The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-11-20
Wednesday Evening Session.

night with the "Pilgrims Chorus" sung
by members of the Morning Music
Club of Hattiesburg under the direc-
ton of Miss Lorena Thomson, follow
ing which Mrs. j. ]. McGrath, vice
president, called the session to order,
declaring that the aim and purpose of |
the Federation of Women's Clubs are !
always for the improvement of the |
economic, industrial, moral, social and |
civic life of the people. She then in
troduced as the first speaker Miss |
Susie " Powell of Jackson, who spoke |
on Organization of Clubs of Women
and Girls in Rural Districts" Miss
Powell reviewed the seven years in
which she has been engaged in this
work. and told of encouragement given
her in its inception by DR.. Seamon
Knapp, who in the personal interview
given her in his office in Washington,
opened to her vision of the possibili-
ties of the work of organizing. the wom-
en- and girls in the rural districts in
intelligent cooperative and scientific
consideration of rural problems and
plans for the better country life. Miss
Powell further. told of the complaint
that the young people in the country
are seeking the cities and towns for
employment and pleasure, and showed
how country life could be made both
profitable and interesting for them
and of what benefit this would be to
the whole country.
Following Miss Powell, Mrs. R. R.
Akers, representing the Morning Music
Club of Hattiesburg, sang "a Fors E
Liu' from La Traviata of Verdi in
Italian, and as an encore "Roses by
Summer Forsaken," by Madam Clara
Butt.
Miss Jean Gordon, of New orleans
was introduced as the Jane Adams
of the South" Miss Gordon expressed
|, her pleasure in being given an oppor
, tunity to present the claims of the
, Southern Consumers League to thu
women of the Federation, and t
, awaken their interest in the social con
ditions in the industrial world Sh
said her desire was to make the won
. en- of the South feel responsibility TO
. the garments they wear, and deman
:. that evidence be given by mercahnt
and manufacturers that the child labo
laws have been enforced in the maxim
of these garments. Miss Gordon sal
she felt that she was infringing upo
-. the laws of hospitality in, telling tn
: people of her sister state of the il
adequacy of their child labor laws, b,
| that the laws of Mississippi on tn
question were so drawn that they wei
not worth the paper they were write
upon, and she appealed to the cll
| women to see that these laws were il
proved, and recommended that facto
inspectors and other officials charg,
with the duty of enforcement of Il
laws should be women. When makil
an appeal for the children in the ca
neries on the gulf coast Miss Cord
was told that they were only Bohe
ians," and she said with much e
phasis that she felt that the Bohemi
children should receive as much CT
sideration as the American. Miss G.
don talked further of the conditio
of working women in the large ind
| trial centers. and made a plea for
shop girls and delivery boys, and urg
the club women to interest themselN
more in these reforms.
Mrs. McGrath then introduced NJ
Corinne Blount, winner of the me
offered by the Chamnade Club
Jackson, for the best original song, 6
the composition AT Nightfall," low
lullaby, was sung by Miss Hightov
accompanied by Miss Blount.
Mrs. Marguerite Butterfield Err
of Oklahoma, a member Of the Cha
made Club, played her prize piano c.
pOSltlOn, Dedulllui Mdhuiha, WI
makes Miss Erwin holder of the sill
loving cup, the handsome prize offe
by the Federation.
The first honor composition, s
called "Poppies,' by Miss jamie
ton of Hazelhurst, was sung by
Marie Henry of jackson. Miss SCI
was winner of the loving cup last y
which debarred her from holdin
again.
Mrs. A. F. Watkins, of Jackson,
introduced and was heartily welco
by the audience, being former
dent of Hattiesburg and an homo
member of the Woman's Club Of