The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-16

vote and lost unanimously. This section
of the constitution, therefore, remains
as it was.
Anamendmentto the bylaws was pro-
posed prohibiting two consecutive terms
of office to an officer and lost.
While the district organization has
been perfected for some time, adequate
provision has never been made for it in
the bylaws. An amendment was there
fore proposed and carried defining the
district organizations. Considerable
argument developed over the question of
allowing local clubs to become members
of the district organization without be
longing TO the state federation, but was
not fayorably received.
The districts are identical with the
congressional districts, but by an amend
ment to this section, clubs situated
more favorably to an adjacent district
may affiliate with that district with
the permission of the executive board.
A couple of minor amendments were
adopted without argument.
An amendment to the bylaws pro-
posed by the treasurer, Mrs. c. S. Gram
dali, was adopted under suspension of
the rules. 1t provides for the method
of payment by the clubs of their annual
dues into the Federation treasury and
straightens out some misunderstanding
that have heretofore existed. Under it,
the fiscal year ends the last day of the
convention.
Mrs. Evans of Minneapolis presented
the report of the legislative committee.
She said that it is only by thorough
understanding of the question to be pre-
scented that the Federation can make its
influence felt and that each member
should school herself in the questions
upon which they expect legislation. She
recommended action by the Federation
toward securing the removal of the girls
training school at Red Wing to some
other point and placing it in charge of
women whose experience fits them to
handle the work
The matter of the admission of un-
federated clubs to the district organiza-
ton was brought up for consideration.
Mrs. Woodbridge of Duluth was very
anxious, because of local conditions, that
the Duluth district be allowed to admit
non federated clubs to their district or
ganization. After considerable argu-
ment, pro and con, the proposition was
again voted down.
Preparations were then made for the
informal ballot for officers, and the
tellers, Mrs. Stacy of Minneapolis, Mrs.
Woodbridge of Duluth and Mrs. Boswell
of Merriam Park, took charge of the
ballot box. The president appointed Mrs.
Welch of Fergus Falls, Mrs. Eastman
of st. Cloud and Mrs. Edgerton of st.
Paul committee to nominate delegates
to the National Federation at st. Louis
next May.
Z The convention then adjourned until
two o'clock
The Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session opened with vo-
cal solos by Miss Charlotte Huff and Mrs.
HI. L. Schmitt The attendance was
much larger than at the previous SEES
sions, fully four hundred women being
present.
Mrs. Anna B. Underwood of Lake City
presented the report of the state fair
committee. She spoke of the benefits
the farmers wives derive from visiting
the state fair, and urged the members to
attend each year and by their example
encourage others to go.
The order of business was suspended
in order to give Prof. Maria Sanford an
opportunity to speak upon the question
of the isolation of the girls training
school, as she was obliged to leave on the
afternoon train. She spoke of the on
ward movement of the club work-how
women are devoting less time to the
routine and more to the work that brings
results. She implored the women to
work and pray until an entirely new
method of dealing with women criminals
has been perfected and put into prac-
tice. The young woman who lhas COM
mitted some minor offense should be
placed in surroundings that can have no
influence but for good. 1t is the wom
an not wholly lost to whom attention
must be devoted. At present when she
commits minor offense she is discharg-
ed by the judge and sent back to the
same surroundings to become more deep
ly influenced by them for wrong. Mrs.
Sanford pleaded for some place to send
these girls where proper surroundings
would bring them back into the right
again. The removal of the girls school
is but the first step, but it must be
taken before other things can be done.
Prof. Sanford was listened to with in
terest and her words sunk deep into the
minds of her hearers.
The report of the committee on house
hold economics was presented by Mrs.
F. S. Allen of Dodge Center. Miss
Statham of Duluth then spoke on "What
Minnesota is Doing to Advance Domes-
tic Science, and number of other pa
lpers along similar lines were read. A
prominent feature of these discussions
was the servant girl problem. Mention