New-York tribune., 1911-11-13
CLUB WOMEN GATHER
Gaynor and Dix to Welcome State
Federation Tomorrow.
TO DISCUSS BIG QUESTIONS
Sorosis to Take the Lead in En-
tertainments, of Which There
Will Be MANY.

| The State Fed" is here. The club wom-
en- own the town. To be sure. their con-
vention doesn't open officially until to-mor-
row, but they are landing here, both single
file and in battalions from Syracuse and
Gloversville, from Rochester and Hornell,
from the big towns and from little hamlets
which yet are not too little to have a wom-
ans club.
all, and the Hotel Astor, where they con-
vene, will be until Friday the haunt and
home Of woman's politics.
Mayor Gaynor IS so impressed with the
occasion that he has not only promised 10
be In the grand ballroom Of the Hotel AS
tor tomorrow at 10 a. m, TO hand
over the keys OF the CITY," but 1t is said
he actually will come. Also, II is announced
that Governor Dix will run down from Al
bany to make a welcoming speech. BISHOP
Burch will offer the invocation at this the
first session of the convention.
When the New York State Federation OF
Women's Clubs last met in this city, In 1897,
one hundred and fifty delegates assembled.
The Fed" was rather smaller then than
It Is now. The thousand and more women
who are convening now represent three
hundred clubs, which have membership OF
75 200 women.
An echo of that 1893 meeting will be
heard tonight. when Mrs. William Tod
Helmuth will give a dinner to the members
OF the board of 1893. one hundred guests
are asked TO meet the "old guard"
Mrs. Helmuth was the first president the
state Fed" ever had, and is now its hon
orary president.
The dinner will he at the Hotel Astor.
Except for this dinner and brief playtime
Thursday, the women will attend strictly
10 business. All to-day various committees,
credentials and registration and so on,
will be on deck TO receive the incoming
delegates Tnere viii! he n board meeting
this morning
Sorosis, "the mother Of clubs" will natu-
rally take the lead in entertaining the dele
gates, the other clubs of the New York City
Fed" assisting.
Mrs May Riley Smith, president Of Soro-
sis, will welcome the women Of the state
at the opening session tomorrow and Mrs.
Helmuth will respond for the state.
The women mean TO tackle all the impor-
tant questions Of the day which relate to
women and children. juvenile courts child
labor, the bettering OF industrial condi-
tions. hygiene, reciprocity, anti-tubercuo-
sis, Libraries and pure milk are only few
Of the many topics which will be thrashed
out.
The patriotic societies will have an after
noon and the suffragists and anti-suffra-
gists, too, will have an evening.
All sorts of plans are made for Thurs
day. when Mrs. Ralph Trautmann. MIS-.
William Grant Brown. Mrs Edward r..
Kidder and the other chairmen Of the en-
tertainment committee will show the out
of-town visitors how New York goes about
II 10 have real good time. Many kinds OF
good times will be at the disposal Of the
women
The. serious minded can study conditions
at Ellis Island, settlements, hospitals, or
the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The gay can go
to the Hippodrome or TO other places OF
entertainment.
Miss Mary G. Hay, president of the
Fed" says that managers have come for
ward nobly with tickets