Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-14
WHAT The WOMEN ARE DOING
Boston Biennial Board Announces
Surplus to Be Used for Education.
BENEF1c1ARrEs IN THE SOUTH
Georgia Model school and
Mo~untaineers ChOsen-IowR Women
Alert and Planning Aggressive
Campaign for Year.

Echoes OF the Boston biennial have been
numerous and inspiring, but the last week
has brought one that must give satisfac-
ton throughout clubdom. At a meeting
Of club presidents in Boston last week Miss
Georgia Bacon. president Of the Massachu-
sets federation and chairman of the local
biennial board announced that 5000 re-
mains in the treasury Of the biennial COM
mittee. a balance Of the $4,000 raised by
the clubs of Massachusetts for the enter
inner of the convention last June. 1t
was recommended by the executive board
Of the Massachusetts, federation that this
money be added to the federation's special
fund for carrying on educational work In
the south with the Georgia Model school
and the mountain schools Of Tennessee.
It may be Of further interest to the clubs
to know that the local biennial board asked
the clubs Of Massachusetts to raise &c. 900
for the entertainment of the Boston bien-
NAL and they promptly responded with
contributions amounting to over $13, 600.
Through the judicious management of the
finance COMMITTEES the federation has this
substantial balance after providing all en-
t%ertainment and paying all bills.
Iowa Women Alert.
Iowa is being looked upon just at present
by woman suffragists as one of the most
likely" states and a great deal of out
side assistance will be sent there during
the coming winter. This is because of the
general ATTITUDE Of the women regardless
of the organizations with which they may
be affiliated. The following report Of the
state work indicates that they are thor
oughly alert:
The interest OF the suffrage work in
Iowa this last year has conferred largely
upon three things; the city of Des Moines
injunction case; the organization of town
ship leagues and a campaign for munich
pal suffrage, conducted in the fall OF 1917
by the president, Eleanor Gordon. In June,
1907, an election was held In Des Moines
to vote bonds for the building of a new
city hall. The women were denied the
right of voting at this election. Suit was
brought with Grace Ballantyne as attorney
for the women. The case was lost In
the district court. 1t was at once appealed
and a temporary injunction secured to
prevent the city council from securing bios
for the erection of the proposed building.
In June 1908, the supreme court reversed
the ruling of the lower court, and the right
Of the women to vote at the election was
upheld. The Political club Of Des Moines
paid the expenses Of the case in the dis
trict court, which were $500. The treasury
Of the state association was nearly empty
on account of the failure of the Callahan
bequest, but the National Suffrage asSo-
citation came to the rescue and paid the
500 necessary for the case In the supreme
court.
At the election November 5 the women
OF Des MOines voted on two distinct propo-
sitions: For the building OF the new city
hall and on the proposal of the city OF
Des Moines to remit certain taxes on GER
tain large manufacturing interests.
Under the direction Of Mrs. Mary y.
Coggeshall. a special effort has been made
to organize township leagues 1t is the
intention that after the county has been
thoroughly organized, the state president
81 all call a county convention IN some
central place. At this meeting a leBlsla-
tive committee will be appointed whose
special business shall be to bring to bear
every possible inducement upon the MEM
bers in the legislature from the county
suffrage movement. At this writing only
one such convention has been held, but
this meeting was so much of a success
in its interest and enthusiasm that new
courage was gained by those in attendance
to go on with the work in other counties.
canvass Of the state will be made. 30 far
forty-three leagues have been organized
with a membership of 55S members. These
members paid into the state treasury
S135. 50. All the expense, which has been
great, has been borne by Mrs. Coggeshall.
Early in the year an effort was made
to arouse the women OF the state to a
greater interest in municipal and school
affairs. The president sought for lecturs
engagements at the different meetings OF
the District Federation of Women's clubs.
Enough was accomplished to show the
value of this method of work. For lack
of funds the lectures were discontinued
early in the year. The coming year plan
to work for a constitutional amendment and
for the extension of the referendum vote,
which can be granted by direct act of the
legislature,