Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-07
BOLT NEW CLUB AND
FORM ONE OF OWN
Omaha Woman's Commercial
Club Strikes Snage Soon
After 1t is Launched.
MAJORITY OPPOSE IDEA

FOuGttSU Out VI tNClltN -HNS llSLi-
bers of the newly organized Omaha
Woman's Commercial club withdrew
from that organization at the close
OF the meeting held i'll the Van SAINT
college rooms Monday evening aud
adjourned to offices of one of the
women in the Brandeis theater build
ing, to organize new business wom-
ems club,
The break can't after a stormy ses-
sion precipitated by statement from
the constitution committee, Mrs,
Myrtle Kelly, Miss Lennie Montgom-
cry and Miss Lena Bellman, that the
name "Woman's Commercial club"
was misnomer and should be
changed; that what the members
wanted and what the constitution pro.
vided for was merely business wom-
ems club, since none OF them had conf
mercial interests or were, with tew
exceptions, employers OF women.
President Wilson Gets Busy.
Mrs. Stella Bedford Wilson, elected
president at the meeting week ago,
held out for the name Woman 5
Commercial club and, according to
members, percmptorily dismissed the
constitution committee and appointed
Miss Belle Hatch, Miss Jane Mullin
and Mrs. Nan Callan in their stead.
Il challenged the president for be-
ing out of order, for not conducting
the meeting acco. ding to parliament
ary law, but she didn't pay any at
tention to me-" rueiully exclaimed
Mrs. V. V. Paxton
Madam President, will you please
give me your definition OF woman S
commercial club? I've asked you at
both of the previous meetings and |
don't know yet what you mean by 1t,
begged Mrs. Myrtle Kelly. IF you
mean we should pattern after the
mems commercial club, we women
haven't freight rates and traffic laws
anG such matters to be interested i'll,
There are only two or three of us
who employ women. The rest are
not employers and they are not rep
resenting their employers"
Just Can't Be Did.
A woman's commercial club cant
be did," according to Miss Lennic
Montgomery, who made the star
speech for the insurgents. That wom-
ell did not wish to associate them
selves with an organization their EN-
ployers would ridicule was an addi-
tional point she brought out. 1T
isn't spirit of crnging which impels
it, its only that nothing succeeds
, without cooperation. This thing is
outside the beaten path and will have
a hard time to succeed
IF the women want a commercial
club or are interested in Commercial
affairs, why don't they try to induce
the Commercial cluu to open its mem
bership to women?" put in another
Il am sure the men would make mem
bershiI provision for them il there
was sufficient demand OH the part o.
women
Wed be travelling under false pre-
lenses said a Mrs. Halderman. 1T
would be as if | would invite you tt
come ont and inspect the packing
house | was managing and when yor
came out to visit me you'd find | was
running laundry"
So They Just Battled.
Miss lone c. Duffy voiced an appea
foi an organization of business wom'
en- which would draw in the young
girl just entering the business world
and be OF educational and social ad.
vantage to her. Miss Duffy cited as
an example the Boston City club with
a membership Of $500.
| Mrs. Wilson, the president, closet
the argument by introducing a new
subject, the suffrage school, where
upon Mrs. Kelly asked that her namt
be stricken from the list of charter
members.
Come on, girls, let's go across tht
street and organize a business wom
ems club sang out Mrs. Kelly, ane
the majority OF the women "bolted.
! Charges Of "one-woman rule" ant
"steam-roliing" methods against til,
head of the organization were rife
among the women.