The matter was then considered of sending several members of the board of lady managers abroad to exploit woman's work and to excite an interest in woman's congresses throughout the world. The chairman stated that she had a letter from Mr. Francis saying he would send one with certain conditions, and the committee wanted to know if that decision was final and what the action of the executive committee would be on that point. It was suggested that three women from the board should be sent abroad—one from the East, one from the West, and one from the Middle States—and the chairman of the executive committee said that, if agreeable to the ladies, that committee would have the matter taken up as soon as President Francis returned. The executive committee was assured that if it would outline a programme by which the board of lady managers could render assistance to this great exposition they would be very glad; they wanted to help do what the heads of the exposition had laid out to be, done, and if there was anything that women could do, let them do it.
The meeting then adjourned, and the committee on woman's work met with Mr. Skiff, the director of exhibits. In response to an inquiry in regard to the question whether his committee had taken the initiative in regard to educational and international congresses, Mr. Skiff replied:
"The exposition simply patronizes and assists without the expenditure of money these stated congresses and conventions. Those bodies already organized are in a hospitable way invited here, and their executive management is aided more or less in a hall in which they can meet a committee to receive them; but they conduct their own conventions.
"Now the international congresses are an entirely different thing. They are patronized by the exposition. An appropriation of $150,000 has been made for that purpose. Dr. Simon Newcomb is president of the congress. There is no race or sex in a universal exposition; it is the productive use of a man as a unit. We have had great difficulty in convincing the scientific people that so great a thing should come from so western a point. We are going to do a very fine thing in a very large way. The delegates will be selected and all expenses paid from their homes and return, and whatever product of their thought they present here at these congresses will be bound and fixed in type. I can not say we are working on any plan; it is developed. The congress is my idea. I am the director of exhibits, and it did not seem proper for the director of exhibits officially to approve the proceedings and the signatures of an office of an international congress. So I suggested that Director Rogers report to President Francis, so that I use President Francis's name. In the meantime I have been appointed a member of the advisory board on account of my position as a director of the institute in Chicago. There is no opportunity for organizations to participate in that international congress. There you come in as individuals; but man or woman if they are great will be invited. It is all one congress; it will only last one week. We have not selected the exact date. It occupies a week; it is divided into sections. Some days in the Congressional Hall there may be 25 or 30 sections all working at the same time on different subjects. It is a magnificent programme. Meetings of these stated organizations are entirely different. The only point about meetings of these clubs and organizations is that, whether they are officered by men or women, or both, some one in behalf of the exposition must make their way as easy as possible for them and see that days do not collide."
A member of the committee made the request that some provision should be made for the care of trained nurses at the exposition, and Mr. Skiff stated that the War Department was contemplating a field hospital. "They want two things. I do not know what the outcome will be. If you ladies could proceed sufficiently to get these ladies interested in the trained nurse idea—to offer the services of a certain number of 'changed' nurses (you understand, double the number, so that they can change)—I have no doubt that Doctor Laidley will be glad to avail of their services."
In answer to the questions as to the time the jurors would be appointed, and whether he had a list of the things on which women are to be appointed, and how long before they would be known, Mr. Skiff replied:
"The jurors will be appointed the first week of the exposition, and the list of things on which women are to be appointed will depend on whether the work is done in whole or in part by female labor. We will know as soon as we get a catalogue. We can not tell what the exhibits will be until they are exhibits. The pamphlet of classification will be of invaluable assistance to you, ladies, in your work. The jurors are to be paid $7 a day and traveling expenses."
In response to the inquiry whether the board should not begin to look out for the women that would be capable for that sort of work, Mr. Skiff said:
"They will develop. There are 108 classes; a committee on each class would be 1,200 jurors. We are not working women's exhibits up any more than men's. It takes care of itself. We do not specially promote, except in this way: An officer of a department, if he understands his work, is given a classification. That is his bible. He makes up his mind what is possible to do in the way of an exhibit. They build up an exhibit. In that way they find it necessary to touch what we call 'individual promotion' on their broad lines. For instance, in education, deaf, dumb, and blind; charity, philanthropy, and education of mind; conveyance of thought; social economy, the model city; machinery, that class of machinery that is most ingenious; electricity, electric therapeutics, electric magnetism; transportation, aeronautics, Santos Dumont, etc.; forestry, fish culture, etc. They can add, and on broad lines develop, the highest type of the condition of the times."
Replying to the question whether an exhibit of laces by a woman could be insured, Mr. Skiff stated: "We have no money for insurance; we have no people to go on bond; she is an individual exhibitor, and must get in her own exhibit in a general way."