The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-09
WOMEN aao SOCIETY 7
lfss,ss of lnfsrssf se Montgomery
 and to fhs Stats

Their tank 10 to make fnquiry hto school conditions. New England States has gone to work m . most systsmatfc manner divid- ing the several aspects of the inquiry into subdivisions and senlisting the CO., operation of other women's ofganisa- tfons. The collage wemsn are to study school laws, school finances, incomes, preparation of teachers. school equip ment. The women's clubs took up the public campaign for school improve ment. The ". C. T. U. made . spe- cisity of the physical welfare of the school child. The D. A. R.'s the pa- triotic side. This systematized effort has iessened duplication. and Is bring ins about practical results.
 "The world at large looks on the American woman as restless and dis- contented," Miss oiii said, and thought t healthy. hopeful sign that the American woman was restless. Tt is because she b not happy with the sit- uation that modern economies have placed her in." she declared. This point was enlarged upon to the great interest of her hearers.
 When every home was supplied with skilled labor, the labor of the wife and the daughters, women were happier and had . deeper conscious ness than now" she said. "A house. keeper now is merely an admlnirtra- tor" She should and win return to the old condition through a realization of her need to be doer. She thought that the wrong conception of the value of work and It's dignity exists.
 When househoid economies are taught generally in the schools, when serving becomes . domestic art and housekeeping an applied science, then the American woman will cease to be discontentsd. Her fechnicat skill will. put her work on an artistic plane" she said.
 Miss CHI emphaticaily urges that every women be given a training that will give her consciousness of her industrial and economic worth. She had been impressed with the activities throughout the country of women who had raised their children and were now enjoying what she called their "sec- ond leisure.' She thought women of middle age who were in command of this second leisure were of great use- fulness. First they went into clubs for their own pleasure and benefit, and there developed capacity for leader ship. It was this class of women who were not misunderstood when they went into volunteer work of all sorts, philanthropic. educational and social betterment To their original gifts were now added that fineness of char acter that comes only from experience in life.
 One suggestion that Miss Gili offered those who have campaigns of educa. ton on any subject in hand wes. the lecturer to be supplied from this "sec- ond leisure" class. We need to subor- dinate ourselves for the general good," -E- AhAk L. to learn before organization would be leffectual.
 She spoke of the moral value. the ethical value of labor and also of the moral effect of physical defects In children. sIf child sees badly 1t soon becomes idle. then restless. then bad. The same result followed in the case of the prevalent nasal disease of adenoids The child would breathe badly and soon become idle. restless and bad. tA
 Miss Gill spoke of the advisability of having reduced school boards. She said 1t was q proven fact that a small. efficient board did far more work than the old time large board She spoke of those organizations known in differ ent States under different names, but having the same obiect--child better ment---the School Improvement Asso-
 
 soejaticns, Too much could not be said in their favor when tactf1liy condnctf ed.
 she spoke of the; great desirability Of uniform child labor law. saying that the mill men in the different States were playing off against each other' with the several existing laws. She said compulsory education laws were useless unless rigidly enforced. and that a child had better be in a mill than in utter idieness,
 She urged those having any reforms in mind that had to come before the Legislature to realize that they must be patient in their efforts and realize that the tasks were slow of accom- but that persistence with a worthy cause would win In the end. She urged them to preparedness. ieav- ing nothing for the last minute. She deplored the exploitation of human life by vested capital and urged those present to use their best endeavors op behalf of helpless childhood.
 Miss CHI closed her remarks with series of forceful epigrams that were brought out by questions asked her by some of the ladies present, among them a number of interested mothers. She urged the mothers to impress themselves. their highest selves. in their children by close association.
 ''Tt Is in the quiet hour when your are not aware that they are being taught that through subcon- scious tfansnifssion they receive those