Reports from State Correspondents of the Socialist Party’s National Women’s Committee from The Progressive Woman. Vol. 7 No. 74. August, 1913.

Maine– Fred E. Irish, state secretary of Maine, notifies us of the election of Georgie J. Whitten, Searsport, Me. as state correspondent to succeed Alice M. West resigned.

Montana– Martha Edgerton Plassmann, state correspondent, reports the work as progressing nicely. Missoula having a local press bureau, which supplies a column of news each day to capitalist papers. Mrs. Plassmann has charge of this service. The Missoula woman’s committee has organized a study club, and is now studying the Communist Manifesto. The state office is pushing the Lyceum Bureau of the National Office. Local committees now number ten.

Nebraska– Ethel J. Shafer, newly elected state correspondent of Nebraska, writes: “I have just made a start. I hope by the middle of July to have something more favorable to report. Of one thing I am convinced; that is, the locals in this state need a good awakening in regard to the necessity of getting women into the party. How to do this is the next question. I find that none of the locals in Nebraska have local committees or women correspondents. Locals Fremont, North Platte and Omaha give me their promise of assistance.”

New Mexico– Mrs. LeRoy-Welsh, recently elected state correspondent of New Mexico, reports that the work in that state is greatly hampered because of the poverty-stricken condition of the inhabitants and the long distance between locals, which practically prohibits speaking dates.

Oklahoma– Mrs. M.A. Stallard of Oklahoma, reports an awakening of interest among the women of that state. “During the past two months I have received many encouraging letters from locals over the state, and it looks as if the women were awakening. Have circularized the state twice and sent samples of leaflets. I am going to keep at it.” This is the spirit of the undaunted Oklahoman, the spirit which has placed Oklahoma in the fore ranks of the Socialist movement of America.

Massachusetts– Rose Heinzen-Roewer, newly-elected state correspondent of Massachusetts, reports the issuing of a call for a state conference of women, to be held in July. The Massachusetts women intend holding a series of fairs. The money so raised by the woman’s committee is to be turned over to the state campaign fund. It is believed by the state correspondent that these fairs will be the means of securing the united cooperation of all women sympathizers, and as an initial work will be especially suitable, as it is not a departure from the old line of activity among women. In this way they will be gradually lifted from their past psychology of raising money to that of active participation in organization and propaganda work of the Socialist party.

California– Marion L. Israel, recently- elected state correspondent of California, writes : “Can your department supply me with news items concerning the movement, particularly such news as would be of interest to women? I want this for our state paper, and for as many of the newspapers of the state as can be persuaded to take them. I want to work up a publicity department in this state. Also have you an outline of work for study clubs?” California has a woman’s committee composed of nine members, five resident at the seat of headquarters. Upon the five resident members working in conjunction with the state correspondent and state secretary, falls the main work of reaching the 671,389 women voters of that state with the message of Socialism. The entire committee is to meet at least twice a year for outlining general plans. The State Executive Committee adopted the following motion: “That we assume the work of the woman’s committee as a part of the work of the state office, that we furnish a corresponding secretary and pay postage and stationery expense incidental thereto.”

Rhode Island– Mrs. Mudrak, state correspondent, reports new interest and enthusiasm in our special propaganda work among women. She deems the leaflet the most effective means of propaganda. The attendance of women at local meetings is good, even in spite of the excessive heat.

Michigan– Kalamazoo is working valiantly to reach the 50 per cent membership mark. Last local meeting had as many women present as men. That is going some for Kalamazoo. By the way, they are taking the Lyceum course also.

Colorado– Lizabeth Williams is to be retained as state correspondent. Splendid work is being done in that state among the children in the organization of children’s Glee Clubs. The little tots, dressed in red uniforms, are literally singing in the cooperative commonwealth. Seven committees are doing specialty good work.

Progressive Woman replaced The Socialist Woman. The Socialist Woman was a monthly magazine edited by Josephine Conger-Kaneko from 1907 with this aim: “The Socialist Woman exists for the sole purpose of bringing women into touch with the Socialist idea. We intend to make this paper a forum for the discussion of problems that lie closest to women’s lives, from the Socialist standpoint”. In 1908, Conger-Kaneko and her husband Japanese socialist Kiichi Kaneko moved to Girard, Kansas home of Appeal to Reason, which would print Socialist Woman. In 1909 it was renamed The Progressive Woman, and The Coming Nation in 1913. Its contributors included Socialist Party activist Kate Richards O’Hare, Alice Stone Blackwell, Eugene V. Debs, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, and others. A treat of the journal was the For Kiddies in Socialist Homes column by Elizabeth Vincent.The Progressive Woman lasted until 1916.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/socialist-woman/130800-progressivewoman-v7w74a.pdf