
SI;time she has devoted the greater part Of
4 her time to organizing mothers clubs
land Introducing the congress plan OF
work into various women's clubs and or
Il foundations already in existence in
|2Iowa. She has been travelling all over
4 the state in this work and has been
highly successful. Being a good talker
4 and Very resourceful woman general
Ily, she has made her speciality familiar
Ito the entire state. About 400 women's
lclub organizations ofNarious kinds have
4 either been formed especially for this
purpose or have introduced it as a de-
& partment of the club work
I, The line of investigation followed by
s the clubs adopting the congress plan OF
4 work is n systematic and scientific In
vestigation into the care and training
a of children ard the prevention of the In.
Grease of defective and delinquent chill.
dren. The work has attracted the at.
& tention and secured the cooperation ol
the leading specialists in child study
charities and corrections and philah
!. thropic work in general. The program
that has been prepared includes th'
!, names of some Of the best known peopl,
in the country in these branches o
jstudy, among whom may be mentioned
Iihe following:
Oscar Chrisman. professor Of paidolo
!. gy in Kansas State Normal, who will
. speak on THE Science of Child Study
DR.. Leartus Connor, of Detroit. Mich.
who will speak on Physical Trainin;
Development of Manhood.
Henry Sabin of Des Moines gives al
! address on Parents Duty to the Bo.
! in Fitting Him to Become an Intelligen
/. Citizen
Professor NJ. " O'Shea, professor Q
the science and art OF education in th
University OF Michigan, speaks on '.Th
{ Religious Life and Training Of Boys"
Mary Roberts Smith. professor of SO
I GEOLOGY in Leland Stanford Universit.
!. speaks on Immaculate Womanhood.
4 Col. Francis w. Parker. of Chicago
. gives an address on THE Ideal Educa
ton"
Mrs. Martha p. Falconer, probatio
: officer of Chicago, speaks on Practice
Benefits of the Juvenile Court Law
Mrs. Florence Kelley, OF New Yorl
: secretary of the Consumers League
!. speaks on Unseen Dangers to Child
. hood Resulting from Present 1ndustris
: Conditions
These are only few of the most I'm
portant topics and speakers. Represer
a tatives OF all the western universitie
J, Twill be present and take part in the di.
:, cussions, and the school men of the Mi.
!, sissippi valley. particularly those intel
z lested in the modern science of Chi
I study. will be very numerous in tt
/ meeting. Many of them have write
. that they would attend.
: Since there is mothers club in ever
. . county in Iowa, and in many counti'
they are numerous, and the teachir
I. profession is to be we'll represented, II
attendance Is certain to be large. MI
Hills thinks that the! attendance fro
!. Iowa will be 5000 or 6. 600, and from ou
= side the state from 300 TO 500.
: The local arrangements are In Il
hands Of the Des Moines Women's Clu
which Is being assisted by the comme
q. cial Exchange and by other club wom'
Y. ot Des Moines and some who do not b
y long to any club. One Of the promis
" made 10 bring the congress to this g!
Twas that 80 delegates should be ente