The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-22
FOR CLUB HOUSE.
Topeka Federation Endorses the
Proposed Plan.
VIII Cooperate With the To-
peka Commercial Club.
TWENTY ON RECORD.
Only Four Clubs Vote Against
Proposition.
Details Will Be Arranged at
Future Meetings.
ON RECORD.

4 clubs at its meeting at Unity church
this morning voted in favor of the pro-
position to cooperate with the Topeka
! Commercial club in the building of
club house to be used jointly by the
two organizations. The vote was lot
unanimous. only 20 clubs endorsing the
proposition Internationally, but on the
other hand only four went on record as
directly opposed to it and the remainder
of the A clubs OF the federation were
either not represented at the meeting
or their delegates were unwilling to
commit themselves without a further
discussion of the project in the indi-
vidual clubs. The 20 affirmative votes
give the required majority and one del
egate who had been instructed by her
club to use her own judgment after a
clearer eXplanati ton of the plan Dromis-
ed her clubs support although she was
unwilling to commit it by a formal
vote 1t IS expected that at least a part
of the clubs which are counted among
/ the doubtful will be in favor OF the club
house after their delegates have report
ed this mornings meeting.
The meeting was called to order at
4 half after o'clock by Mrs. A. H. Hor-
/ ton, president. The preliminary routine
! business was transacted and it was vo-
/ ted on the motion of Mrs c. O. Knowles
funds for a Topeka exhibit in the art
and crafts display at the meeting of
4 the Kansas Social Science federation at
/ Wichita May SIS. A letter was read
from Mrs. Alice Wooswick, chairman
of the state committee on art asking
the federation to aid in making the art
exhibit at Wichita equal to that at Sa-
J lima last year, where Topeka part Of
4 the exhibit was uncommonly creditable.
/ Delegates to the state convention were
reported and the roll of the delegates to
the city federation called.
The president then declared the club
I house question to be in order, and il
was moved and seconded that the feder-
alton agree to unite with the CONNER
Cial club in an effort to erect a build
ing in Topeka to be used by the two
/ organizations as club house. 1t
might reasonably have been supposed
/ that the plan proposed had been sufh-
GENTLY explained and that every mem
Der Of the fedora ton might have under
stood it, but the delegates began to fire
! volleys of questions al the head Of Mrs.
4 C.. o. Knowles. chairman of the club
house committee who had recklessly
promised to explain anything that
might not be clear about the plan upon
which the committees from the Com
mercial club and the federation have
agreed. This plan has been published
so many times and talked over 50
thoroughly at the federation meetings
and IN the individual clubs that child
4 questions which have been asked
hundred times since the proposition was
first made were put again this morning
and patiently answered. The federation
has not been asked to pledge itself to
build club house or furnish any part
/ of the money to build it. The question
simply was would the federation agree
to rent the rooms intended for its use in
| the proposed club house and pay a
yearly rental of $780, in case such a
7 club house was built. The building will
be put I'D at cost Of $50, 900 and will
belong to the Individual stockholders.
who may or may not be members of the
recreation or the Commercial club.
Each organization will pay yearly
rental Of $3.50 to secure the interest on
the investment of the stockholders
OF course it is reasonable to expect
that clubs or members who have the
interest of the federation, club work and
the general community at heart viii
take stock and urge their friends to
take stock, but no club by its vote this
morning in favor of the proposition
pledged to raise q cent Of money to-
ward the erection of the building. They
merely put themselves under ob1iga-
! tons to rent the building for one year
and help raise the rent. The rent which
the federation now pays for meeting
places amounts to about the sum which
viii be required of them for the use Of
the club house As Mrs. H w ROby
said this morning the federation in the
year past pledged itself to raise $500 to
pay for the series of entertainments
given and was not frightened at the re-
sponsibility. Every year it pays its cur
rent expenses and has something left
and without a single club paying more
then twenty-five cents yearly dues
Mrs. Knowles, Mrs. ROby, Mrs Gar
vey, Mrs J. D. Mcfarland, Mrs F. c.
Bowen and others spoke in favor Of the
club house Mrs. Jonathan Thomas was
one of those who spoke against it. She
said she thought it was very unbusi-
ness like OF the federation to vote in
of no OH
were willing to take stock and pledge
themselves to persuade others to take
stock She said a favOra Bile vote ought
to mean that the club voting was pre-
pared to give the club house financial
support
Five or six of the delegates asked
quections and refused to vote until they
could carry the matter to their clubs
again. A great many sec med to still
labor under the delusion that if the
club house should be built thev coIud be
held personally responsible for the
Workmen'S wages, in case their clubs
voted in favor of it. The concern and
alarm Of some of the women less they
should be pledging themselves to some
thing definite by their vote was rather
amusing to see, especially when it is re-
most organizations there are ten or
twelve wideawake, energetic and pro-
gressive women who do all the work
anyway. while the otehrs reap the ben
eft. OF course if the club house Is
built a few of the women of the fed
Grafton win do all the real work in
connection with the enterprise. They
will themselves take stock, and per
suade their friends to do the same in
spire the community with interest in
the plan. and when it is built shoulder
the responsibility of paying the fedora
tons share of the rent. IT'S ever thus.
All that the most sanguine could real
~ expect Of the great majority is that
they would at least not put obstacles
in the way of those who are eager and
anxious to spend their time and money
for the good Of the federation.
When the vote was taken Just about
noon of the thirty clubs represented.
twenty voted yes, four no and six re-
fused to vote at all. The president then