The educational exhibits attracted unusual attention. The main school building was constructed after a Manila cathedral. The main feature of the educational exhibit was a model school, taught by Mr. Hager and Miss Zamora of the Philippine Normal School. The Filipino pupils were objects of great interest and curiosity.
No doubt many visitors were interested in the Igorrotes or in some other one slight feature which left no deep impression of the actual condition of the islands. But everyone who went attentively through the Philippine village knows just what kind of people the Filipinos are, and learned much of their customs and their industries, and also acquired a fair knowledge of the resources of the islands and the many problems confronting our Government. The Philippine exhibit was one of the greatest features of the fair.
Humane Education Society.—The pamphlets issued by the Humane Education Society during the progress of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition are far-reaching as an important factor in true education, and can not but result in good. Children through their influence will be trained in habits of kindness to the dependent lower creatures, become gentler to each other, more amenable to authority, and better in their conduct. Through the efforts of this society Bands of Mercy have been organized in the various schools and churches throughout the country, and as a result children become more humane.
Pamphlets of instruction of methods of forming humane education societies were given out with other literature on humane treatment of animals which could not fail in arousing interest. A grand and noble work is being done throughout the world by the humane societies. Too much can not be said in praise of the work being accomplished by the little children as members of Bands of Mercy.
This is a report of a few important exhibits. It was impossible for me to give an accurate report of all the important exhibits viewed by jury group 129. There were several things I consider of vital importance to humanity exhibited under other groups; you will no doubt receive reports concerning them. One was the "Model Nursery," which no doubt appeals to all womankind. Another, the school exhibits in manual training, drawing, nature study, and kindergarten exhibits. Most of this work is developed through the training of the powers of the child by our great army of noble women teachers.
Group 135, Miss Margaret Wade, Washington, D.C., Juror.
Under the group heading "Provident institutions," the six classes into which it was divided represented: Savings banks, life insurance, accident insurance, sickness insurance, old age and invalidity insurance, fire, marine, and other insurance of property.
Miss Wade expressed a somewhat pessimistic view of the work of women in this special department, as she said "the part taken by women as shown by their exhibits showed no high degree of excellence, the only exhibit in group 135 being not up to the standard, and therefore, in her opinion, it would have been no advantage to women to have had their work exhibited separately."
This would be a somewhat difficult class, no doubt, for women to endeavor to make an exhibit, because, while thousands of them are employed in the offices of insurance companies and as solicitors, it is probably not a field in which they will assume the risks involved for many years to come.
Group 136, Miss Jane Addams, Hull House, Chicago, Ill, Juror.