The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-30
WOMAN'S CLUBS

For years the cry of the clubwoman
has been for more lively interest in
the affairs of today, and the dominant
note in all conventions has been that
of today's wants and needs as applied
10 industrial, social and sociological
conditions. And yet the greatest fault
that men find with women's clubs Is
that they DO not aim at practical sOlu-
lions OF the problems that confront
them- OF course they can point TO
numerous achievements, especially in
the special realm of dealing with in
dustrial conditions as affecting child
life But the fact remains still that
they are given to discussing dead and
gone affairs and ignoring those OF the
here and now.
There could have been no more strik-
ing example of this than was presented
TO the Utah women who gathered in
Logan for the state federation meeting
ten days ago. Three sessions weie de
voted 10 programmes, one Of wiiich was
TO be given at night, open to the pub
lie, and especially prepared. one would
thlnh, with that fact in mind. The fact
mat the meetings were held in col
lege town, and that this particular
meeting would be attended by college
men as well as women, and those col
lege men some OF the seddiaS educs-
tors of the state, should have beef
enough TO make the committee cousid-
er long before putting forward any
hackneyed topics. There was balance
in the treasury of over $500. and yet no
effort seems to have been made to take
TO the hospitable place where the fed
Grafton was so royalty entertained, a
speaker OF marked ability. True. there
n hax I
men. who have stood the entire ex-
pense as it was, pay for having another
woman come from Colorado to talk 20
them on another dead and gone sub
1ect. When they wisely refused TO do
this, there was forced On them a com
monplace programme. The auditors
were forced TO sit through nearly two
hours Of a talk on a question which is
less vital TO this part Of the country
than any other question could have
been; and they must live again those
days so dead that they have been
buried by the nation itself for forty
years.
Vital Problems at Home.
Utah has problems Of her own to
solve, and the women have taken steps
TO solve the industrial problems or the
time and place. But 10 invade a peace
harmony Of nature and shining every
where with Gods glorious sunlight and
fresh air, with the question of the ten
elnents and slums of New York or the
cruelty of slavery was surely taking
those present far away from the home
problems. If il needs be that these
unpleasant questions be discussed. let
them be before those and those alone
who, when their feelings are narrowed
by the details, can deal with the ques-
tons in some applied way.
Perhaps no one person is to blame
for that Friday evening programme.
but it was unfortunate, nevertheless.
Never before was the task OF enter
tanning nearly 100 women (the number
they were told TO provide for), under
taken so cheerfully and certainly it was
never so successfully accomplished.
Women from the largest towns where
all sorts of transportation facilities are
TO be had for hire, stood amazed at
the manner in which vehicles belong
ing to clubwOmen and women not mem
bers of clubs were placed at their dis
pOsal gratis. 1t showed them what a
handful of women in two small clubs
can do when loyalty, harmony and en-
ergy are the guiding forces.
Great Progress by Federation.
That the federation has progressed
satisfactorily along industrial and ed
vocational lines cannot be disputed when
one sees the achievements of the labor
committees and % wonders done by
the travelling library board. But the
progress along intellectual lines is sure
~ far from satisfactory when the fed
Grafton with a balance of over 5000 in
the treasury does not attempt to secure |
the services of some eminent speaker |
who shall show to others what the fed
GRAFTON stands for in culture and re-
fnement. Unfortunately the heaviest
wrong falls on the people of Logan,
who had spared neither time nor money
that the coming of the federation to
their doors might be a success. And so |
far as their efforts could make il so, il |
was the most successful ever held.