113 



REPORT ON LADIES' WORK. 



The Committee on Ladies' Work have attended to the duty 

 assigned them, and report : — 



That the Work oflfered for exhibition and premium is inferior in 

 every respect to that offered the preceding years. It is the opinion 

 of the Committee, that this is owing, in some degree, to the lavish 

 bestowal of premiums, gratuities, and diplomas, every year since the 

 formation of the Society : they have been so easily obtained, that 

 they are not worth contending for by persons who might produce 

 articles really useful or beautiful. The Committee suggest, that it 

 would be better not to award premiums or allow a free ticket for 

 articles more than once offered. This would afford a greater stimulus 

 for some new effort of ingenuity, and might elicit something original, 

 as well as useful. 



It is the opinion of the Committee that ladies are not invited or 

 encouraged to offer the description of work which would be best 

 worth seeing, and most creditable to them to perform. It seems not 

 right to bribe women to spend time, strength, and eyesight on work 

 useless to others, and worse than useless to themselves. Specimens 

 of lace work have been offered, which, although very beautiful, could 

 not be done without materially injuring the eyes of the person by 

 whom they were wrought. Yet they receive a gratuitj^, which is an 

 invitation to them to bring more of the same kind. A premium is 

 likewise offered for the work of children, of which the Committee 

 cannot approve, thinking, as they do, that the time allowed children 

 out of school hours is too short for their necessary exercise and plaj, 

 and that therefore it is injudicious to tempt them by the offer of a 

 dollar to devote their play hours to work. The Committee would 

 respectfully suggest, that premiums should be offered only for work 

 which is really useful or really beautiful : — For well-made garments, 

 of every description ; for stocking knitting, of cotton, wool, and silk ; 

 for bonnet and cap making ; for all articles worn by children, well 

 made, or tastefully embroidered ; for patching, mending, and darning; 

 for designing, drawing, and painting, in oils or water colors ; for 

 models in wood, plaster, or marble. 



The Committee feel that the standard of woman's labor needs to 

 be raised, and would therefore earnestly invite the ladies of the 



