The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-01
BY ELIZABETH H. coRAY.

Ogden. Oct. 31.-Interest centered large
ly on the second day of the annual fede-
ration meeting in the election of officers.
1t was known from the first that there
were but two probable candidates for the
| Oftce or presldent-Mrs. Byron Cum
mings and Mrs. c. II. Mcmahon. When
| the time came for the election. Mrs. Led
yard NJ. Bailey secured the floor and
made spirited and fOrceful talk nomi-
mating Mrs Cummings. She was followed
by Mrs. billiard of Ogden. who was
equally eloquent in nominating Mrs. Nc
Mahon. For short time it looked as
though the contest would be an animated
one. Mrs Mcmahon took the floor. how
ever and declined the nomination. stating
! that she would devote her time in the fu-
! ture, as in the past to the work which
needed her mOst-CanyOn Crest ranch.
Mrs. Mcmahon was greeted with generous
! applause, and Immediately after the by
! laws were suspended and the secretary
| instructed to cast the ballot for Mrs.
| Cummings. The rest Of the ticket was
put through in much the same way. the
vote being practically unanimous for each
| one.
At later period four delegates at large
were elected to represent Utah at the
next biennial to be held next May in
Boston. They are Mrs billiard Mrs
Kinney. Mrs. George r. Hancock and
Mrs. ThOrnhll Of Provo. These together
with the newly elected president. Mrs.
Cummings, will represent Utah at that
convention.
"The Open Parliament"
Preceding the election a most animated
hour was spent in the "Open Parliament
when some of the more vital questions
before the women of the state were dis
cussed from several sides. That on The
States Responsibility for the Child was
perhaps the most warmly cOntrOVerted, d
number of new ideas being advanced in
this line of thought. Among the speakers
who took part in the arguments were Mrs.
John F. Cowan, who advocated stricter
marriage law, and hence less license in
the matter of forcing children on TO the
state for it's care; Miss ROsale Pollock.
who discussed the question from the
standpoint of the practical teacher, and
Mrs. Clark. who took exception to the
idea of limiting the marriage relation and
relieving the state of the burden OF weak
minded and crippled children.
of State Aid in PensiOning School
Teachers and il was brought before the
convention ably by Mrs. E. z. Shepard
and Miss L. NJ. QuaitTOugh. who spoke for
the subject Mrs. Shepard said in part:
Argument for Pensions.
Europeans grant pensions for both
| civil and military service; for civil serv-
| ice because in many cases an adequate
/ compensation would detract from the hon
or and prestige associated with the Of
| flee; for military service because of the
/ personal risk of life that is assumed or
/ for injuries which may result. But no
argument fdvOring low salaries for teach
ers has ever been presented, nor is the
| work of a teacher hazardous to life and
limb. Why then a pension?
! Some states, notably Wisconsin, have
! taken up the teachers salary question and
| a bill has been prepared in Wisconsin for
! the regulation of teachers salaries. Mr..
/ Harrison, father Of the bill, found that
| between 1850 and 1905 wages of salaried
labor had advanced AZ per cent and conn
| mon labor 2S.S per cent, while teachers
wages had advanced but per cent.
Little Rhode Island has led the way in
not few significant departures. Quite
recently she passed a pension bill that IS
| well worth the careful consideration of
| other states The bill rests squarely on
the principle that the state a whole is
/ benefited by the labor of teachers of her
children and therefore should as matter
of simple justice provide for the comfort
| of these teachers after their best years
have been spent in the promotion of her
welfare.
Colorado agitates a bill to provide pen
sions for public school teachers. 1t is lit
/ tie short of barbarism to receive for in
adequate compensation the services OF
worthy people, nearly all of them wom-
| en-, and then after many years throw
them. helpless and dependent out of en-
! ployment. Provision has been made in
many of the older states for such pen
| improve the service. Maine has taken up
| the thought of teachers annuities, and
| the next legislature viii take this mat
ter under consideration
Injustice the Teachers Portion.
Miss Qualtrough spoke of the Injustice
done the teacher who must live for twelve
1 months on a salary for nine months-a
meagre one at that-in expecting her TO
! give a percentage of that salary to ere
ate a fund for pensions. Miss Quartrough
told how in the past few years the state
has tended more and more to shift the
responsibility of the parents onto the
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