The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-05

(COQIlnuSO H6So -OucsJ
drove home her facts with anecdotes
and interesting accounts of the ex-
periences of the women of Iowa.
1.-THE keynote of the age we are
living in is SERVICE" she said. "As we
look back we see the women of the
different clubs working for education
and culture, and thinking that their
work concerned themselves only. Not
until the clubs began to realize and
feel more clearly that they had rela-
lions with the community did they be-
gin to broaden their work and in
terest themselves in the community's
welfare. They began to realize that
womens' clubs are part of the COM
munity. We have learned to talk to
politicians, street commissioners, and
other men in office who have control
on the public welfare in which We
are so vitality interested. You who are
present will doubtless remember your
interviews with the mayor or council
men, when you asked them to do
just what they ought to do, and how
patronizing they became" This re-
mark was heard with appreciative
laughter and applause by women who
had evidently had that experience.
Know That Part Of Community.
1--WE have come to know that we
are part of the community" con-
tinued Mrs. Whitley, smiling. 1--WE
are a part of the community and
deeply interested in just such common
al MI nd on q a
a deciding factor in making a town
what it is-cultured, moral and beau
tiful" She recalled how club wom-
en-, working together had secured
libraries, and rest rooms, the latter
having been halter as freak dea,
but now considered a necessity. Many
towns have parks and recreation
grounds because women have started
rhe work of obtaining them" she said.
"The Women's club movement is often
Just as old as the town." Reviewing
some of the work of the Iowa women
she told how they had secured the
library commission, and thir fight to
obtain other much needed reforms.
She recalled how the women had
asked the legislature of Iowa for an
children and how their request had
been refused and large appropria-
ton given toward sheep barn for
the state fair. The women had made
a strong point of this until every
legislator had shuddered at the words
"sheep barn" and had finally grant
ed the appropriation for children, this
having been brought about by the
acute and continual effort of the wom-
en- to keep the eye of the people up
on every legislator. She spoke in warm
words of praise of the United States
children's bureau, devoted to the
study of the child. Before closing her
address Mrs. Whitley spoke of the
new way in which women's clubs are
showing their usefulness, and in the
work of patriotism were forgetting all
the rest.
What Women Can Do.
'The majority of women are asking
themselves, What can we do?" she
said. "They are working in every way
they can to aid our government but
after this war there will come time
of readjustment, when their efforts
will be needed to maintain the normal
in our national life We are called to
keep our country true to our high
ideals. What cannot be expected OF
us? We who have studied together,
worked and organized? Are we not to
give our country something OF this?'
She spoke of the noble work of the
Red Cross, and the "wet blankets"
which abounded in every community,
to discourage people in the good
work. She generously offered to loan
Minnesota some "wet blankets" from
her state if they were needed. Speak
ing of the inscription upon the door OF
a home from which man had gone
TO war, she said,
81 thought, at time like this is 1t
possible that there is a woman so poor
in spirit that she would deny anything
she could give to her country? Very
few. | believe and not in our fedora
ton where the women have been
trained to serve and give. Our flag,
our country is worth living for, worth
dying for. To that call believe the
women of the federation will nobly
and worthily respond g..
Woman and Civil Service.
Mrs. C.. L. Atwood, chairman of the
department of civil service, in a short
and comprehensive talk told of the
undeniable advantages and benefits of
the system. zone of the most notable
acts of President Wilson was the
placing of the first, second and third
class post offices under the civil serv-
ice law" she sad. "He estimated that
this would result in from ten to
twelve millions saving. Civil service is
an economical measure, and everyone
must feel it's justice and efficiency. 1t
does away with the employment of
political parasites, and is very salts
factory to the people, giving them
better service from men in public
positions" She then explained how
the civil service examinations brought
a higher type of applicants, no poll
tics being allowed to interfere, and
the promotional system being well
developed. Positions that were form
erly held by men totally untitled for
them. who had been placed there by
politicians to pay political debts,
could no longer be inflicted upon the
public, as the efficiency test was re-
quired.
eve believe democracy is the soul
of civilization" she said. 1--WE are in
this great war in order that all peo-
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