The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-08
MERCER COUNTY
RANKS SECOND
N BUREAU WORK

Especial to The Argus.)

Aledo, ILL.,, April 8.-That the
Mercer county home bureau has
made progress during its three
years Of existence was manifest
from the report Of home bureau OK
tension work throughout the state
and nation, given by Miss Letta
Bane, state leader from the Univers-
ity u Illinois, before meeting OF
the Hamlet unit of the Mercer coun-
" organization, held at the COM
munity hall in Hamlet yesterday
afternoon.
Illinois ranks second in men,
bership Of any state in the union.
said Miss Bane, and 1t is the only
state in the union where the work
of the home bureau Is done sepa-
rataly from the farm bureau. New
York has $4,000 members and ILL
nois has 10000. In the counties of
the state Kankakee county ranks
first in membership and Mercer
second. The former is now in its
sixth year OF organization, while
Mercer ID Just entering the fourth.
Four other counties in Illinois are
now ready to take up the work and
It Is probable that Cole, Mason and
Rock Island counties will be Or
ganized at once.
In explaining the work Of Or
ganization Miss Bane stated that
the method was now entirely diff
ferent than when the first Illinois
counties were organized. The wo-
men Of the county must now be
completely organized and ready for
the home advisor before the state
department will aid them or en-
deayor to find an adviser for them.
This develops q stronger bureau
and insures the leadership of wo-
men who really want the organize
ton. Miss Bane laid special en-
,phasis ON the fact that the home
bureau was a national organization
and the only one in the United
States, where 0 college leader is
provided. Every Illinois, home ad-
wiser II considered q member Of
the university faculty.
Il 10 hard to realize, said Miss
Bane. that through the work Of the
home bureau every member is re.
ceiving practically a college course
in home economies in her own com.
munity. II il hard to realize tina,
home bureau work is different from
social clubs because it is as vel
Q young organization and in two
years will not be doing the type o.
work which It is doing now. 1t /:
the purpose to make the home
bureau mean as much to the wo-
men as the farm bureau means Il
the modern farmer.
Miss Bane explained that at tn,
beginning Of the war every stat
was given q certain sum Of none!
to aid with necessary war work
Every state used a part Of thi,
money to place home advisers in tn,
best counties Of the state. At thu
close of the war few Of these ad
visers were retained with the ex
ception of those placed in Hi
nois, where every one sent out wa
kept.
Mercer county is one Of tn
strongest counties in the state. sait
Miss Bane. The reports sent IL
from here have been fine, and tn
spirit Of the women behind tn
movement is splendid. There ma!
be a little difficulty in the chang
of membership fees. but she is con
fident that when the women realiz
what this means in the progress o
the organization there will be littl
trouble. Almost every county nov
has the IS membership fee.
what we especially want I,
emphasize" concluded Miss Bane
s'is the fact that we want womel
with a purpose as members Of tn
organization, women who are striv
ing to build up an ideal home. GU
work will never be spectacular, bu
II we succeed in making every hom
in the community more sanitary
q more convenient and more hap
py place, We shall feel more thai
renaid."