Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Part 70

"I beg to state that, in my opinion, the only feasible way is for the secretary of the board of lady managers, acting in behalf of the board, to communicate with the secretaries of the various women's organizations, such as Federation of Clubs, etc."

Our committee suggests that a separate committee be formed to take these congresses and other women's organizations in hand and make it their duty to arrange for dates. We would also suggest that a local committee of leading club women of the city of St. Louis be appointed to act in harmony and in unison with this committee of congresses from the board of lady managers.

I herewith submit copies of letters from Mr. Skiff and Mr.

Rogers:

ST. LOUIS, U.S.A., March 07, 1903.

DEAR MADAM: I have the honor to acknowledge your favor of March 21, which has been noted. I beg to inform you, in accordance with the instructions of the executive committee, that the director of exhibits formulate a programme suggesting how the board of lady managers can a.s.sist the Exposition Company in obtaining congresses of women to meet in St. Louis. I referred the matter to the chief of congresses, who has made a report, in which I concur, and I respectfully submit it for your information and a.s.sistance.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, F.J.V. SKIFF, _Director of Exhibits._

MRS. MARY PHELPS MONTGOMERY, _3642 Delmar avenue, St. Louis, Mo._

MARCH 24, 1903.

DEAR SIR: Replying to your communication of March 23, in reference to the director of exhibits 'formulating a programme suggesting how the board of lady managers can a.s.sist in obtaining congresses of women to meet in St. Louis,' I beg to state that in my opinion the only feasible way is for the secretary of the board of lady managers, acting in behalf of the board, to communicate with the secretaries of the various women's organizations, such as the Federation of Women's Clubs, Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonial Dames of America, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Young Women's Christian a.s.sociation, Ladies' Catholic Benevolent a.s.sociation, United States Daughters of 1812, and to second the invitation given by the exposition to meet in this city in 1904, a.s.suring them their active cooperation in the matter of obtaining halls, accommodations, and other matters.

The Daughters of the American Revolution and the Federation of Women's Clubs have already decided to meet in this city, the former in June, the latter in May.

I return the letter, as requested.

Very respectfully, yours, HOWARD J. ROGERS.

Hon. F.J.V. SKIFF, _Director of Exhibits' Building._

In the resolution adopted by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission, in session a.s.sembled at the city of New York the 7th day of February, 1902, certain rules were made governing the board of lady managers. The first one recites the power given by Congress to this board of lady managers to appoint "one member of all committees authorized to award prizes for such exhibits as may have been produced in whole or in part by female labor."

The committee on woman's work would suggest:

First. That our board make due preparation for the intelligent selection of one member of all committees authorized to award prizes for such exhibits as may have been produced in whole or in part by female labor, and that we request from the local executive committee a list of all work presented for compet.i.tion before the Louisiana Purchase Exposition produced in whole or in part by female labor.

Under the resolutions of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of February 7, 1902, second, we are to "exercise general supervisory control over such features of the exposition as may be specially devoted to woman's work."

This resolution is so vague in its phraseology that we are unable to outline just what we may be permitted to do, and the chairman wishes to call the attention of this board to the fact that one of the subjects which we were instructed to take up before the local executive committee was in regard to a resolution pa.s.sed by this board at its first meeting on September 30, 1902, regarding indecent and immoral dancing. We were instructed by the board of lady managers to inquire what action had been taken in regard to this resolution, and were informed that it was acted upon immediately, and the company's attorney was instructed to make the contracts in the Midway Plaisance so as to exclude immoral and indecent dancing.

The third resolution, that we were "to take part in the ceremonies connected with the dedication of the buildings of the exposition, and in official functions in which women may be invited to partic.i.p.ate, and in any other functions, upon the request of the company and Commission."

From the very gracious manner in which this board of lady managers has been provided for and permitted to partic.i.p.ate in the opening ceremonies of the exposition, it would appear that the Government, Commission, and local company will see that we are properly cared for on all future occasions.

Fourth. That we confer and advise with the officers and chiefs of the exposition on the progress being made from time to time in exciting the interest and enlisting the cooperation of women in the several departments, and to appoint all committees necessary to carry out the purpose, and to procure information on the extent of woman's partic.i.p.ation in the exposition.

Fifth. That we encourage the presentation of exhibits by women by correspondence, advertising, or such other means as the company may approve.

Sixth. That we collect statistics of woman's work in connection with the exposition for publication.

Seventh. That we encourage, by correspondence, or otherwise, attendance at the exposition, of societies and a.s.sociations of women, and the holding of conventions, congresses, and other meetings of women.

Eighth. That we maintain within the grounds during the period of the exposition an organization for the relief of women and children who may be found in need of aid, comfort, or special protection.

Ninth. That we receive and officially entertain women when requested so to do by the exposition company and the Commission.

Tenth. That we commission members of the board, or others, with the approval of the Commission and the company, to travel in the interest of the exposition, either at home or abroad.

Eleventh. That we provide for the constant attendance by rotation of at least three members of the board at the exposition grounds from April 30 to December 1, 1904.

Twelfth. That we issue such bulletins from time to time as the company and the Commission may approve, for the special information of women and the exploitation of their contributions to the success of the exposition.

After our board had adjourned and gone to their homes, the chairman called upon President Carter, of the National Commission, and had with him a most interesting talk in regard to woman's work, and he promised to furnish the chairman extracts from their minutes, containing such suggestions on the plan and scope of woman's work in connection with the exposition; and from these extracts our committee has outlined for this board the work which may be done by the board of lady managers, following in many instances the Commission's suggestions verbatim.

This committee desires to return their thanks for the courteous manner in which they were received by the local executive committee, and for the a.s.surance of aid in any work which they might undertake. They also desire to thank the National Commission for its kind reception, advice, and suggestions on the plan of woman's work.

The board of lady managers, pursuant to a call, met in the city of St. Louis, April 28, 1903, and, as has already been stated, the chairman read before the board the report from which the above extracts are taken, on the work of the committee on woman's work performed in St. Louis. The president of the board of lady managers at this April meeting created several new committees, viz, an executive committee, an entertainment committee, a legislative committee, and a committee for a day nursery or creche. The creating of these committees practically took from the hands of the committee on woman's work all special work.

A meeting of the board of lady managers was called in St. Louis on December 15, 1903; at this meeting it became necessary to elect a new president of the board, and conditions had so changed that it became necessary to add several new committees to those already formed, one being the committee on awards, to further develop the work of the board of lady managers.

The only money the board of lady managers had ever received to conduct their work was an appropriation of $3,000 from the treasurer of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, part of which had been expended, so that all work of the board of lady managers was absolutely suspended for the want of funds. It became necessary for the legislative committee to proceed to Was.h.i.+ngton to secure money to carry out their plans. The result of the labors of the legislative committee has been ably told in the report of the chairman of that committee, Mrs. Edward L.

Buchwalter.

During the December meeting, and after the adjournment of the board, the work which seemed of the most vital interest, and the one which lay nearest to the hearts of every member of the board of lady managers, was the construction, equipment, and management of a creche or day nursery. The chairman of the committee on woman's work remained with the president of the board in St. Louis for ten days after the adjournment of the board, meeting the executive committee of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, endeavoring to arrange for the construction and equipment of a day nursery. The Exposition Company a.s.sured this committee that they would construct for the lady managers a building that would cost $30,000, and give $5,000 toward equipment, and that the day nursery would be self-sustaining with the possibility of an income above the expense payable to the Exposition Company.

It now became evident that if the board of lady managers was to have a day nursery, they must give up the idea of a purely philanthropic inst.i.tution and enter the field as money makers.

After two weeks of patient labor, it was made apparent that if a day nursery was built, all expenses for furnis.h.i.+ng and maintaining it must be paid for out of the funds appropriated by Congress for the use of the board of lady managers in their various works. The president of the board of lady managers offered to contribute $15,000 for the furnis.h.i.+ng and maintenance of this day nursery out of the $100,000 set aside for the use of the lady managers, if the Exposition Company would free them from any further financial liability. This the Exposition Company refused to do.

The Exposition Company further informed us they had already let a concession for a model playground which would practically cover the work to be performed by the day nursery, and that this concession had agreed to care for each child at the rate of 25 cents per day, and that the board of lady managers could not conduct a day nursery without charging a fee for the care of each child. Thus the day nursery was taken out of the hands of the committee on woman's work.

As chairman of this committee, I can not bring this report to a close without expressing the very deep and heartfelt disappointment of the committee on woman's work, and I may add the president and every member of the board of lady managers, that circ.u.mstances over which we had no control forced us to abandon this cherished project of a model day nursery.

As the duties of the board of lady managers became more apparent and diversified, and the work evolved and developed, it became necessary to specialize. The work of the committee on woman's work ceased to be performed by a large committee under this name, but was carried on to the close of the exposition by committees composed of the various members of the board.

In closing this report it would appear at first that the committee on woman's work stood for very little and had done very little toward the success of the board of lady managers.

However, this committee, under other names, did successfully perform a large amount of philanthropic and social work.

There were on the exposition grounds State buildings constructed by 44 States. These buildings were designed as clubhouses for the citizens of the various States and were provided with rest rooms, social halls, and other rooms to contribute to the comfort of and promote sociability among the people of the various States visiting the exposition. At the beginning of the exposition it seemed one of the duties of the board of lady managers would be to provide a hall for the meeting of women visiting the exposition and also a rest room, but this want was provided for by each individual State.

MARY PHELPS MONTGOMERY, _Chairman_.

Mrs. MARCUS DALY.

ANNA L. DAWES.

M.K. DE YOUNG.

Mrs. EDWARD L. BUCHWALTER.

Mrs. RICHARD W. KNOTT.

Mrs. JOHN M. HOLCOMBE.

Miss Anna M. Dawes, chairman of the committee on foreign relations, read the first report of that committee at the meeting of the board held in the Administration Building on March 2, 1904. The final report of that committee is as follows:

The committee on foreign affairs was appointed by Mrs. James L.