The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-06-08
LAST MEETING Of LOCAL
COUNCIL OF WOMEN IS A
Neutrality-suspicious.
Members Pass Resolution Favor
ing Establishment of State
Laboratory.
YEARS CLOSING SESSION
women Workers" Discussed and
Noble Work of indianapolis
Women Commended.
CLOSING SESSION

The Local Council of Women held the
closing meeting of its year yesterday aft
ernoon at the Propylaeum. In the alb
sence of the president, Mrs. Day. the vice
president. Mrs. John w. Kern, occupied
the chair.
Following the reports of the secretary
and treasurer, a resolution recommending
the cooperation of the local council with
the State Board of Health for the estab-
lishment of a state laboratory, introduced
at a previous meeting. was taken up Tor
discussion. The advantages of the state
laboratory in regulating matters of sew
age and in arresting the spread of tubercu-
losis and like diseases were discussed at
length. and the resolution was adopted by
the council Another resolution, also in
troduced by Mrs. Moody, recommending the
giving of free lecture course next winter
by the council, to which a number of the
societies affiliated with the council had
already pledged their support, was with
drawn by the author in accordance with
the general feeling of the council that the
affiliated societies had already been taxed
to sufficient extent this year. Mrs. Kern
expressed the thanks of the council to Mrs
Moody for her generosity in withdrawing
the resolution.
A communication from the Womans Club
of indianapolis proffering the resignation
| of the club from the Local Council was
| read and, following the custom of the
council, was accepted with deep regret and
without discussion.
The paper of the afternoon, written by
| Mrs. Charles w. Fairbanks and read by
Mrs. James W. Noel, had for its subject,
| Women Workers" and was an exceeding
| ly interesting resume of the work done by
! women in all ages. The writer said that
! the deeds of the greatest women were the
! glory of all women, and recounted the
| achievements of Miriam, Sappho, Hypatia,
| Catherine of Russia. Florence Nightingale,
/ Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Caroline
| Herschell. Mrs. Mary Somerville, Elizabeth
Barton, DR.. May Putnam Jacoby, Mrs.
1 Terhune, Mrs. John b. Henderson, Prof.
Marian Mitchell, Miss Jane Adams and
/ what the good women of all ages may do.
| The founders of the womens clubs, and
! the body of women who, working for the
| franchise, failed, but succeeded in recalling
| or modifying many laws obnoxious 10
women, the writer declared did work OF
/ Importance to women and the world, IN the
/ nineteenth century.
| Following the reading of the paper con-
| versation on the of the city who
| have done noble and lasting work was led
| DX Mrs. Kern, WHO SpOhc DIT ltilSlH upOll
! the notable achievements of Mrs; Blaker,
| superintendent of the Indianapolis Free
Kindergarten and Normal Training School;
| Mrs Sewall and her work for the women of
| Indianapolis, especially in establishing the
| Local Council. and Mrs. S. 3. LOOMS, OF
| the First Baptist Church. were among the
| women spoken of by various council mem
| bers
One of the most enthusiastic tributes was
| that given by Mrs. Mary Moody to Mrs:
| Potter through whose efforts the Door of
Hope was established. The idea OF the in
| stitution was opposed by clergymen and
| most of the people in indianapolis, but a
| society of which Mrs. Potter was a mem
Der undertook it's support. After short
time the society refused to support it any
| longer, and Mrs. Potter alone undertook
| the responsibility, and, with the help of her
| son. kept the institution in existence. The
| Hope has done since its institution belongs
almost wholly to Mrs. Potter, who sup
| ported it in the face of all obstacles and
/ opposition.
Mrs Barnett presented report from the
committee the visitation of state and
| municipal Institutions, describing a visit
to the Girls Industrial School and Wom-
ans Prison. The cooking class, newly es
tablished, was especially dwelt on. AT the
time of the visit the girls were making ice
cream, freezing IL in baking powder cans
and Mrs. Barnett said the result showed
that the knowledge of how TO do the worl
was far more important than the utensils
with which to do 1t. The members of th'
class are deeply interested in the work. ans
ii is believed that Ii will be one of the mos
valuable classes ever established in the in
stitution. An effort will be made to con
tinue ii through the summer.
Before the adjournment of the council
Mrs. Kern gave a short talk, dwelling OF
the work of the year, which has been
most profitable one, the value of the pro
| gramme. and promising a season of al
great profit for the coming year.