The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-14


ened a body of men. This is a sub
ject, however, upon which most men
require considerable education. Two
years additional agitation will
doubtless change their attitude in
regard to it.
The Palm Hammock grant, minus
the requested appropriation of ST.
600 per annum for maintenance,
passed at almost the last moment
Senator Drane and Representative
Goldstein pushed it through in the
face of countless other measures
clamoring to be considered The
granting of this land to the Florida
Federation. who labored so arduous-
~ for its passage.
In addition to the above measures,
which were especial pets of the Flor
ida Federation this year, a very
good medical inspection for school
dren bill was passed. This law
requires one doctor in each county to
be appointed and paid by the State
Board of Health to devote his entire
time to making the necessary in
spections for each county. The
amount of data turned in through
these inspections should be inval-
liable in promoting better health
conditions among the school child
rem in the state.
Bills were also passed permitting
detention homes in counties having
juvenile courts, providing a separ-
ate court to try juvenile delnquents
for Duval county, and providing a
contributory delinquent clause to
the juvenile court law whereby par
ents are held accountable for the
misdeeds of their children.
An act was passed requiring the
collection and recording of vital
statistics under the direction of the
State Board of Health; also an act
authorizing county commissioners to
conduct canning and card club work
in the various counties.
] Our child labor law was also ma
terially strengthened On the other
hand, free textbook bill met with
defeat, as did also the attempt to
provide land by the state in the
! Everglades for the Seminole Indians;
an attempt to make women eligible
FOR school offices was also defeated
! When all is said and done, how.
ever, pretty creditable showing re.
mains for the 1915 legislature, prob
ably more creditable showing thar
made by any previous legislature
Undoubtedly the interest and agita
tion done by the club womer
throughout the state helped to crys
talize the good judgment of the leg
islators on many subjects which
they had previously given little con
sideration. During the next tw'
years we must prepare ourselves t,
| o''iSt III sum 81 cdleI HIlsHleHIHeI
for them. 1t hah been my experinec
so far with our Legislators that it i
not their hearts we need to CONVEX
to better methods, but their heads
which are packed so full with com
mercial problems. there is littl
room left for the more purely mora
aspect of theings.
The fight made by the prohibition
lists against the sale of whiskey ha
been too widely discussed and agi
tated to require comment from m
here.
Before closing my report | wish t
thank most heartily our Florida clu
women who have so loyalty Give
their thought. work and inspiratio
to the legislative department in il
work. 1t has been privilege and
pleasure to have come in contact, i
such short time. with so many az
dent, broad minded. well-informe
l women. Our president, also, as ma
readily be suspected was indefatigi
l Bile in her efforts to secure the pa.
sage of our bills. She never faile
5 to lend hand when a hand W.
0 needed. The local committee at Ia
: lahassee, who worked on the groun
from the opening till the close of tt
d term in behalf of these measure
e cannot be too highly praised f,
y their faithful efforts Last of a
/ but by no means least, are our Flo
: ida newspapers which, almost wit
out exception, have supported OF
g causes with enthusiasm.
! Respectfully submitted,
S JESSIE McGRAFF,
e Chairman Legislative Departmer