The Penn's Grove record., 1923-11-09

NNAANS lay ~ NilCSC IC" NCd1o3 1855
than ten, since the work was started
by a campaign of education, the club
women have induced ten communities
to pass a prohibitive or restricted or
dinance regarding the indiscriminate
use of fireworks, and firearms for this
celebration. 1t has meant a great saw
ing of life and property.
In its first year this committee
formed programs for Fourth of July
which schools and some communities
adopted. Bayonne was among the
first to do this, the chairman, Mrs. A.
f. Dubois, and the women's clubs of
that city doing much to bring this
about.
Other places have used these or
similar programs, and "the old-time
celebration resulting in death, suffer-
ing, sorrow and frequetly a loss of
property" is a thing of the past. In
1906, 1896 dead and injured were re-
ported by the American Medical As
ISOLATION from independence Day cele-
brations; in 1914, 40 deaths and 1856
injured was the report.
But the great work of this commit
tee representing the club women of
New Jersey has been to educate public
opinion, and it is safe to say that no
community ever having had a sane
Fourth of July could be coaXed to go
backward.
State College For Girls
During the presidency of Mrs. How
ard c.. Warren, Mrs. Cowling, the
chairman of education at that time,
and the Federation president called
upon Dr.. Demarest of Rutgers Col
lege and ascertained from him that in
all four classes of the college about
two hundred and fifty young men
from New Jersey high schools yearly
receive a full collegiate education with
no cost of tuition to themselves. This,
they found. was possible for the Tea-
son that the State and the Federal
Government both contribute funds to
Rutgers College, making it thereby
partly a State institution. But the
young women graduate of the State
high schools, though far outnumber-
ing the young men and ranking as
high, have never been permitted the
privilege of sharing the free State
scholarships.
This seemed to both the chairman
and the president a great oversight
upon the part Of the State authorities
and the matter was presented, there
fore, to various clubs for considera-
ton. A special committe was ar-
pointed with Mrs. William Shipmap
Douglass, president of the College
Club of Jersey City. as chairman. This
committee made a thorough mvestiga-
ton of the State-aided college through
out the United States, in order that it
might understand fully the privileges
enjoyed by young women elsewhere,
and it likewise communicated with the
parents and principals of high school
students in various parts of the State.
The data thus obtained warranted the
Federation taking steps to secure
funds for a Woman's Building to be
erected at the State College.
Uuder the excellent leadership of
Mrs. Douglass and later through the
splendid efforts of the State Board and
it's then president, Mrs. William 7.
Ropes, the Federation was able to Sc
cure the consent of the trustees of
Rutgers College to the establishment
of a woman's college in utilization
with the mems college, to organize an
advisory board of influential men and
women, to have lectures given and
literature distributed in the leading
towns of the State and to raise nearly
$25 900 in cash and pledges as a build
ing fund. 1t was also fortunate
enough to be offered twelve acres of
desirable land upon the banks of the
Raritan as the site for the proposed
college.
However, as the State had recently
made large appropriations to the nor
NAL schools no Roadway was made in
securing State money for a mainten-
ance fund and for free scholarship for
young women
A plan was then suggested to start
the college in temporary quarters after
the manner adopted by the promoters
of Barnard College; to begin collegiate
work at once with pay students and
to let the matter of State aid rest tenn
~porarily. Unfortunately the trustees
of Rutgers College would not agree to
this plan unless money sufficient to
cover expenses for four years, namely,
STE, 900, was raised at the start. This
was found impossible of accomplish
ment, as many people felt the amount
required was too great to be expended
upon what was deemed merely an ex-
priment.
At this point in the development of
the college project, a regular election
was held, and with the new board
came also new ideas. Investigations
were started regarding privately en-
dowed women's colleges unaffiliated
with any existing institution. Mrs
; Stockton, the new president, took the
task developing upon her, and, like
, her predecessors, she has given much
to this great cause. Guided by the ad-
vice of some leading educators, the
president and the board with the con
. sent of the Federation engaged Pro
fessor Robert Scoon of Princeton
5 University to make an educational
survey of the State. This survey, Of
which a hundred or more copies have
been printed, shows the great need in
New Jersey for a wonem's college. 1t
likwise makes clear the kind of college
deemed advisable at the present time
I nc u,o1J &C the location best suited tC