The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-11
Women of Topeka to Cooperate
in Semi Centennial.
Forty Members of the Federated
Clubs Attend Meeting.
MRS.M'CARTER'S PAPER
Makes Many Suggestions for
Improvement of City.
May Undertake to Form Dis
trict improvement Societies.

The efforts of the Topeka Commercial
club to effect an alliance with the Wom-
ems Federation of Clubs for co-opera-
ton in the preparation for the Kansas
Semi-Centennial celebration, have been
very successful The February month
ly meeting held Wednesday night was
attended by about forty representatives
of the women's organizations of Topeka
who manifested a sincere desire to re-
ciprocate the advances of the CONNER
cial club toward union of forces. The
women's clubs propose to devote much
attention to civic improvement work,
which will be one of the most important
features of the semi-centenniaI celebra-
ton preparation.
In an exceedingly good paper Mrs.
Margaret Hill McCarter proposed a
number of ideas on means by which the
women of Topeka may support the
commercial interests of the town and
better civic conditions generally. Mrs.
McCarter's proposals were sane and
practical in every particular and were
well received. Dean Kaye of Grace
cathedral, who has been prominent in
civic improvement work for two years
past, read a brief but pithy paper upon
civic improvement, outlining plans for
work in the immediate future. 1t was
confined to a narrower field than that
entered by Mrs. McCarter but was no
less to the point in hand and indicated
that the Civic Improvement association
of Topeka has undertaken work which
it will be able to execute as its part in
making ready for the big celebration of
the fiftieth anniversary Of the organiza-
ton of Kansas a territory which will
be held in Topeka in May.
It has been proposed that the women's
clubs of Topeka shall undertake the
formation of many small district i'm.
provement societies with the purpose of
cleaning up the entire town during the
coming three months. Tree and shrub
planting and grass sowing and cutting
will be an important feature of this
work. Reference is made to it in Mrs.
McCarter's paper.
MRS. McCARTER's ADDRESS.
Mrs. McCarter said:
LAS a resident of Topeka 1 have
watched the work of this organization
with a citizens patriotism. and 1 am
here tonight to find out with you how
far the women of the community may
aid the club in its efforts. 1 have not
made an exhaustive study of this mat
ter, and 1 offer here only a few out
of the many ways wherein we may
hope to be useful
1.-THE first of these is in financial af-
fairs. What the Commercial club has
the right to ask for is patronage for
Topeka merchants. The woman who
habitually buys her gowns and has
them made in Kansas City may fancy
herself more fortunate than her neigh
Dor who gets no further away than
Kansas avenue But she is in a class
below the Kansas City woman who
must go to Chicago for her purchases.
And the Chicago buyer, with pity for
that plebeian Missourian, sends to New
York for her hnery, while miladY of
New York wears only imported gowns
from Paris. And that is the limit. To
buy abroad merely for the sake of hav-
ing foreign goods is vanity and sell
fshr ess.
Again the helping hand of woman
may further civic Improvement. which
as I understand it has the threefold
purpose OF cleanliness. comfort and
beauty. Civic improvement begins at
home. and the home is the Woman'S
oue stronghold from which neither
politics nor philosophy nor social de-
nands nor business allurements nor
professional honor have been abba to
CiSlOdge her Here then is where the
eeg1 egation of effort may be felt when
the women may look upon their homes.
not as things separate. but as units in
the making I'D of the streets that are
themselves the units that make up the
CITY.
but civic improvement reaches. fur
Their than the tax title. The vacant
lot full of uginess is a reproach to
the neighborhood and a bid for general
DECORATOR and disregard of property
rights. And every man or woman who
makes bluegrass grow where rag weeds
and rubbish were the only crop, strikes
blow at vandalism and adds to the
general pleasure as well as to his own.
There is as much need for a stand
ing committee on the ventilation of
public buildings as on the ventilation
OF politics. am not a fresh air fend
but. be'leve that the insipiency of
three-fourths of all our diseases is II
breathing the vitiated air of unventila-
ted rooms.
but it is the condition of orr s+raars
and tie grounds of our public buildings
and puolic parks that attract or raDaI
the stranger and the would-be investor
in real estate. Especially do the
grounds the hull,
and the parkings along the
streets and the number of
square miles of hideous sign boards tell
the public spirit of the city. OF what
avail is it to hang reprints of 'sMa5on-
mas, and Christ Blessing Little Chill
dren and landscapes by Corot on our
school room walls if the school grounds
show never a Speck of green and the
outbuildings are temples of vandalism ,
OF what avail is it to grow blue grass
along the borders of our streets if the
great, fiat-footed sole of the Royal
Blue SELF shoe done UP with touches
of black, and gold. the Henry George )
cent cigar which is For Men, and 9th
er and more hideous comic valentine
effects are to oppose themselves above
1t forever?
IF the women may succeed in form
ing local improvement clubs if they
can inspire the boys and girls with q
spirit or civic pride in the order and
neatneSS of their own territory if tbev
shall be able to some time district the
city and regardless of any lines Of
caste create an organized movement
toward generous, wholesome spirited
advancement L put the question tc
you gentlemen, if such assistance as
they may give viii not only increase
the financial prosperity of the city but
will also attract to our borders the
class of investors and the no less i'm
portant class of laboring men whose
citizenship viii in every way raise the
standard of public character for To-
peka.
I'm four ways, patronage of home
markets, matters of civic Improvement
public benefits through municipal gov
eminent and the promotion and en-
enlargement of higher education tn,
helpfulness of women may be an aiC
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