The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-18
Kansas Women Would Deter
mine Working Conditions Here.
Emergency Council To Care for
Girls in All Industries.
WE ARE ENTRENCHED At HOME
Is WOman's Situation, Says
Harriet Vittum of Chicago.
Soldiers Not Only Ones In
Trenches, She Declares.


he called as soon as possible, to de-
termine working conditions Tor women
and girls engaged in industries parIC-
tularly connected with war work rms
announcement was made at the meet
ing of the woman's committee, Kansas
council of defense, in Topeka in
speech by Miss Lima Bresette, secre-
tary of the welfare board. Instead OF
carrying on the regulation of indus
try connected with war work thru the
regular channels of a separate Doaro
for each one, they will all be consid-
cred by one board, which will expedite
and hasten the work.
THE manufacturers are telling us"
Miss Bresette said, that we cannot
now regulate hours and wages, as all
our energies must be concentrated on
the great task in hand. But We have
had our warning from Great Britain
and France that We must not speed
up the work at the expense of our
workers, as they cannot hold out and
keep up Quickened pace"
Unity of Action.
Miss Harriet Vittum, of Chicago, di-
rector of the woman's committee of
the Illinois council of defense, made
an address at the meeting. Her train
was late, and she arrived just as the
session was preparing to adjourn for
dinner The company remained to
listen to her speech.
Miss Vittum urged the necessity of
unity of action on the part of the wo-
men in war work, following the plans
laid out by the government at Wash
ingtOn.
The soldiers are not the only ones
in the trenches" she declared I'VE
women are also, in a sense, to be con-
sidered as entrenched at home doing
the work that is at hand. Our pres
ent agencies for social welfare must
be maintained. If we are faithful to
LET
do, our value to the nation will be
recognized, even as France and Eng
land is acknowledging the value of
their Womenkind.
In elections we must work for the
election OF the best men to office. We
must meet and solve our problems of
social welfare, child hygiene, infant
mortality, education, civic conditions.
housing, etc. 1t should no longer be
possible for a child to be born in un-
son coming to this country should
nave the boon of sunshine and clean
air. We must work for supervised
Fairgrounds and for all the agencies
Ior safeguarding the young people of
the nation" - ;
Sang America.
The meeting began with the singing
of America, followed by the newly
added stanza God Save Our Men :"
MIS- Arthur Capper presided at the
piano, and Miss Marguerite GohIke led
IN the singing. Mrs. Joseph Hicks gave
the invocation.
Dean Mary Pierce Van Zile of the
State Agricultural college, Manhattan.
made the first address of the after
noon on the subject of food conserva-
ton. She spoke of the urgency of the
| need of more food production and
greater economy in the use of foods
that can be shipped abroad. She
a nv xxyh inI
OF Kansas, thru the efficient state
and county organization of the wo-
mans committee. can assist the Unit
ed States in maintaining it's great
second line of defense" She sug-
gested the close cooperation of the
county chairmen over the state with
the food expert furnished by the gov
eminent. She advocated the calling
of mass meetings in all the counties,
| and gave instruction to the county
chairmen how to proceed with the
food drive.
Mrs. Charles Brooks Thomas. in
giving an account of the Red Cross or
ganization, urged especially the need
for prompt obedience to the superior
orders for Red Cross work. I'VE are
an army of women workers for the
relief of suffering in the war. If we
are good soldiers we will obey the
word of the commanders without ask
! ing why We must stand together alb
soIutely, and that means that no
/ woman should be getting hurt feel
ings or be hunting for sights or Civ
ing Sights. The only way to turn out
the millions of garments that this
country must furnish, is by standing
firmly together.
i Conservation of Childhood.
| DIR. Lydia Allen DeVilbiss, head of
the child welfare department of the
woman's committee, told of the organ
ization of twenty counties of Kansas
| in the gigantic task of putting into the
hands of every woman in those coun-
| ties information relative to the con-
servation of childhood. especially with
reference to the peculiarly hard con-
ditions engendered by war.
Miss Winifred Wygal, director of
meaning clearer. Grow in graces"-