Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-27
WOMAN IN CLUB AND CHARITY

being distributed by the library committee
Of the Nebraska Federation Of women's
Clubs to all Of the club presidents Of the
State Federation, together with a circular
from the committee. which says in part:
The Nebraska Federation Of women's
Clubs, through its committee on library ex-
tension. would call your attention to the
excellent showing made In this report.
Since the law creating the commission was
largely due to the effective work OF the
! ClubWOmen OF our state we naturally feel
a pride in the work, accomplished during
the last two years. The report proves most
conclusively that 1900 has done very well
for the seventeen months OF active work
on the present basis OF expenditure. If
the work is strengthened and enlarged
there must be an increased appropriation
Of 5000 to carry on the work for the two
Years. Now that Clubwomen's interests are
50 carefully consulted would 1t not be well
for us to use our influence to support this
part in making Nebraska. a better and more
attractive state in which to live. Would
I Hot pe WISE 70 dPpVint d CoinHllttSe ol
two or more women from your club to,
either by personal interview or correspond
ence with local members ask them to sup
port this measure when presented in the
legislature.
The committee includes Mrs. Belle NJ.
Stoutenborough, chairman; Mrs. Anna NJ.
Steel, Miss Margaret o'Brien and Mrs. Mate
E. McGill.
The report Of the commission gives much
credit to the women's clubs of the state,
both for the agitation an effort that re-
suited in the establishment Of the commits
sion and for subsequent agitation for the
establishment Of Libraries. The greatest
obstacle to the establishment Of libraries
after the ignorance of their Importance and
desirability has been disposed of, is the in
efficient revenue law Of the state. The
two mill levy provided for by law. for IL
brary purposes, is worsS than inadequate
in most towns. The travelling library is
therefore deemed the most important fea-
ture of the commissions work. Thirty
collections of forty volumes each are DOW
in circulation in the state. They remain
three months in a place, and are then re-
turned to Lincoln for inspection and the
recording Of statistics before reshipping.
The demand for the books is said to be in
creasing without effort on the part OF the
secretary to augment it-in fact, the de-
mand for books has always been greater
than the supply, and places could have
been found for several times the number of
books available. The thirty travelling IL
braries have made altogether sixty-six
trips, including those now OUT, and have
visited A places in thirty counties. In
twenty-one Of these places reporting, the
average number Of borrowers has been AS.
These 81 libraries contain $40 volumes and
reached over 1000 actual borrowers. The
$40 volumes we're loaned 5,521 times in ten
months, although most Of them were not
in circulation the whole time. This circu-
lation is considered remarkable, as COM
pared with the circulation of books from
public libraries over the country In many
cases the books were read aloud to the fam
lily circle and in number Of readers ex-
ceeded the actual number of borrowers. In
addition to extending the circulation of
- - -
other lines of work that promise prohta-
BILE results, such as the Farmers institute
and reading courses. There is a call now
on file for just this kind of work and much
that ought to be done for people on the
farms.
The Ladies' Aid society OF South Tenth
Street Methodist church will meet at 2
o'clock on Wednesday Afternoon at the
home of Mrs. johnson, at 1106 Georgia
avenue, January rs.
The year book Of the Missouri Federation
is just out, showing a membership Of 112
clubs, including 4,700 women, distributed
in forty-seven cities and towns and thirty
eight counties. The division of the state
into eight congressional districts, with a
vice president for each, each by virtue of
hSl nv pSlnS q NlC6 pT6blueuI VI the
State Federation, is one Of the new fea-
lures that promises to be one of the most
profitable arrangements yet undertaken.
The recent meeting Of delegates in st.
Louis for the election of a local biennial
board was the first definite step toward
the entertainment Of the General Fedora
tion biennial in 1904. The election of Mrs.
Philip N. Moore as president Of the local
board is generally satisfactory, for, having
demonstrated her executive ability in local,
state and general federation work, there is
no fear for the success of the undertake
ing. The president Of the Wednesday club
will be first vice president of the local
board, Mrs. Edward Taussig second vice
president, Mrs. w. N. Jones third presi-
dent, Miss Tower corresponding secretary
and Miss Fischer secretary.
Mrs. A. X. Gault presided at Mondays
meeting of the political and social de-
partment of the Woman's club, the subject
of the meeting being the State Institution
for the Feeble Minded at Beatrice. Mrs.
Henry Mcdonald, who has recently visited
the institution, gave a most interesting ac-
count of it, its rules, the class 9ystem,
the amusements and diversions Of the in
mates and the general plan on which it
is conducted. A general discussion fol-
lowed. Mrs. j. G. Hammond was another
speaker. the State Board of Charities ard
Correction being her subject.
1t is practically certain that Mrs. Will
liam Spencer Crosby can be secured to
present her Wagner lecture recital, under
the auspices of the Woman's club, some
time during the latter part Of February. as
a sufficient number OF subscriptions have
been made to meet the necessary expense
OF the enterprise.