Missouri Home Makers' Conference. 543 



thought by some speakers that modern girls received more 

 instruction in painting, music and dancing than in the home 

 arts, and in religious training. Miss Stanley spoke of an ex- 

 hibit of work of Missouri College of Agriculture, which work 

 she took there and which attracted much attention. She told 

 of the scarcity of milk as a food product in Belgium, and stated 

 that it was due to the milk being sold to dealers and that the 

 children were fed on tea and bread to their detriment. 



Mr. J. Ed. Hall was introduced and explained a plan he 

 and his wife had for offering a trophy worth ten dollars for the 

 best exhibit of canned vegetables, this contest to be open to 

 girls from sixteen years and over. The conference accepted with 

 enthusiasm the offer. 



Plans for county organizations were told of by Miss Bab 

 Bell. She announced that she would go to the assistance of 

 any who requested the organization of local home makers' 

 clubs. Miss Mary C. McDonald spoke of "County Organiza- 

 tions as Related to the Mothers' Organization." 



The conference listened to Mrs. Charters on "Child Wel- 

 fare." She spoke on the "Moral Training of Children," and 

 thought the first problem was what should be taught them about 

 religion. All moral training should be positive, she thought. 

 Children naturally follow the example of parents, and the first 

 effort in training should be directed by the parents against 

 themselves. Mother should learn to relax when nerves were 

 unstrung and before they reproved or punished their children. 

 All character, she said, was built on struggle, and the child who 

 fought the hardest to overcome his faults would probably be 

 the strongest character when grown up. Discussion of child 

 discipline followed, in which arguments for and against the use 

 of the old-fashioned rod waxed warm and earnest. Mrs. 

 Flournoy talked on "The Courtesies in the Home." She said 

 that example is the best method for teaching this to children, 

 and that coming into contact with frequent guests in the home 

 was a medium of encouraging the habit. Discussion followed 

 bringing out various suggestions. 



Mrs. Harry Sneed gave a report of the Pettis County 

 Home Makers' Organization. The club was organized in 1912 

 and at each meeting subjects of rural interest were discussed. 

 Contests in sewing and bread making had been established. 

 There are 200 members, and one of them, together with the 



