From the writer's experience in expositions up to date she would approve the combination of the John Boyd Thatcher individual judge and diploma systems, together with the bronze, silver, gold, and "grand prix," which would be preferable from an educational standpoint and also to show to the world what the medal was given for. Also, the group or petit jury doing the work should combine with a larger jury, and perhaps a court of appeal, it being impossible for anyone in a higher court to know the why and the wherefore of the workers of the petit jury; and as far as the writer could learn it was the concensus of opinion of both exhibitors and jurors, as heretofore stated, that the opportunity to hold to the last was more preferable.
As an observer of the workings of world's fairs from the Centennial at Philadelphia, and also being closely allied with other great fairs, having visited same since that time and being a judge heretofore, will repeat the general remark of exhibitors and judges of former expositions. The consensus of opinion was that "no world's fair was complete without a jury composed of men and women, a just representation," working in unison and perfect accord with only one end in view—justice to all.
Group 61 (combined with 53, as above), Mrs. A.G. Harrow, Ottumwa, Iowa,
Juror.
Under the group heading, "Various industries connected with clothing," the ten classes into which it was divided represented (processes and products): Hats; hats of felt, wool, straw, silk; caps, trimmings for hats. Artificial flowers for dressing the hair, for dress, and for all other uses. Feathers. Millinery. Hair; coiffures, wigs, switches. Shirts and underclothing for men, women, and children. Hosiery of cotton, wool, silk, and floss silk, etc.; knitted hosiery; cravats and neckties. Corsets and corset fittings. Elastic goods, suspenders, garters, belts. Canes, whips, riding whips, sunshades, parasols, umbrellas. Buttons, buttons of china, metal, cloth, silk, mother-of-pearl, or other shell, ivory, nut, horn, bone, papier-maché, etc. Buckles, eyelets, hooks and eyes, pins, needles, etc. Fans and hand screens.
Mrs. Harrow reports as follows:
The work of group 53, of which I was a member, did not take us very extensively among the women exhibitors of the exposition, but in every instance where their work came under our observation or inspection they demonstrated their marked ability in the manner and taste shown in their display, and in some instances, where their competitors were men, they proved the fact that if their work was not superior, it was at least equal to that of the men.
In my opinion it is better for women's work to come in competition with that of men and not be separated.
All women in general, I feel sure, must have been greatly benefited by having a fair representation at the exposition, as it could not but help placing a higher standard upon all women's work, and that work in particular in which she excelled.
And as woman's work receives benefit, and also success by being placed on equal terms of comparison with that of men, so likewise may man's work receive helpful suggestions and real advancement by being brought into competition with the work of women.
Group 58 (later combined with Group 59), Mrs. E.D. Wood, Indianapolis,
Ind., Juror.