Show WOMEN NOTARIES OF MAR MARYLAND LAND ARE BARRED Court of of Appeals Says Deeds Acknowledged Acknowledged Acknowledged Ac Ac- by Them Are Invalid A recent lecent decision of the Maryland Court of Appeals denying to women the right to practice law in the State Is believed by leading members of the theba theban ba ban to also also affect the status of women rles public of whom there are now three in that State Their eligibility would probably not have been questioned at this time had Susan B B. Anthony in a letter addressed addressed addressed ad ad- dressed to State Senator Moses re requested requested requested re- re quested information concerning this very matter She wanted to know whether women were also prohibited fr from m ms s serving as notaries and as minis minis- Her lIer request led to an Investigation b by the Senator who arrives at the conclusion that the decision of the court applies to both The language of the common law setting setting setting set set- ting forth the special privileges of a lawyer is couched in terms plainly In Indicating indicating indicating in- in that such an official must be beof beof of the masculine gender That used in describing the duties of a notary while not exactly the same is similarly worded and other lawyers agree with Senator Moses that the construction placed place by the die Court of Appeals must apply If It as is generally conceded women notaries are ineligible all deeds exEcuted executed executed exe exe- by those now serving as such are necessarily invalid and could some think only be made binding by a general general gen gen- eral act of the Legislature There are others again who differ from this view and anti think the courts would uphold the acts of or these women officials on the ground that the they are de facto officers In any event serious complications ma may arise from the discovery made There are arc in Baltimore three female notaries Mrs Virginia B n. Maupin Miss 1 F. F Blondell and Miss Virginia McCarthy All of them have been doIng doIng doing do- do Ing a lucrative business It is probable that bills will be Introduced introduced Intro intro- at this session of the Legislature giving to women the right to practice law aw and serve as notaries public |