Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-10
Ballots for Both
in The
Pine Tree State

At the Portland ward s suffrage
headquarters recently Miss Margaret
Justina Worcester spoke on Suffrage
and It's Relation to Better Babies"
saying in part:
"A man said to me not long ago
that he was by nature and training a
conservative and looked at the very
important question of giving the vote
to women as still a question of ex-
pediency.
ITO such conservative I would
say that the suffrage, too, is con-
sentative who believes in conserva
ton of the utmost Importance to
Amcrica-a conservation not only of
her natural. but her human resources.
"The chief asset of a country is its
citizens of the right quality. There
fore, it is eXpedient that we conserve
the race for the future by eliminating
the overriding hours for women in in
dustry, child labor and the high rate
of infant mortality.
I'm this national baby week the
suffragist points to the fact that the
three countries with the lowest infant
death rate are suffrage countries
New Zealand, with 81 per thousand;
Norway, with 6S, and Australia, with
". The non suffrage country of Rus
STA has 24S, while in the United States
the rate is over 100 per thousand.
I'm New Zealand government nurses
give instruction and aid to mothers in
every town and most remote country
| ct yUhilo hoh xyh
ing form a part of a girls education
the death rate.
I'm America, since California, Wash
ington and Kansas women have voted,
the death rates have been rapidly re-
duced. California has the highest
birth rate and a very low death rate.
Seattle, Washington, has the lowest
in the country, 50. against 231 in
| Lowell Mass.
Miss Laura Hughes, the interesting
Canadian girl from Toronto, Canada,
who is the guest for couple of weeks
of Mrs. Robert Treat Whitehouse, 1O8
Vaughan street, Portland. has had
many diverse and interesting expert
ences. She was appointed one of the
committee of the district trades and
labor council to investigate the labor
conditions in Toronto. For two weeks
she worked in different factories as
a laboring girl applying for the posi-
ton as an inexperienced girl. She
was at first refused, but afterwards
succeeded in getting into the factories.
She came into. very close touch with
the working girls in these factories
and had many interesting experiences
and Illuminating conversations with
them. Miss Hughes. through her re-
ports of this investigation, was able
to impress upon The Powers that Be
in Toronto. the necessity of raising
the wages of the working girl, and
was instrumental in getting a mini
mum wage law through. Miss Hughes
feels that the question of labor and
capital is the great problem of the
American people today, and that this
question for women will never be
settled until women have the right of
the franchise. She has been an in
defatigible worker in Canada for suf-
frage for women, and the success of
the suffrage movement in Canada is
largely due to her effort. " 1t takes
both men and women to work for hu-
manity," says Miss Hughes. 1.-THE
most patriotic thing we can do for
our country is to enable industry to
go on without friction. This can only
be done by thorough understand
ing of the laboring class by the cap
italist. The labor people will work as
hard as they can if they feel that
their employer is in touch with them.
The country that solves this problem
first is going to be the country that
stands out as the foremost civilized
country in the world"
Mrs. Althea Quimby of Turner has
returned from a session of the ex-
ecutive board of the Maine w. c. T. U.
in Portland. where details Of the suf-
frage campaign were discussed. Mrs.
Quimby says that suffrage literature is
being distributed throughout the
State and the w. c. r. U. are holding
many parlor meetings on this subject
Several meetings at which local speak
ers have made public addresses on
suffrage were reported.
Miss Lola Walker, suffrage organ
izer, was In Lewiston recently dining
at King Tavern with the chairman
of the Sagadahoc Suffrage league,
Miss Ruth E. Thompson. Following
was a business session at the Y NJ
c. A., when Miss Walker explained
the plans of organizing the county
districts. Miss Walker will return
to Bath later and personally assist
in the big campaign. The reports of
the various committees were offered
and plans discussed for a program
in the near future, which will prob
ably materialize and net the league
sum with which to carry on the
work. Miss Priscilla Kimball is
chairman of the entertainment divi-
sion and has several ideas to de-