Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-02
able in a woman's organization. usually
conspicuous for carefullD drawn social

as the great middle class. People In
society circles ssorned it and the working
classes were equally antagonistic. Both
these classes have since come into the
work enthusiastically and they are all
represented as workers in the woman suf-
frage party of New York City.
big Boss Mary Garrett Hay, the
Greater New York leader. sees her Dor
ough officers whenever they have
need of advice. on the walls Of her
Office are five carefully detailed political
maps of the five boroughs where points
of difficulty may be pointed out in con-
situations. In addition to this there IS
what Miss Hay calls her Suffrage Bible. :
1t is book in which there is everything
that she needs to know about the poiti-
cal condition of Greater New York. En-
tered in this book are totals of votes cast
in every district in the city in 1915 AID
1916, the names of the male political lead
ers and how they voted. the list of dis
tricts that are strong for suffrage, those
that are lukewarm. and those that are
actively opposed to il. She can tell to a
vote what is needed to carry the city for
the women this year.
Constant work is done by the suf-
frage organizations in districts OPP
posed to the suffrage cause. Miss Hay
knows, as the canvasserS bring in their
returns, whatever changes in sentiment
there may be. Each election district
captain organizes her own district
workers, and they are expected to see
every voter in the district and ask him
! how he stands in regard to votes for
women. Each canvasser is expected
to make from 20 TO 25 calls day. She
need see the voter only once, though
she may be obliged to call several
times before she finds him at home.
The canvasser makes short call only,
as she is warned against annoying or
nagging the voter.
\ similar organization exists in cit
! les, town and villages all over the
country the bigger cities having the
most efficient methods. But it is felt
! that they are not yet perfect, and or
eanization work is being continually
! pushed.
/ In the New York organization may
be seen the development OF state work.
1t is under the direction of Mrs: Nor
man de r. Whitehouse and a band of
women officers who have devoted years
to suffrage. For convenience the state
| has been organized into Il campaign
districts each with a leader arranged
by counties. In addition to this there
are regular congressional. assembly
! and election district organiza tions,
! with certain suffrage clubs which, hav-
ing been organized before the district
organization, have continued their
work in the different districts. The
state organization has 1900 officers, eS-
elusive of those in New York city.
An important department in the
| state organiZation-and one that is
unique-is its publicity council. Many
prominent women have served on this
council, whose duty is to arrange par
| AIDES and various kinds of stunts" as
| they arc called, which will have inter-
esting news features that will appeal
to the newspapers. This work is sep
arate from that of the press depart
ment, which gets out the regular news
service.
Another important branch of the
state organization is the industrial de-
partment, whose head is Miss Mary
Dreier, at one time president of the Wo-
mems Trade League of New York city.
This organization includes hundreds of
women workers in different trades and
members of trade unions, and has the
sympathetic support Of many of the
mems unions.
A college league is another body
forming one of the state orga nization's
component parts.
| In addition to the regular work
which is going on constantly in states
there is also the work on tho federal
I amendment, which takes the leaders of
the national association to Washing
ton This year the national associa-
| ton has magnificent Washington
headquarters, q great house at 1926
Rhode Island avenue, at Sne time &C.
cupied by Elihu Root and at another
by Larz Anderson. It is the residence
of Mrs. Christian Hemmick, who gives
! it to the suffragists at nominal
rental.
The organization Of the suffragists
and the harmony in tho working of its
great machine may be said to be be-
cause it is an army of unpaid workers.
1t has its PAID organizers, speakers and
! clerical fore. but the officers, from
! the president down to the election dis
trict captains, work entirely without
pay. Some suffrage workers not only
! give their services without pay, but
contribute largely to the support of
| the organization.
! One item in the organized work of
| the suffragists which is important and
which might he matter of great ex-
| pense is the automobile service. In
| New York city each borough organiza-
| ton has its own automobile, but, in
addition 70 that, cars may be needed
at any time for meetings, parades, ser
vice to polling stations on election
days, and for half n hundred other
things. There is practically no limit to
/ the supply. If 20 automobiles are
needed at a few hours notice for the
New York city suffragists. a member
of the Office staff takes a list of names
of automobile owners, goes to the tele-
| phone calls them up, and the care are
on hand when they are needed. If the
| owner of the car must use it at that
| particular time the answer comes
back: Get taxi and charge it to my
account" It Is all a part of the eff