The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-09-06
MRS. WHITNEY RESIGNS
On Account Of I'll Health
Can No Longer Act As
Town Improvement
Chairman.

Mrs. Franklin Whitney, chairman of the
Town Improvement Department of the
Woman's Club. has resigned from active
| work, and the department is at present
without head. Mrs. Whitney was fore
ed to resign on account of i'll health. She
feels she cannot do justice to the work.
Mrs. Hudspeth- Benson, acting chairman,
is also in ill-health and has gone to Can
ada, where she will remain probably un-
til the latter part of October.
Mrs. Whitney, it will be remembered,
took the craftsmanship of the Town I'M
provement Department at the annual
election of the Woman's Club last March,
under protest. Mrs. Hudspeth- Benson S
term of office had expired, that is, she
had served three years as chairman, and
according to the club constitution re-
election was forbidden. The club was de-
sirous of retaining Mrs. Benson, so the
Executive Committee sat on the matter
and decided that in case no one was-nomi-
mated for the craftsmanship, it, the Ex-
ecutive Committee, might appoint chair
man pro tenn, until such time as it had
a chance to procure a regular chairman.
What, then, reasoned these executive
women, was the matter with appointing
Mrs. Benson chairman pro tenn, and
postponing the time of electing regular
chairman until she should again be eligi-
BILE. This might have all been very well
had it not been that the club at large
had the privilege of making nomina-
ton from the floor at the last minute
and spelling everything.
Mrs. Whitney, who all along had been
Mrs. Benson's right hand woman, had
already been asked to serve and had de-
clined. She was approached again, the
dilemma explained, and she consented to
the nomination, provided in case of cleo
ton Mrs. Benson should still act as chair
man in all but name. Mrs. Whitney was
unanimously elected.
Shortly after the election came the cre-
alton of the Little Italy Park Mrs. Ben
son had worked so hard to procure. The
story of the naming of that park, how
the club women petitioned and repeti-
toned that it be christened the Mary
Benson Park, and how the city officials
turned them down, is well known. All
the work in this matter fell on Mrs.
Whitney. She was tired out with her
efforts, but sure of success. Upon the
opening of the park, when Mrs. Whit
ney learned for the first time that the
result of her labors was to be Mount
Pleasant Park she nearly collapsed. 1t
was the beginning of her failing health
A week or so after the opening of the
park Mrs. Benson met with an accident
to her knee cap which confined her to
her room until she left for Canada about
the first of August, and again the entire
work of the Town Improvement Depart
ment fell upon Mrs. Whitney, so that in
stead of being the chairman in name only
she has been the chairman in reality at
time when there was more activity re-
quired than ever before.
the Woman's Club this year on the first
Thursday in October, but under the cir
cumstances it is probable that one of the
other departments will have to furnish
the programme. Mrs. Benson is greatly
improved in health, but it will be fully
the latter part of October before she can
with safety resume her Town Improve
ment duties. One of the first of these
will be the erection of a shelter at the
Junction for transfer passengers of the
North Jersey Traction Company:
Mrs. Newbury, the club president, is
still out of town, SO it is not yet known
what will be done in the matter of Mrs.
Whitney's resignation but it is likely that
son continuing as active chairman.