the Auxiliary has continued its activity along the lines which were then but roughly indicated. At that time it was establishing relations with well-organized, important groups of women in different parts of the United States. Now it is making use of the co-operation of these organizations in educating public opinion on the subject of civil service reform, and in forming new and efficient agencies for distributing its educational literature on that subject. Whenever an opportunity has presented the possibility of a connection with a new group of women, this has been made the most of. But, in general, the work of our auxiliary during the past two years has become intensive rather than ertensive. The first organization with which we established relations was that of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. In place of some isolated committees on civil service reform in different State Federations, there is now, owing to the efforts of that committee of the Massachusetts clubs, a strong standing committee of the General Federation. The members of this commitee are women from various parts of the United States, and each member is a sub-committee for a certain locality with the right to ask the State Federations in her section for all the aid she needs. As a result of this plan, there has been a great increase of committees on civil service reform in the separate State Federations. In New York, a committee was organized eight months ago with Mrs. C. R. Lowell as chairman. It has issued a strong appeal to women's clubs in New York State, and has published in its first annual report suggestions for practical action by individuals and clubs. In co-operation with this committee, the Auxiliary has offered to send a speaker at its own expense to any New York club that will agree to devote at least one meeting during the current year to the merit system. Responses have come from 49 clubs and, through the kind offers of service from reformers in various parts of the State, we shall be able to provide speakers for meetings in about 21 different cities and towns. To further still more the interest of women in its work, the Auxiliary has this year opened its fifth annual competition to members of clubs in the New York State Federation. It announces seven prizes for essays on "The Merit System as a Business Factor in Public Administration." In the matter of bringing civil service reform before teachers and pupils in high schools we adopted the plan of the Massachusetts Auxiliary, which has been so successful in that State and elsewhere. Offers were made to send pamphlets free of charge to any principal or teacher who would agree to use them as collateral reading in his United States history and civil government classes. In this way, such pamphlets as Mr. Cary's "The Civil Service-The Merit System-The Spoils System" and Mr. Bonaparte's "What is Civil Service Reform ?" have been distributed to high schools throughout New York State and certain institutions in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Tennessee. This fall, the City History Club of New York has agreed to distribute our pamphlets in its classes, which are, however, too limited as to time to allow of any extended study of civil service reform. In connection with the distribution of pamphlets in schools, the auxiliary opened its third and fourth competition to high school pupils in New York City and Brooklyn, and in New York State respectively. In May, 1902, 16 essays on the "Rise and Fall of the Spoils System in New York State" were submitted from pupils in five of the nine public high schools in New York and Brooklyn. In May, 1903, 36 essays on "Civil Service Examinations and What They Are" were received from competitors in 18 schools in 13 different cities and towns of New York State. The prize essays in both cases have become the property of the Auxiliary for use in its educational work. The Association of Collegiate Alumnae is another organization of women that, during the last two years, has done a great deal towards educating public opinion on the merit system. It is a body of almost 4,000 women, who are graduates of 22 of our most prominent universities and colleges and are grouped in 24 branches. Through appeals to the general association, a special committee was first appointed to report upon the possible work of the association in connection with civil service reform. On the recommendation of this committee, a standing committee on civil service reform was subsequently formed, with power to appoint such sub-committees as it might desire, to help study the question of the opportunities for trained women in the civil service, federal, state and municipal. It was clearly understood that, at the beginning at least, the work of the general committee was to be purely to secure information, not to urge reform; but a great deal of active reform work has been done by individual branches and members of the association. In response to an appeal in which we called the attention of the separate branches to the importance of the civil service reform movement, and asked each to devote at least one meeting to a consideration of this matter, we received prompt expressions of sympathy in our work and eagerness to co-operate from the following 12 branches: Chicago, Western New York, Eastern New York, New York City, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Washington, D. C., Western Massachusetts, Detroit, California, Pittsburg and Ohio. Meetings were organized during the winter of 1901-2 in Chicago, Buffalo, New York City, New Haven, Detroit, San Francisco, Cleveland and Pittsburg, and two committees on civil service reform were immediately formedone in Detroit with Miss Fandira Crocker as chairman, and one in Western New York with Mrs. Owen D. Evans, of Buffalo, as chairman. Both commitees have done a great deal of efficient work. The Detroit branch, for example, has organized large and small civil service reform meetings. Its members have won the co-operation of patriotic societies and educational organizations, and have introduced the use of over 500 copies of our pamphlets in Michigan schools. Early last winter a new branch was established in Ann Arbor, and the first standing committee appointed was one on civil service reform. This committee, under the guidance of Mrs. Joseph Mackley, is working along the same lines as the corresponding committee of the Detroit branch. It has, furthermore, through the co-operation of two Ann Arbor clubs, offered prizes to high school pupils for essays on civil service reform. Recently committees have also been formed in the branches at Milwaukee and Philadelphia. In conclusion it can be said that the experience of our Auxiliary shows a steady increase in the responsiveness of the public in general. Where four years ago one reply came to every ten appeals for co-operation, now we are sure of three and sometimes have as many as five. All of which is respectfully submitted. PUBLIC MEETING. MCCOY HALL, AT THURSDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 10. T 4 P. M. a public meeting was held at McCoy Hall, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Daniel C. Gilman presided and addresses were made by the Hon. Carl Schurz, the Hon. Alford W. Cooley2 of the United States Civil Service Commission, and Mr. Samuel H. Ordway of New York. AT SECOND SESSION. LYRIC HALL, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER IO. T 8 P. M. the League re-convened at Lyric Hall. Dr. Gilman presided and opened the session with a brief introductory address. Addresses were then made by the Hon. William Dudley Foulke of Indiana, the Hon. Edward M. Shepard of New York, and the Hon. Henry F. Greene, United States Civil Service Commissioner. 1 Printed in full at page 94 * Printed in full at page 108. 3 Printed in full at page 115. + Printed in full at page 122. Printed in full at page 180. Printed in full at page 139. THIRD SESSION. LYRIC HALL, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER II. THE 'HE League re-convened at 10 A. M. at Lyric Hall, President Gilman in the chair. The President introduced Mr. W. W. Vaughan, who presented the report for the Committee on Nominations, as follows: FOR PRESIDENT : Daniel Coit Gilman, FOR VICE-PRESIDENTS: Charles Francis Adams, Grover Cleveland, Charles W. Eliot, Harry A. Garfield, Arthur T. Hadley, Henry Charles Lea, Franklin MacVeagh, FOR MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL : Moorfield Storey, Charles Collins, Richard Watson Gilder, George McAneny, Samuel H. Ordway, William Potts, Carl Schurz, Edward M. Shepard, Everett P. Wheeler, |