secure the passage of this and some other beneficent laws. The two united and working for the same end can do far more effective service than either alone. To me, in a case of this kind, it is not a question of who shall have the credit of doing a good work like this, but the better fact that the work has been done. And I know the power of the two organizations working together from past experience.

Along this line we have some laws that help. For instance, it is a felony for a man to force a woman to marry him. A felony to take a female from her father or mother or guardian, or other person having legal charge of her without his consent for the purpose of prostitution. A felony to entice any female to a house of ill-fame, and a few other laws along the same line. But none of them nearly cover the ground intended to be covered by the "White Slave Traffic" bill that we sought to get through the last session of the Legislature, and which I hope to see put through when the next session takes its seat.

Laws Raising the "Age of Consent."

Something over twenty years ago the "age of consent" in Tennessee was at the disgracefully low age of ten years. In the early nineties I put in three months of the hardest work I ever did in my life in the effort to have that age raised to eighteen years. The first recommendation of the Judiciary Committee was that it be raised to 12 years. The Nashville Christian Advocate said that recommendation would disgrace a parliament of Hottentots. The whole State became aroused on the subject, the papers all over the State taking up the battle for a higher age. Finally the bill passed, raising the age to "sixteen years and one day." It remained at this figure for several years. And when Governor McMillan was in the chair, in his first message he urged that the age be made eighteen years, which was done without trouble. I wrote him a letter telling him that Tennessee was to be congratulated on having a Governor brave enough, and wise enough, and strong enough, and good enough to make that recommendation. At the last session of the Legislature, the session of 1911, they raised the age to twenty-one years. No state in the Union now has the age as high as this except Tennessee.

And we feel it is a matter of justifiable pride to us to have it twenty-one years. Another law makes it a death penalty to rape any woman. And another one makes it also a death penalty to "carnally know" a female under the age of twelve years, and the fact that she has been despoiled before does not lessen the penalty.

Uniform Marriage and Divorce Laws.

This is a subject for National legislation, of course, and there is nothing we can do just yet in this matter in our own Legislature. But we can through the printed page and in other ways do much to create a sentiment that will demand the passage of such laws, and have uniform marriage and divorce laws in all the States of the United States. And we should use what influence we have along this line.

Property Rights for Wives.

In this State a married woman can hold real estate in her own right. But her husband owns all her personal property. So if a man is a drunkard or a gambler, or otherwise of no account, while he may not sell his wife's home without her consent, he may sell her jewelry, or her clothing, her furniture or other things of this nature belonging to her, because her personal property is supposed to belong to the husband. And until a year or two ago, if she were working for wages, he could collect the money in spite of her protests and spend it in any way he might choose, however much she might need it for hers and her children's comfort. But the last session of the Legislature passed a law giving to married women their wages, which was a good law. The law should also be mended so as to give to married women their personal property also. For while this law will never affect you or me, it is an untold hardship to many a poor woman that the personal property belongs to the husband to dispose of as he may wish.

At a man's death, if they have children, the wife is entitled to a life time interest in a third part he may leave, or a child's part to do with as she may wish. If he dies without children, she is entitled to all his or their personal property and a third of their real estate.

VIRGINIA.

MRS. D. W. READ, State Chairman.

Virginia is an old State, her people are conservative, hence, she has been spared some of the social and economic problems which confront many of the younger and more progressive States.

The per cent of foreign population is small, therefore special organized work for foreign women and children has never been undertaken.

The negro woman and child of Virginia is in every respect as well off as the poor white class, and oftentimes better.

There are no very large cities in Virginia, therefore no places of great congestion.

Many of our problems and needs are with the rural population.

We have juvenile court and compulsory education, as a local option law, which proves ineffectual, as the people will not take advantage of it, except in a few places.

The fourteen-year age limit for wage-earners prevails in Virginia for children in industries.

The ten-hour law prevails for women and children in industries.

The Labor Commissioner of this State is untiring in his work in protecting working women and children.

No white children allowed in the jails of Virginia, provision being made for them in reformatories; the same will soon be arranged for the miscreant negre child.

WASHINGTON.

MISS SOPHIE C. JOHNS, State Chairman.

The laws of Washington for women and children compare very favorably with those of the other States and are fairly well enforced.

The eight-hour law for women passed at the last meeting of the Legislature causes some inconvenience to many women at present, but eventually will prove to be a good law.

There is much interest taken by the women of Washington in Welfare Work, and your Committee has offered to co-operate with other committees doing the same work in other organizations.

Every chapter in the State has signed a petition for the erection of a State reformatory for women over the age of eighteen years. All of the chapters through their committees are working for this reformatory.

Letters have been written to the Senators and Representatives urging them to work for the Federal Children's Bureau Bill.

The laws of the State of Washington for women and children have been studied. Speakers on Welfare topics have been invited to speak before different chapters.

More or less local work is being done by individual chapters, and interest is increasing as the Daughters in Washington are alive to the needs of the day.

WISCONSIN.

MRS. EDWARD FERGUSON, State Chairman.

As the State of Wisconsin ranks as one of the highest regarding laws bearing on the social and industrial welfare of women and children the various chapters throughout the State felt there was not much for them to do in that line. Fond du Lac, succeeded in having a sane Fourth of July, the D. A. R. taking it in charge and arranging the program. Every Senator and Representative in Wisconsin responded to the request that was sent from nearly all of the chapters that they would vote for the passage of the Federal Child Labor bill.

La Crosse Chapter established a visiting nurse, supplying her with clothing and bedding as required. Waukesha has worked to help build a hospital. Kenosha has started a fresh-air school. Antigo and Racine sent money to the Black River Falls sufferers who were left without schools, homes and clothing.

Benjamin Tallmage Chapter, of Milwaukee, contributed warm shawls, slippers and comforts for old ladies. Other chapters reported that in their small town where there is no poverty "We did not see what we could do in your line but have contributed to the Berry School," showing they have not been idle. In Milwaukee there are so many charities helpful to women and children in which many Daughters are working that nothing whatever as chapter work was done by the Milwaukee Chapter.

Our Common Council appointed a Child Welfare Commission which has done good work. There is also a visiting nurses' association, 16 nurses working in special districts, public schools, etc., all of the time, the Associated Charities also sending out nurses and visiting housekeepers.

APPENDIX P.

REPORT OF THE INTERCHANGEABLE BUREAU, LECTURES, ETC., OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE, PATRIOTIC EDUCATION

1911-1912.

Madam President General, Officers and Members of the Twenty-first Continental Congress:

The work of this Committee has, the members believe, placed this particular branch of Patriotic Education on a firm foundation; it now remains to build so well that the stronghold may be held for many, many years, and that it may be said of us:

"Scattered the builders were and few

Yet they builded better than they knew."

The lectures comprise fourteen different subjects, with eighteen sets of slidesthe number of slides is 1,392. There are 25 slides as a nucleus for "Historic New Jersey," 8 for Continental Hall and 21 slides purchased from the Government towards a lecture on "Our Waterways and the Conservation of Soil." These with some miscellaneous slides give a total of 1,500 slides valued at $1,500.

Twenty States have used the lectures this past year as follows: Arkansas, at Helena; Colorado, the Denver and Colorado Chapters, at Denver and the chapter at Pueblo; Florida, Jacksonville; Georgia, Marietta, Atlanta and Cartersville; Illinois, Galesburg and Quincy; Indiana, Fort Wayne; Iowa, Des Moines and Burlington, and a set shipped to Dubuque; Louisiana, New Orleans; Massachusetts, Lakeville and Greenfield; Michigan, Escanaba and Ann Arbor; Missouri, St. Louis by the Colonial Dames and D. A. R. at St. Joseph by the D. A. R.; Nebraska, Omaha and Hastings; New Jersey, Atlantic City and Bound Brook; New York, Syracuse, Matteawan, Gouverneur, Walton, Huntington, L. I., and Newburgh; Ohio, at Toledo, Fort Industry and Ursula Wolcott Chapters, Sandusky and Painesville; Pennsylvania, Philipsburg and Canton; Texas, Dallas; Virginia, Orange; Vermont, Bellows Falls; Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Columbus and LaCrosse.

The receipts from the rental to date has been $126.10.

The financial report in full follows, a copy with vouchers has been sent to the Treasurer General. You will remember $300 was allowed by the Twentieth Continental Congress with the privilege of drawing $100 more.

October 5th to December 1, 1911, circulars, typewriting..

49.86

"Our Flag" for children was purchased by subscriptions from Miss Harnit, of Ohio; Miss Fairfax, of Virginia; Miss Mecum, of New Jersey, and Mrs. Henry S. Bowron. The second set of Historical Spots was supplied by Mrs. Bowron, and Miss Mecum, of New Jersey, furnished the sum required to color the 25 slides from New Jersey.

This set of 25 spoken of as a nucleus to a set of "Historic New Jersey" slides, is a fine memorial to Miss Mecum, always a member of this committee deeply interested. She conceived the idea of adding to the eight slides in "Historic Spots" and having a lecture for use in the New Jersey schools. She wrote a number of the chapters in New Jersey, secured a promise of 25 slides and donated the funds for coloring this number anticipating arousing interest enough to secure fifty more. Alas! she passed away before her task was completed.

It is now the hope of the chairman to secure some one for the Committee, from New Jersey, who will continue this work. The chairman has presented the idea to members of the Committee in other Colonial States, and is sure the work will appeal to all, for what better means have we of teaching history. Those showing the greatest interest have been Mrs. William Lawson Peel, of Georgia, and Mrs. Edwin Gregory, of North Carolina (who suggested Mrs. Lindsay Patterson as an assistant). Mrs. Gregory has promised the material asked for in some form suitable for slides.

Another idea waiting to be developed is a collection of slides showing the work of the Daughters in restoration, preservation and presentation of memorials. Mrs. Clarence S. Hall, of Kansas, has sent some fine material for slides, and Mrs. Jamison, of Virginia, is waiting for the chairman to state her wishes. This set is to include slides of Continental Hall, the expense will be at least $100 and the chairman realizing that this set would of necessity be confined to use for adults, especially the members of this Society, felt such a sum should not be appropriated, unless the chapters interested would contribute material for a slide and 75 cents for its development. In this way two or three lectures could be secured which would be useful for high schools.

Italian and Polish lectures of a higher class are desired, the simpler lecturesas translations are costly-have been used, but it seems necessary to have translations for adults.

The Polish lecture, given in Greenfield, Mass., brought out ninety adults.