The nonpartisan leader. [volume], March 15, 1920, Image 7

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
Clubs Growing Fast
Nonpartisan Women Organizing in Many
League States Now
HE movement started by North Dakota
women at Bismarck, a year ago, when
they organized their first club to work
with the Nonpartisan league, is
spreading throughout the League
states even more rapidly than the
original League movement spread among the farm
ers. Until a few months ago these clubs, known
as League auxiliaries, were confined to North Da
kota. Minnesota next took steps to organize. A
month ago national headquarters were established
in St. Paul, the name was changed to "Women's
Nonpartisan clubs" and organization work began
in many other states. Nebraska. has within the
last month reported the organization of clubs, Col
orado has reported a club starting with a member
ship of 40, and many other states are crowding
forward.
Mrs. Flora Thomason, acting secretary of the
clubs, whose address is Box 949, St. Paul, Minn.,
has prepared a booklet on the Women's Nonparti
san club movement, explaining the work in detail.
Following are excerpts from it:
Women's Nonpartisan clubs—what are they?
They are a federation of local clubs of women who
realize that they are now, or soon will be, voters
that they must know what they are voting for and
make their votes count for the things in which
they believe.
How is the work to1e done? By the organiza
tion of local clubs of women in each community for
the purpose of study and investigation so that they
may be able to use their votes intelligently. Pro
posed legislation will be studied and subjects of
special interest to women will be investigated so
that the women may be able to propose or support
proper legislation in regard to subjects of vital in
terest to themselves, their homes and their children.
Who is eligible to member
ship? Any w&man who is
interested in good govern
ment—local, state or nation-"
al.
How is the local club form
ed? Write to the national
secretary at St Paul, Minn.,
and she will send you an ap
plication for a charter, con
stitution and bylaws, togeth
er with full particulars. When
you have five or more wom
en interested send for your
application and when the
charter is granted you will
be ready for business.
What are the dues? One
dollar per year 50 cents ia„
retained in the local organ
ization for whatever purpose
desired the other 50 cents is
sent to' the national office in
St. Paul to aid in carrying on
general organization and do
ing special research work.
While five women are re
quired to form a local club,
any woman not able to organ
ize a club herself may be
come a "member-at-large" by
sending her application and
dues direct to national head
quarters. As soon as four
others join from the same lo
cality, or a local club is form
ed in the neighborhood, mem
bership may be transferred
to the local club.
When five clubs are organ
ized in a county, a county
federation may be organized,
the presidents of the five
clubs forming a county exec
utive committee. When five
counties have thus organized,
a state federation may be
formed. The state federations
The boys' and girls' farm club movement
is having a healthy growth throughout the
Northwest. The 1919 report for North
Dakota shows 4,459 club members enrolled.
Reports from *2,068 of these have been
compiled and show products worth $77,372
and net profits' of $44,320.
The largest group of contestants were
enlisted in garden work—1,092—and their
report shows $4,454 worth of products.
Other lines of club work, and the value of
products reported, were:
Potatoes, $10,039 calf raising, $3,925
poultry raising, $9,200 pig feeding,
$4,523 sow and litter raising, $19,575
sheep raising, $8,310.
THE FARM WOMAN'S PAGE OF NEWS AND OPINION
will each have a member of the national executive
committee.
In succeeding issues the Leader will try to tell,
each week, just what is being done by Nonpartisan
clubs in. the various states. The officers of the
local clubs can help us in this work by sending
reports of organization work, meetings, etc., either
to the national secretary or to the Leader.
WOMEN MUST WAKE UP
Editor Nonpartisan Leader: It is nearly time
we women woke up. I was in a city not long ago
and was quite amused at the conversation of our
city sisters on the. Nonpartisan league. They say
that the farm women do not know very much and
are as a class very ignorant, they do not know any
thing but to raise chickens, scrub, wash and mend
clothes and bake. (And at that there are city
women who couldn't do so much.)
Now, sisters, let us all wake up to what is before
us. Most of us have families and what will it be
like when the children grow up?
We so often hear, "Oh, the League is all right
it is Townley that is the crook." But did you ever
consider that if he were not the upright man that
he is, would he have to take all this abuse? Also
why are the chambers of commerce spending alt
their money trying to break up our League
Now, sisters, don't sit home on election day, but
get out and vote for the grandest cause that ever
was known.
Medina, N. D. MES. R. C. VAN EATON.
COMMENT ON HOUSE PLANS
Editor Nonpartisan Leader: The plan of "A
Busy Farmer's Wife" for a convenient house is
all right, but I would change the kitchen fixtures,
put the stove where the cupboard is. That will
give you light from the two lyindows, and you will
be close to the worktable and cabinet, saving many
steps. The cupboard would be closer to the dining
room and you would not have to cross the full
length of the kitchen in setting the table.
Hebron, N. D. MRS. W. S. DUNHAM.
Do Your Children Belong to Farm Clubs?
**5
Besides these lines of contests, in which
both boys and girls were entered, the girls
had canning, bread-baking, sewing and
butter-making contests.
The farm club system has not only re
sulted in enabling farm boys and girls to
earn money for themselves and their
families—it is giv
ing them an inter
est in farm life
and will mean, in
the next genera
tion, many families
kept in the country
rather than drift
ing to the cities.
Few farmers can raise a better calf than this boy has.
PAGE SEVEN
is
Women Seek Justice
Industrial Program Adopted by League of
Women Voters
N LAST week's issue of the Leader
Alice Stone Blackwell told some of the
facts about the recent Chicago conven
tion of the League of Women Voters
overlooked by the daily press. This
week the Leader presents the indus­
trial or labor program adopted by the 2,000 women
delegates from all parts of the United States. The
program was approved by a committee headed by
Mrs. Raymond Robins, noted welfare worker, before
being submitted to the convention. The program
provides:
1. Right of organized workers to collective bar
gaining specifically recognized.
2. Women should receive equal pay with men
when doing equal work.
3. Congressional and federal action urged as fol
lows: Establishment of a woman's bureau in the
United States department of labor appointment of
women in mediation and conciliation service es
tablishment of women's departments in federal and
state employment services adoption of a constitu
tional amendment authorizing congress to establish
minimum wage standards and enactment of child
labor laws raising the general employment age to
16 years and night employment age to 18 years
participation of the United States in the interna
tional labor conference and appointment of woman
delegate.
4. State legislative action urged as follows: Laws
limiting hours of labor of women to eight hours in
one day or 44 hours in one week, with one day's rest
in seven prohibition of night employment of
women establishment of compulsory minimum
wage scales adequate enforcement of labor laws
with technically qualified women as factory in
spectors.
5. The federal board of vocational education and
local boards are urged to give
greater opportunity to girls and
women 'to obtain education along
industrial lines.
6. Federal and state govern
ments are urged to adopt: Merit
systems of appointment and pro
motion reclassification of the civil
service to remove sex distinctions
establishment of a sufficient mini
mum wage provisions for a retire
ment system for superannuated
public employes equal representa
tion of officials, employes and the
•public on civil service commissions,
with equal representation to men
and women.
Further study, in the United
States and abroad, of protective
legislation in the interests of
working women by the
League of Women Voters and
the woman's bureau of the
United States department of
labor, is proposed.
TRUSTS THE LEADER
Editor Nonpartisan Leader:
I have just finished reading
the issue for February 16. I„
wish to say that I cordially
agree with the ladies who de
sire a discussion of political
and social questions. As a
busy housewife, mother and
business partner of my hus
band I can not find the time
to examine the present-day
problems*as I would or to
study out my own solutions.
But with the record of good
work that the Nonpartisan
league has, I feel safe in
trusting the statements of
observations and opinions as
expressed in its official organ.
ANNIE C. DECKER.
Anacortes, Wash.