The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-11-13

Reforms are Planned.
'If we women really want anythinp
and keep at it, we can get it," declare
Mrs. Alexander Marcy, leader of the Ne,
Jersey Congress of Mothers during tn
hearing of Mothers club reports Saturda
at Moorestown. The remark was hearth,
applauded. 1t was evoked by the repor
of the legislative committee given by Mrs
William Burling Abbey, of Mount Holly
and work for better legislation affecting
women and children was unanimousl,
agreed to be the most urgent need befor
the congress. The mothers decided tt
work for state woman's reformatory
similar to that at Shelburne, Mass, and il
other states, place between the Stat,
Home for Girls and the prison; for polio,
matrons, and they resolved unanimously
to bend their energies for women proba
ton officers to see that children are no
committed to jail; to improve the existing
defective child labor laws, and to ge
! stronger anti-cigarette laws.
Mrs. Ella M. Thatcher, of Florence
struck responsive chord when she pre-
sented the plans for helping ignorant
mothers to learn how to cook and to select
food suited to the physiological needs OF
their families and to understand the prin.
ciples of hygiene and sanitation Some
will be taught through the Chicago Cor.
respondence club on household economics,
and others may get practical demonstra
ton in the mothers meetings.
The education committee report was
given by Miss Lillian Williams, of Tren-
ton. Twelve affiliated clubs, principally
in South and East New Jersey, responded
to roll call.
The palm for the newest and most orig
inal idea in Mothers clubs programs was
carried off by the Haddonfield Fortnightly,
represented by Dr. Clement. This club
held social meeting, to which it invited
each mother to come with her youngest
child Children from months to IA
years of age formed the unique company
who were treated to lawn party The
OdlW OCnOOl B1OJuCTS CluD, OI
Trenton, Mrs. Edgerton, delegate, re-
ported 1875 members, which constituted 1t
the banner club of the congress in point
of members.
Mrs. John g. Shreve, president, de-
scribed the work of the Atlantic City
Mothers club which is one of the most
enterprising in the congress, its chief
work being the day nursery opened last
April. The Atlantic City club now pro-
poses to extend the vacation of public
schools and to secure police matrons for
the city jals.
The Jersey City Heights Mothers club
reported that they had helped the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children,
clothed children and aided hospitals and
homes for destitute children.
The work of the Women's league of
Mount Holly was outlined by Mrs. Hole
man. president, who told of the successful
work of the visiting nurse provided by the
league. Mrs. Biddle spoke for the Porch
club, of Riverton, which has the distinct
ion of being the original club of the New
Jersey Congress, and of putting women
on the school board of the town. Mrs
Alfred H. Sumner described the domestic
science work of the Moorestown club.
The election of officers resulted in the
return of all the list, with the addition of
Mrs. Wellington Bechel, of Haddonfield,
as member of the board of managers,
and Mrs. John g. Shreve, of Atlantic
City, as chairman of the literature COM
mittee.
Deep silence prevailed in the well-filled
hall in the afternoon during the impressive
address that was given by Mrs. Edwin G..
Grice, of Philadelphia, founder and hon.
orary president of the congress, on moral
training. "Train in your child a sense of
dependence on Divine power" she said.
mo nature is great without it, no charac-
ter is strong without it. Point the way
of worship to your children. l do not
care how you worship. Seek Divine
power for your children 1t is greater
than any material advantage"
Deepest interest has been aroused by
the address of Mrs. Florence Kelly. Sec
rotary of the National Consumers league,
on ''Children Who Work and Women
Who Spend" Mrs. Kelly clearly depicted
how the small children were PERMITTED to
work long hours in department stores,
canneries, glass factories and other places
of employment, much to the detriment of
their physical, mental and spiritual vel
fare. She asked one very pointed ques-
ton: "Why do the people of New Jersey
regard less favorably their children than
do the people of New York and Illinois p
She cited the good points of the child
labor laws in New York and Illinois and
declared that at present there were prac-
tically no provisions in the laws of New
Jersey for the protection of the children.
"What will be the condition of the COM
monwealth thirty years hence If the
present scant enforced education is con.
tinued :" she asked. She declared that
the only solution of the problem is in the
hands of the women, who should become
aroused to their sense of duty and demand
the passage of laws to protect the children
and then see that the laws are enforced.
! The next meeting of the congress will