The Alaska daily empire., 1915-08-25
Commissioner of EduoatiOn's GOO Wife Is Worker 9ao
From Washin0i0n Sfar

.Iiillilssi.iiiisslliill..iii.lli-iiiiiiiiiiii'i
 MoTE-P. p. claxton. commis- sioner of Education. of whose wife Che Washington Star writes. is the head of the educational system which comprehends the Native schools of Al- aska. Mir. Claxton was a recent wis., itor to Juneau.-EDITOR.l
 It is most fitting that the wife of the United States Commissioner of education should be principally inter ested and prominently active in mat ters which pertain to education.
 As in the case of Mrs. Philander P. Claxton. when sincerity goes hand in hand with zeal. an example of real efficiency is provided and one sees in addition what aid the wife of 9 public man may bring to bear in the province of her husbands activity.
 Yet, education IS Q subject of enor- nous inclusiveness. It might be well calculated to insure the attention of any modern woman in one or another of lts branches. According to the pre- vious inclination to proclaim as edu. cational subjects, whether they be collecting stamps. writing text books, or making moving pictures, one might with sufficient seriousness adopt any propaganda and sonsider one's self on adherent of the great educational movement afoot in the universe.
 Nevertheless. realizing the breadth of the term, it scenes proper to iden- tify Mrs. Claxtou with educational inc terests. She stands among the ranks of those who are seriously concerned in disseminating knowledge for the adjustment Of the American citizen to the world in winch he lives.
 ITO teach people to put more life into their lives" as she tersely puts it. looms large and strong as the un- deriving claim of her activities. By membership and offership, and above all, persistency. in a large number of American schools and organizations she attempts to find possibilities for widespread application of her prin- ciple.
 One of the most notable affiliations is with the National Congress of Mo- thers, and Parent Teachers Associa- tion. She is the National peaye chair man of this organization. and the vice president of the Washington branch.
 "This is a movement sweeping the United States at present" she ex- plained. flor the education of moth. CTS and the close cooperation be- tween parents and teachers for the exchange of viewpoint in their rela- tion to the children.
 "As we all know, a great percent age of the mothers of this country have left school at an early age many before even reaching the eighth grade-and these women are often within the first fundamental know ledge which make for improvement in living conditions and happiness in the home.
 Heretofore little attention has been paid Go these women; no one has thought of bringing them in touch with the progress of the world out side the four walls of their homes or of acquainting them with the mod ern discoveries which make for pow CT and contentment.
 By the activities of the Mothers Congress we hope to give these wo men more light on life-the life they must lead. We are instituting a ser ies of lectures on all the subjects which pertain to the serious pursuit of being @ mother and Q homemaker for there is a great difference getweer housekeeper and homemaker. We give talks on sanitary methods. pre- paration of meals. rearing children buying food and SO forth. But we dc not limit our range of subjects. We do not disregard the other side; that is the human side: Lectures on trav el and books are presented to provide little of the wonder of life for these women who in most cases have beer too occupied or perhaps too disre garded to comprehend it.
 { People demand stimulation" pro ceeded Mrs. Claxton. "and only two kinds of stimulation exist-the good and the bad If we lead women tc the proper sources of stimulation they will not have time. and gradual ! ly no inclination for the other varie ty. Consequently, we acquaint them with books We provide them with helpful lists, and thereby attempt tc create a distaste for all that is mol uplifting and humanizing.
 ITO cultivate and nourish the per sonality of the women who have hith erto deemed life an inevitable i'm prisonment within the four walls oi home and indirectly influence the at mosDhere of their lives and the wei