El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-10
BY
Frederic
]. Haskif
Women's Club Work
EXERTS STRONG INFLUENCE AND HAS
BETTERED PRESENT DAY CONDITIONS

4, by careful observation the extent of
| suffering and deprivation caused by ig-
! norance and careless waste in house
keeping. becomes thoroughly imbued
with the knowledge of her subject and
with the spirit of the missionary.
An Endless String Affair.
Through the official organ of the
General Federation the work of this
woman is made known to the other 1899
wOmen's clubs of the country. Then,
on the initiation Of the federation, the
Massachusetts, woman inaugurates a
general campaign She takes the stump
and goes from city to city, appearing
al" avs under the auspices of a local
women's club. She will stay in a town
for week, giving daily demonstrations
In the practical business of economical
marketing, of economical cooking, Of
Kitchen sanitation and of household Ia
borsaving devices. Every member of the
local club learns the lesson and, IN
her turn, becomes a missionary to the
women of her town.
In the particular branch Of house
hold economies, this system of cam
paigning proved to be so successful
that the women's clubs have establish
ed home economy experiment station,
modelled on the lines Of the United
States agricultural department expert
ment stations. This institution de-
votes its entire time to making prac-
teal experiments in household economy,
the results being available for the use
Of all women's clubs. Similar cam
paigns have been and still are in pro-
gress with respect to antituberculosis
crusades, civic improvement and the
like.
Supported by State ASSOCIATIONS.
The committees OF the General Fed
Grafton have the support of the several
state federations in general work. The
committee on art, for example, has es-
tablished travelling picture libraries.
planned loan exhibits. has encouraged
the decoration and Identification of
school rooms and has waged more or
less successful war against unsightly
and immoral poster advertisements. One
club in western state has spent s10,-
900 on school room decoration alone
The committee on civics has obtained
practical results in the national field
In the rescue of the Palisades OF the
Hudson, and the protection Of the IA
nous Cliff Dwellings in the Mesa Verde
national park.
The committee on civil service reform
has been largely instrumental In pro-
curing the enactment of laws providing
for the better care OF the dependent
the delinquent and the defective wards
OF the various commonwealth. 1t mas
undertaken campaign to secure state
laws placing all officials and employees
OF the charitable and reformatory In
stitutions OF the country under the
merit system Of appointment and pro-
notion
Divorce Schools From Politics.
The educational committee Is waging
campaign for the separation of school
boards from party politics. is insisting
upon women's representation on school
boards and IS endeavoring to bring
mothers and teachers into closer re-
lations. The pure food committee had
an important part in securing the pass
age of the federal pure food bill. and
the pure food officials now count the
women's clubs as their chief allies in
securing the enforcement of the stat
utes. The committee on forestry is
especially active in the cause of con-
servation Of American timber re-
sources
The committee on industry and child
labor is fighting the sweat shops in the
great cities and the child labor out
RACES in all parts of the country Wom-
ems clubs have had an active part in
securing the enactment of Juvenile court
laws and the committee on legislation
announces that this crusade will not
cease until there is a Juvenile court in
every city in the land
Local Needs Suggest Campaigns
The various state declarations conduct
independent campaigns suggested by
local needs and local conditions, the
scope Of their work being unlimited
The state declarations hold annual
meetings. as a rule. and they have i'm
mediate charge Of the greater number
of club campaigns. But all Of them
make use of the cooperative facilities
afforded by the organization Of the
General Federation.
The clubs. as a rule. have managed to
abstain from controversial politics
Questions on which the political par
ties divide are tabooed as far as pos
sitle- The only political question in
which the clubs are actively concerned
is the conservation issue. But thew
cannot be blamed for this, because thew
were fighting the battles of conserya-
ton many years before the issue had !
national or political aspect Perhaps
10 other organization In the country in
itself represents a greater force for
good than the General Federatio of
Y. onen's clubs meeting today in Gin
cinnati
Tomorrow-Two Polish Patriots.