Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-12-27
CIVIC FEDERATION
WILL DEBATE ON
VITAL PROBLEMS
National Convention in Wash
ington Next Month Will Dis
cuss Big Issues.

Wcsnan's department, a standing COM
mittee of the National Civic Fedora
tion, will be held on January II and
Is at the New Willard Hotel
Among the questions of vital inn
port which will come up for discus
sion are prison reform. the housing
problem, the immigration question, as
affecting women. and country life and
rural betteunent. Home and foreign
relief for the social and industrial
problems which are expected to arise
at the conclusion of the European
war will occupy prominent place
in the program. Plans for the Tnen
Wilson Memorial, a block OF model
houses for the accommoda tion of 1000
poor. to be built in the national cap
ital in memory of the late Mrs. Wood
row Wilson, honorary chairman OF
the woman's department, also will be
considered.
Seventeen States are now represent
ed in the eight sections of the
woman's department Of the National
Civic Federation. the object of which
is a practical dealing with contempo-
rary Industrial, social and economic
problems.
MANY of the committees of the
woman's department are national in
their policy. consptcuously that re-
Gently appointed for the study of con-
ditions in country life with the object
of rural betterment. Community or
ganizations and county clubs are
created as a nucleus for social inter-
course and as cooperative agencies
working with the local health boards.
In certain rural districts great need
exists for trained women to do nurs-
ing. as the old-fashioned method of
allowing neighbors to run in" not
only endangers the life of the patient,
hut is an active agent in the spread of
CONTAGIOUS diseases. "All time paid
county health officers throughout the
country are also advocated by the
committee.
The Vacation Committee.
A committee of peculiar local inter-
est, inasmuch as Newark and New
Jersey at large is keenly interested
and largely represented in the sub
ject, is the vacation committee. Real
izing that the conservation of energy
and recreation of vitality makes for
the personal efficiency of the wage
earning woman. and adds to her value
to society and the State, the commit
tee believes in and encourages vaca-
tions, and has inaugurated a stamp
system for the saving of small sums
toward enjoying such periodical re-
spites.
Three valuable contributions toward
the control of industrial disease have
been made by the woman's depart
ment, two dealing with mercurial poi
soning and the third with infection
in laundries.
immigration as dealing with women
after the war is being carefully pro-
vided for by series of surveys and
studies of the delinquent immigrant
woman, tracing back her record from
the time of her commitment to her
landing at Ellis Island with as much
of her antecedents in the old country
as is available. In contradistinction
an equal number of aliens, of the
same age. nationality and environ
ment, who have made good in this
country, are being written into the
records.
For Prison Reform.
The committee on prison reform has
formulated the following platform:
The elimination of politics from the
management of correctional institu-
tions.
The development OF character and
self-control in the prisoner through
the honor system, and a larger de-
gree of elf-government within cor
rectional institutions.
The study and further development
of the principle of the indeterminate
sentence.
The development of farm industrial
prisons and other modern correctional
institutions.
The development of the State-use
system of prison labor throughout the
country in order to develop the best
that is in the prisoner and at the
GO Y,aa fir,ao aonaarua tho fpforaGf of
the State.
Cooperation to secure Federal
legislation which will make possible
an effective State-use system in every
State.
The application of proper rules re-
garding just compensation of pris-
oners in all correctional institutions.
with a view to creating an interest
in the prisoner in his work and sense
of responsibility for the support of
himself and his family, and ability
to provide such support.
The establishment and improvement
of prison schools for instruction in
elementary subjects in correlation
with Industrial education.
Wherever possible with the coop
GRAFTON of other agencies, and with
consideration of local conditions,
these principles are being urged.
War Secretary Speaker.
A luncheon will be given on Mon
day, January IL, at which Lindley NJ.
Garrison, secretary of war, Nicholas
Longworth, and Augustus Gardner
will be among the speakers. The
meetings of the Woman's Department
win be held on the afternoon of the
18th and the morning of the 18th,
enabling the members to take part
during the remaining hours in the
discussions of the whole federation.
The officers of the Woman's De-
partment are Miss Maude Wetmore,
chairman; Mrs. Rogers H. Bacon,
secretary, and Miss Anne Morgan,
treasurer and its Executive Council
includes Mrs. Robert w. Lovett, first
chairman, Boston, Mass; Mrs.
Charles E. Hamlin, second vice-chair-
man, Washington, ID. c.. Mrs. Alfred
Il. Bates, third vice-chairman, Wash
ington, ID. c.; Mrs. Bayard Henry,
fourth yice-chairman, Philadelphia,
Pa; Miss Maud Rives Borland, fifth
vice chairman, New York City; Mrs.
Eva Mcdonald Valesh, sixth vice.
chairman, New York City; Mrs. Au-
gust Belmont, New York City; Mrs.
Augustus p. Gardner, Hamilton.
Mass. Mrs. Mary Hatch Willard,
New York City; Mrs. Francis McNiel
Bacon, jr., chairman, New York and
New Jersey section, New York; Mrs,
Archibald Hopkins, chairman, Dis
trict of Columbia section, Washing
ton, ID. c.; Mrs. ]. Allison Hodges
chairman, Virginia and West Virginia
section, Richmond, VA. Mrs. George
T. Rice, chairman, New England sec
ton, Boston, Mass; Mrs. Cyrus Pit
man Orr, chairman, Alabama and
Mississippi section. Birmingham
Ala; Mrs. B. Frank Mebane, chair.
man, North and South Carolina sec
ton; Spray, n. c.; Mrs. William
Brooks Young, chairman. Florida sec.
ton, Jacksonville, Fla; Mrs. II. S. b
/ Paala chairman National Industria