Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-19

the meeting Of the Vermont state Fedora.
ton OF WOmen's clubs was finished this
evening after "A two days of most success
full and fruitful session.
Owing to the fact that the ladies did
not want to have green officers attend
the national convention, which is APP
preaching. they deviatod from their con-
stitution and elected officers at this meet
ing to serve for one year. They made an
amendment to their constitution, which
provides that officers shall be elected for
Il period of two years. The officers elect
Cd were rs follows: President, Miss SUI
san Il. Clark of BrattlcbOro vice-presi-
dent, Mrs. Rebccca Il. Fairbanks of ST.
Johnsbury recording secretary. Mrs. O.. ID.
M~athewson of Barre treasurer. Mrs. Jo-
sephinc II. Arms of Bellows Falls. audi
tor, Mrs. Mary G. Kirkland of Bellows
Falls: State secretary to the general con-
federation. Mrs. Susan T.. Balch of St.
JohnsburY; delegates to the biennial con-
vention at 81. Paul. Mimi. Mrs. Susan T..
Clark of I;rattlchoro. Mrs. T,ebecca T..
Fairbanks Of ST. Johnsbury, Mrs. II. S.
yelling. Mrs. G. c. Warren of Water
bury, Mrs. Josephine II. Arms of Bel
lows Falls and Mrs. NJ. ID. Phelps of
Barre.
This mornings session began at $50
o'clock. The state president. Miss Susan
Clark. read a short paper on the work
and hopes Of the federation. which show
cd the association to he in Il very healthy
condition. Tho number of clubs fed rated
was the same as last year. although he
Century club of Mi1dlebury had dro.. 1cd
ont, on" club had tccr admitted.
Mrs. Walter Stokes Irons. president of
the State Federation of Rhodc Island,
gave a short talk on the work of the
federation in her State. She told Of the
difficulties in getting a child labor law
passed in that state, and how, after they
had succeeded in getting Il good bill into
The legislature, it was cut down and
amended until the ILL which was at
last passed was but Il ghost Of the first
draft.
Mrs Thompson. chairman of the civil
service reform commitNce. asked that
each club name enc day each wear for
civil service study. to look into the effects
of the spoils system and try to interest
their clubs in the merit system. Mrs.
Thompson then introduced the Hon. Rich
ard II. Dana, who is chairman or the
council of the National Civil Service Re
form League.
Mr.. Dana defined civil service reform aS
being the substitution of n regular method
of appointment TO, and regulation in, tho
civil service in place of the irregular sys-
TEN in vogue at present. lie urged them
to work earnestly to get the Vermont
Legislature to pass n merit system civil
service law. A resolution was adopted
thanking Mr.. Dana for his address and
another that every woman should work
for the passage of such a law at the next
Vermont Legislature.
Miss Marion Nichols. assistant secrc-
tary of the Massachusetts Civil Service
Reform League told of the corrupt ION.
ditiOn which she found in tho State
prison ut Windsor and Of the ineom-
potency of tho heads of the institution.
She thought this should lie the field for
all club women to look into our State
institutions.
The afternoon session at 2.15 was taken
up with the address on 'How We Can
Stop the Destruction of the Vermont For
csts." by Ernest Hitchcock, secretary of
the forestry association and the biennial
election OF officers. At the closing meet
ing this evening Mrs. Walter Stokes Irons
d an address on "Wcmen of Colonial
Days"