Logically, the Federation of Women's Clubs has taken the lead in these plans, but since the organization of the other groups, they have all worked as one body for the completion of the projects. While the clubwomen were awake to the needed activities, they realized that such matters must be carried on as State work, so the legislative committee of the Federation became an important factor of their plans, to present the various needs for approval by the Legislature. At first the committee was received somewhat dubiously, members of the Legislature seeming to feel that it was more or less of a fad and rather doubting that women thought and planned seriously on State affairs, but as a committee from the Federation appeared at each successive session of the Legislature, and seemed to know what they wanted and how to present the matter in an intelligent manner, the attitude on the part of the law makers has become one of respect and interested attention, and the requests of the women's organizations have been granted and appropriations made, even at times when it seemed impossible to do so.
As a result of the constructive plans of the Federation, the State has the following departments and institutions (which probably would have been created eventually, but there is no doubt they were provided much sooner than they would have been otherwise) named in the order of their establishment: (a) State Child Welfare Bureau, with corresponding Board, which has since been placed coordinate with the State Bureau of Health—each with its separate director—under the State Public Welfare Board; (b) Girls' Welfare Home (reform school), with a board composed entirely of women; (c) Home and School for Mental Defectives, for which plans are now complete for construction of the first building unit, and which also has a board of women.
Also, plans were made in time so that New Mexico was among the six states that were ready to accept and make use of funds for maternity and infancy work as provided by Federal aid, which has meant much for welfare work in rural communities.
The Board of Regents of each of the State educational institutions has at least one woman as a member. We have had a woman as Secretary of State for the last three terms, each of whom has served for a short time as Acting-Governor in the absence of the Governor from the State. State Superintendent of Public Instruction is also a position occupied by a woman for the last three terms. Several women have served as members of the Legislature. A majority of the
144
