The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-08

dent The federation voted to elect a
nominating cOmmittee-so much was
evident from the fact that it proceeded
to elect the committee=but it was
not decided how or when the COM
mittee was to be elected nor of how
many members it should consist and
IN fact no formal clause was adopted.
This was left to the committee which
drew up the proposed amendments to
do at their convenience, leaving the
federation in the peculiar and some
what equivoca1 position of adopting
an amendment which has not yet been
submitted.
The discussion over the per capita
dues waxed fast and furious The
committee which submitted the
amendment explained that the dues
would have to be paid only once by
each member of the federation, no
matter to how many clubs she be-
lOnged. The women who opposed the
dollar tax understood the amendment
differently and really Seemed to have
the best of the argument, as the
amendment very plainly stated that
each club should pay to the federation
one dollar per capita of its member
ship. 1t would seem to a casual OBJ
server to be matter which the friends
of the dollar tax could readily have
fixed up by proposing a slight amend
ment making the tax payable individ-
ually by each member of the fedora
ton but before this occurred to any of
them an amendment was offered to
raise the dues to fifty cents instead of
one dollar and this carried. One of
the mem bers of the committee which
submitted the original amendment
and who was strongly in favor of the
dollar tax got a trifle balled up on her
arguments at this stage of the game.
After having spoken strenuously in
explanation of her view that the dol
lar tax would have to be paid by each
member of the federation in but one
club she veered about when the fifty
ff,1 le
upon and stated that the dues would
have to be paid in every club to which
the woman belonged or the treasury
would be practically no better off than
before.
Mrs. J. c. McCIintock and Mrs.
Noble Prentis urged the adoption OF
the dollar tax amendment on the
ground that in other cities large bodles
of women rarely pay less than hve dol
lars annually for the club privileges
and cited the Denver Woman's club
and Chicago organization. MRS W.
A. Johnston reminded them that the
federation is not a club but union OF
clubs and that the dues paid by It's
m embers are by no means their only
club dues. Besides they are not ali
represented, no club having more than
three delegates with vote in the fed
Grafton affairs. The delegates, she
said, represent not one dollar, or fifty
cents each, but in some cases ten or
fifteen times that amount, or the dues
from their whole club.
There were fifty-one delegates at
the meeting representing all except
two or three of the clubs. These clubs
not having voted on the amendment
have their choice of taking their medi-
cine, provided they don't like the
changes, or leaving the federation.
Following the vote on the amend
ments the mem bers of the nominating
committee were elected. Yesterday
three women We're selected from a
number of names submitted and Mrs
w. A. Johnston, Mrs. Jonathan Thomas
and Mrs. L. d. Monroe are the mem
bers of the committee. The body yes
| terday arbitrarily decided on three
members, but as there is no formal
clause regarding the nominating COM
voted upon. any number may be chosen
at future elections. To a man up a
| tree it looks as though there was trou-
BILE ahead of the federation on account
of this nominating committee amend
ment. The amendment could easily be
! knocked into a cooked hat if any of its
/ opponents were so inclined, as its
adoption was certainly very irregular.
The meeting adjourned until the
/ first Thursday in January when the
/ new nominating committee will sub
nit list of names to be voted upon
for the Offices. Probably most of the
/ present officers will be recommended
for reelection, as they have served
only since April, are all especially com
petent and have given universal salts
faction.