Evening star., 1909-05-03
WOMEN OF ALABAMA
What They Have Done to I'm
prove That State.
RESCUE OF THE CHILDREN
Efforts to Better Conditions of Boys
and Girls.
PURPOSE OF THE MERCY HOME
Successful Campaign of the w. c. T.
q. in Behalf of Prohibition-In-
creasing the Schools.
PURPOSE OF THE MERCY HOME
RI WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
The women of the south are much more
enterprising and pubic-spirited than the
men. They are much more generous in
their legacies and benefactions for edu-
cation and beneyolence: they are much
more liberal and broad-minded in their
points of view. and If they should go into
business there would be a radical change
from the conservative methods that now
prevail. AS l have already pointed out,
nearly every public institution in New Or
leans owes its existence to a woman. and
if the University of Alabama We're a CO.
educational institution there would be no
difficulty in increasing its endowments.
Where the men of the south have been
Indifferent the women have been active;
where the men have failed. the women
have been successful, and whenever they
take hold of public movement 1t invari-
ably wins.
The women of Alabama are thorough
ly organized for the moral, educational
and esthetic Improvement of that state.
There Is no campaign for suffrage: no de-
mand for the advancement of women"
or for the enlargement of their sphere,
but they are giving their time and their
talents to the suppression of the liquor
traffic, to the extension and Improvement
of the schools, to prison reform. to pre-
venting child labor. to the establishment
of industrial schools, to the perfection of a
kindergarten system, to the rescue of
children of illegal birth, street waits, and
wayward boys and girls. to the cleaning of
the streets, to the improvement of the
roads and to various other state and mu-
nicipal reforms.
AS / explained in recent letter. the
passage of an act by the legislature of
Iory Cos f,A tnhI If,1,s,,a ~
school in every county in the state was
due to the persistent influence of the
Federation of Women's Clubs. 1t Sc
cured a similar law for building school
houses and increasing the salaries of
school teachers throughout the state.
Working for Compulsory Education.
They are now working for compulsory
education which can only take place when
there are schoolhouses enough to accom-
modate the children.
This movement is being directed in con-
child labor law which was the triumph
OF Miss Julia s. Tutwiler of Livingston
after many years Of patient effort She
was assisted by the Federation of Wom-
ems Clubs the Women's Christian Tenn
perance Union and other organizations.
The age limit for labor is now twelve
years, but Miss Tutwiler and her fellow
workers are now demanding the passage
OF compulsory education law because
they declare that it is better that girls
and boys should work if they cannot go
TO school rather than remain in idleness
In 1882 Miss Tutwiler read paper at
the second meeting of the Albania Edu-
cational Association, advocating tech
nical education for girls. During the fol-
lowing nine years she was engaged in
an agitation to establish the State In
dustrial School at Montevallo, where
three or four hundred girls are trained
In domestic science. housekeeping dress
making, telegraphy, stenography, type
writing and other women's trades. and
ntted for teaching in the public schools.
During the ten years of it's life this
school has increased the earning capacity
OF the women of Alabama hundreds of
thousands of dollars. and has enabled
thousands of poor girls to support them
selves as well as make them better wives
and housekeepers