The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-10-30
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS
BEFORE KUMTUX CLUB
By Mrs. ]. c. Wilson, of Wenatchee, at
the Meeting Held friday, Oc-
tOber 23rd

OF the water power, OF agriculture, OF
Industries. Finally bureau devoted
to conservation of the child life of the
nation has been established at Wash
ington, D. c., with Miss Julia Lathiop
at its head.
Women are the natural "conservers"
of the race. We begin in the home
as wives, then mothers, the process Of
conservation, building up the vital
forces, physical, mental and spiritual.
Oh, the Joy that comes in giving
expression to this wonderful maternal
instinct. At first it is so personal that
we do not realize that it is the great
power which eventually shall become
SO impersonal and all-pervading that
women in comradeship the world over
shall join with the men, and thus to-
gether make our cities and towns fit
abiding places for all.
What is the connection between the
conservation OF life and civics2 Civics
applied should mean the conservation
of the organized life Of the community.
What then are the vital forces to be
conserved in the life Of the town.
First, the highest development OF
each individual. Is the highest ideal
of our town conservation, the conserv-
ing OF the best in each man, woman
and child2
When a question aries concerning
any organized activity or business Of
a town, we can answer it by asking,
twill this organization, activity or bus
mess prove conserving force in the
life OF the individual"
Is the home-is our home-con-
serving the physical, mental and spir'
itual possibilities of each member OF
the home? Are we uniting, as
women, for the conservation OF the
best in our homes2
Because OF the complete revolution
which has taken place in our condi-
tions of life, because it has become so
complex and so interelated that we
women can no longer remain within
our homes and wrap our mantles OF
contentment and Indifference about US
and say: I'VE are all right, we four,
no MORE" We must enlarge our inter
ests and broaden our efforts for the
entire community.
Verify, verify, say unto you-wake
up! There is war in Europe, not in
America, and it has affected every
man, woman and child in America, yes,
in the whole world. Yea, verify, we
are only sleepily rubbing our eyes, and
shaking each other, calling to awaken
that we may have some small compre-
hension OF how vitality each individual
will be affected by this most terrible
war in the history of the world. No
man liveth to himself and no man
dieth to himself" is truer than ever
before in the worlds history. No
home dieth to itself is equally true.
So we ask the question as did the
Woman's City Club, Of Chicago, "Wo-
man, who keeps your house3" They
designed a most effective poster. 1t
presents a series Of sketches showing
how the functions of the home are
connected with the various depart
ments Of the central government that
controls them" These sketches are
placed in a big &c" for city hall.
The first sketch shows young couple
getting married. A line connects
them with the marriage license bureau
of the city hall, which legalizes their
union. When the poster was ex-
planned to some children they were
asked, what is the beginning OF a
homer" One small girl replied, Fur
niture;" but little boy with keener
insight said softly, "A mother" The
home is traced in a series Of sketches
through the building OF the home,
safegarded BY the building department
Of the city. the buying Of household
goods and foods, the bringing in OF
water, gas and milk, the disposal OF
garbage, through the birth Of the baby,
the education OF the child, the clean
ing Of streets, and purifying OF the air
all being traced to the several de-