The Washington herald., 1908-06-22

To-day there are assembled IN Boston
several thousand earnest, progressive
women ready 70 discuss ways and means
for the Advancement OF the nation slong
helpful lines, and ready to pledge ther
support to every movement that VIII
initiate toward that end. These are the
delegates from the federated clubs OF
forty-slx States and Territories. repre-
senting 5000 clubs with a membership OF
over $4,000 women. For six days the
twelve different departments of the Cen
eral Federation Of Women's Clubs will
hold sessions in symphony Hall. while
overflow meetings viii be accommodated
In nearby buildings.
As a measure Of the progressive spirit
OF American women, all manner Of con-
veniences will hedge this meeting
about with modern aids 20 comfort
A branch bank. branch telephone,
telegraph, and post-oglces. and
hospital with physicians and nurses
will bo established at headquarters
A historical significance may be at
tached 70 the selection OF Boston
as a meeting place, for there the hrst
womens club meetings In this country
were held. That was in the days When
Anne Hutchinson called together her
townswomcn in her home. where the
old Corner Book Store now stands, ana
discussed with them tho sermon OK tho
preceding Sunday until. in 1851, the out
ragged elders sent her into exile Tor the
sin OF too freely expressing her feminine
mind.
This Is the ninth biennial OF the organ
ization. and reports In the hands OF ex-
pert heads Of hard-working departments
will show that in the eighteen years OF
the federation's existence, as well as In
the decade back OF that, the women OF
the nation have not ceased in concert
ed EFFORT 20 amellorate unsatisfactory
social conditions and to promote the
growth OF altrulsm. Ono OF the most
vital interests of the women OF the fed
Grafton IS that OF abohshing child labor
in the factories, mines, mills, workshops
and stores Whether their influence was
direct or indirect the fact that eighteen
States during the past year have enact
ed new laws or improved old ones re-
garding child labor has been largely due
70 the unnagglng zeal Of the woman's
clubs. Reports VIII show that within
the past year Florida and Mississippi
have passed child-lab0r laws for the
first time, and Kentucky, Tennessee VIZ
ginia. North Carolina, South Carolina
and Alabama have amended those al
ready on their statute books, while OK
lahoma promises the best Of all under
her new constitution
A chlldren's bureau viii shortly be
established I'm Washington. and this IS
. la.. NTNr n
constitute the membership Of ninety-six
clubs in and around New York City
They organized themselves into a child
labor association that is national in It's
aims and scope The alarming fact was
known 20 them that Of every 1000 babies
born IN the United States 300 die, and
through this bureau they mean 20 investi-
gate the causes OF mortality, illegitimacy.
orphanage. dependence. and child labor
among tho children OF the nation. They
mean 10 plan campaign against the gem
eral ignorance prevalent among a certain
class of mothers and by intelligent legis-
latlon and training protect the helpless
little ones. II has been pointed out with
ironical plainness that the national gov
ernment, through its Department of Agri-
culture, spends millions annually In the
protection OF rs game, the Improvement
Of its domestic animals, and the fostering
OF its animal and plant industries, while
not a penny IS expended in the preserva-
tion Of child life and I'm the ameliOratiOn
of its conditions.
The health Of the nation IS being largely
taken over into tho hands OF its women.
Through the influence Of the General
Federation OF Women's Clubs a bill was
introduced into the last Congress for an
educational campaign against tubercu-
losls. Already women's clubs have been
foremost IN the work OF establishing
homes and camps for tuberculosis pa
tients, a campaign that IS telling in its
excellent results This is quite a far CRY
from the conditions OF which an English
traveller wrote in 1890: What they call
CONSUMPTION kills the Americans as II
they were perpetually IN battle; but they
speak Of II as II IL were IN no way their
concern, rather as Il God sent II for some
reason Of His own" The women Of to-
day have no such ideas on the subject.
They rather accept the dlctum OF the
Texas physician who lays the disease, not
20 Divine Providence. but 20 dirt and ig-
noranCe. The Louisiana State Health Con-
ference recently paid public tribute 70 the
work OF women in the sanitary uplifting
OF the State.
There are 200o0.OO0 public school chill
dren in the United States, and club
women of the country know that when
the fall term opens there Will be 100000
or more children who viii not enter the
schools. To the women has come the
momentous question OF finding out why
they VIII not enter and a cure for the
reason. OF these children 100000 viii be
at work earning their own living and
that Of others. and from them VIII come
the plea that the schools Of the land are
not giving them a training that VIII III
them for earning a living with their
hands. and that they must go 10 the fac
tories 60 learn how. Less than GOO cities
I'm the United States have manual train
ing in their schools, and In only small
percentage Of the schools Of the land Is
education Of any kind compulsory. How
20 place education OF the needed kind In
reach of these coo children and make
them take advantage OF Il IS one OF the
biggest problems with which the women
OF tho nation are now wrestling.
The Federation and its clubs have not
been idle in doing The work that lies near
est In educational lines. The Federation
itself maintains a scholarship for Ameri-
can girls at an English university. The
Michigan State Federation has n s. 600
fund for the use Of worthy girls. Texas
has twenty scholarships. Utah two. Colo
RADIO nineteen. and Kansas eighteen. while
during the past year the New Hampshire
State Federation educated four girls. and
that OF Mississippi sent eight TO school.
The old theory that woman need have
no training for home life has been swept
TO the wall by the club women OF to-day.
In Illinois. where there was established
az the State University I'm 1870 the first