Show Ruth Mi Milieu I lien left Says Say Twenty Years of Voting For American Women Show Many Social Gains Cains NEW YORK YORK Miss Miss and Mrs America merica went proudly to the polls in 1920 self-consciously self determined to make the most of a hard- hard won privilege They had after a long bitter like battle battIe won the right to vote After Atter 20 years years' voting yoting experience expert expert- nee ence they know that cleaning up politics is more difficult than cleaning house They no longer believe that because because because be be- cause they are women they are more responsible morally voters than men What they do believe in the Ute words of Miss Ruth Ayres president president president dent of the New York State League O of Women Voters is that they can and do bring to their communities something of what they bring to their families a driving Interest rest In the w welfare of human beings They also believe believe believe be be- lieve that the participation of women in the total social pattern pattern pattern pat pat- tern is of value to themselves and to society As proof that women have turned this driving int interest st to good account the National League of Women Voters a nonpartisan nonpartisan nonpartisan non- non partisan organization formed the year women were given give the vote points out that women gave substantial and effective support support support sup sup- port to such welfare l legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion as as as- The Towner Sheppard-Towner act for forthe forthe forthe the promotion of the welfare and hygiene of maternity and Infancy Infancy Infancy In In- In- In fancy 1922 The Cable act for fori the inde hide independent independent pendent citizenship of women which did did away with the old law wJ which ch made the nationality of a woman dependent on that of her husband 1922 Civil Civil service reclassification act including the principle of equal compensation for equal work irrespective of sex 1933 Provisions o of the social se security security security se- se act for unemployment compensation for maternal and child hild health 1935 Repeal of Section economy a act c t of 1932 discriminating against the employment of married married married mar mar- ried persons in the federal federi service service service ice 1937 Food drug and cosmetic act which replaced the outmoded 1906 act with an adequate food drug and cosmetic law 1938 Child labor provisions of the fair labor standards act ban act ban banning ning labor for children under 14 years of Increase in federal share of funds for aid to d dependent children children children chil chil- dren under the social se security act 1939 It was a womans woman's organization that launched the first out get vote the campaign on a national scale And It has b been women's organizations that have taken talen the lead in organizing voters' voters schools throughout the countr country The influence of ot women in politics cant can't be discussed without without without with with- out pointing out that In n 20 years women have nosed into almost every branch of the national government There are women in the state stat department in the foreign service and in the treasury tress treas ury justice postoffice interior agriculture commerce and labor departments They found places In the senate senate senate sen sen- ate and In congress In state government they have served as everything from governor to assistant attorney general Before 1920 the year women were given the vote only 60 women had served in state legislatures over a period O of 51 years In 1937 alone there were women serving on state leg leg- There are more women holding holding hold hold- ing I offices in counties than in any other governmental unit Women are serving as coroners commissioners criminal prosecutors prosecutors prosecutors prose prose- attorneys public administrators administrators administrators adminis adminis- assessors clerks treasurers treas treas- And women are active In civic government Take Ohio for an example In Ohio villages approximately one out of every five Live board of education education edu edu- edu- edu cation members is a woman about one in six treasurers tret andone and andone andone one In seven clerks In Ohio cities there is an average average average aver aver- age O of at least one woman on onery L Levery every ery one of the boards of education education edu edu- cation and boards of ot health According According Ac Ac- cording to a 1937 report nine rijn cities had women treasurers four had auditors six abc had civil civi service commissioners eight had hac city planning commissioners one 9 had a city aty clerk rk and one had i a director of finance |