162 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



6,000,000 have operable tonsils and adenoids. 



10,000,000 have defective teeth. 



Who is responsible, if not the parents, in our homes for such condi- 

 tions of our children as this? 



Admiral Albert Koss, United States Navy officer, retired, was the 

 principal speaker at a luncheon recently in Chicago. He started his 

 hearers by declaring that 50 per cent of the young men seeking enlist- 

 ment in the navy are rejected because they are below the standard 

 mentally and physically. The Admiral almost painted a picture of de- 

 cadent America so far as real men go. 



Speaking of the large number of applicants rejected he said: ''When 

 you think carefully what this means you will see that it shows rapid 

 and shocking deterioration on the quality of our manhood." 



"Such degeneracy is a Nation's peril, both in Avar and peace." 



''In Boston recently out of 000 applicants for the navy only thirty 

 were accepted. This is an example of the proportion of our fit young 

 men in our cities. What we must do is build men and then we will 

 be safe." 



These few facts given must make one think that there is work to 

 do for the American- home if our Nation will be able to meet its full 

 requirements. 



I may be considered radical and extreme in some of my criticisms 

 of the present day standards in our homes, but if so, it is because I see 

 them largely through my own mistakes and failures, and from my ex- 

 perience as a worker for a number of years in our State Farmer's In- 

 stitute. 



Dr. Mary E. Green says; "If every women's club in America were 

 to devote the next two j^ears to the study of household economics I be- 

 lieve the domestic problem could be solved.'' While all women's clubs 

 could never be made to do that I do know that the \vomen's club 

 movement is the strongest organization we have, to aid us in this home 

 directing and improvement work. 



No one can come in the atmosphere of the written or spoken word of 

 our present president of our National Federation of Clubs, Mrs. Penny- 

 packer only to be convinced of how strong her desire and how sure her 

 purpose is, to lend her support and that of her organization' to the home 

 and all its interests. 



The home economics department of the Biennial is to-day, one of the 

 strongest departments and at present is being led by its chairman. Miss 

 Helen Louise Johnson, in a very capable and enthusiastic manner to a 

 more successful and practical position in the minds of all federated 

 women. 



At the last Biennial, which was held in Chicago, at one of the con- 

 ference meetings she provided a symposium taking for the subject, 

 "What is the Greatest Need in the Home To-day." Five to three min- 

 ute talks were made to the subject and you can imagine wliat an in- 

 teresting meeting that would make. 



One made a very strong point in saying that we need the old fash- 

 ioned fire-place again established in our homes, that there might be 

 again a common meeting ground for the members of the family to dis- 



