The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-01
Alumnae to Form Consumers
League in the Bay Cities
college Women Have Been the Greatest
Stumbling Blocks in Advancement of Homes
Mrs Ellen Richards


OAKLAND. July s1.-The Association
of Collegiate Alumnae. California
branch, took preliminary steps. this
afternoon at the Home club to
form consumers league in the
bay cities, Mrs. Dane Coolidge being
elected to the office of temporary chair
man and Mrs. elizabeth Herman as
temporary secretary.
A Special meeting was called by the
president. Miss corneiia. McKinne of
San Francisco: in honor of. Mrs. Flor
ence Kelley Of New York and. Mrs.
Ellen Richards of Massachusetts. The
association took advantage of the oc-
casion to include representative officers
in: the club about: the bay among the
contribute materially to the personnel
of the new organization which Is the
first to be. established in California.
E. The initial steps; were taken inmedi-
ately following an earnest and fercefut
address by Mrs. Florence Kelley, sec
rotary of the national league, with
headquarters: in New Y ork Mrs Kelley
is a brilliant woman, a graduate OF
Cornell university, vice president of
the National suffrage association, chair
man of the Industrial committee of
the National Council OF Women, and
has successfully practiced law in the
state of Illinois.
why Have a. League in California,
and What Will 1t Accomplish" was
the theme of Mrs. .KeHey's talk. She
said:
The reason here is the same as in
New York, Boston. Chicago. Philadel-
phia--in order that men and women in
common may stop Sinking. Women
east and west have spent their life in
Sinking. Because you get things
cheaply: and Shut your eyes that you
may keep your tranquility of mind is
no excuse, for the Ignorance that sends
your young sisters to. the grave, to
insane asylums and streets. 1t is an
ignominious thing to have done moth
ing when the IS leagues are achieving
some little successes in deferring that
time when democracy may be judged a
failure The national league has never
received any help by money, by data, by
writing. 1t is ignominious for the in
telligent people of the state.
8. .sWhat will you do? There is a dis
finctiye work which has never been
touched in this country. The question
of wages: Thresh out all the avail
IDLE methods of giving publicity to the
Wa ges given to young workers. That
would: be; a: creative work and most
valuable at Just: this time: and of service
to all of. the women wage: .earners in |
this count ry."' - :.
Mrs Keney+. reviewed something of
the work: being accomplished in other
states and gave pathetic instances of
and :underpaid girls.
:. aNYomen are lazy" said: Mrs. Richards
of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech |
nology apropos OLA discussion of. wo-
men as students :af science. She added:
college women have. been the greatest |
stumbling blocks. in the advancement of
home economics.
Long: ago this science would have
been given attention had she not said
that is not my kind of work. It has
been "a hard time trying to convinee
women that science leads to the home, |
to the Kitchen. to the care of the child
rem a nd the. we'll being of the. household:
I have hopes that: the student of two |
years hence will not confuse household /
economies with merely cooking and:
millinery. but ali the administrative
functions of the home; that. they will /
know the reasons. for. things which now
seem strange know why certified milk /
is the best and why the markets shouldl
be made free from flies.
The work. here is now up to you.
Y OH have the opportunity to snow what /
you want and TO begin your work along
university lines. There are various
methods There is need for training for
professionals. for the fitting of sani-
tary inspectors. for preparation of
teachers and for education of social |
workers whose efforts have failed in |
the past 90 years because they had no I
knowledge of science"
=. Following Mrs. Richards address,
Mrs Henry Rand Hatfield made the !
recommendation that the association |
send a communication to the president |
of the University of California, urging |
that a course of household economics
be. developed in the university.
Mrs: Hatfield and Mrs. Elwyn Steb-
bins presided at the afternoon session, !