Show I LAWS AFFECTING RIGHTS RIGHTS' OF WOMEN I The searchlight is being turned perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps more thoroughly than ever before on the laws which affect women The National Womans Woman's party is going aye aye- from state to state making making- surveys of oC these laws Then when legislatures legislatures legis- legis Inquire innocently in what way women are bound unfairly by the their i statutes statutes statutes stat stat- utes the tho feminists are ready with a re report report report re- re port showing concisely the states state's legal attitude toward women Florida Mississippi Louisiana and Alabama Alabama Ala- Ala bama ama are aie the four states slates which so far have lave been studied These states were taken aken first because the legislatures were to o meet Now the woman womans woman's a party workers I are going on to collect evidence In nine I more states where the legislatures convene convene con con- vene ene early in the coming year ear This is 15 a part of the campaign to get r each hal halt state t to pass a blanket bill removing removing ing all legal leal disabilities of women Wisconsin Wisconsin Wis Wis- v is so eo far the only state to adopt such a measure Last spring in a a. nine weeks' weeks campaign Wisconsin put through a bill which gave women the same rights and ane privileges be before before before be- be fore th law as the men hold The bill Instructed J the courts to take the words he he his him and similar words indicating the Ule mas i line gend gender r in tlc tic state laws to Include il also o the One exception to this wag wai The la laws w ar are no to be so r rp id d where the con con- would d ny to males females the special 1 protection and aid j they now ow enjoy for th the general welfare This Tills r fers in part t. t ko the laws protectIng protectIng protecting protect protect- ing women In induct induct- Wl made thia sweeping change without much ado But when then the proposal proposal proposal pro pro- came to the fou iou Southern legislatures legisla legisla- turfs tures tint th met a later latr it was given givena a chilling reception Loui Louisiana lana It Is trw tru die til to the extent of repealing nine specific apE discrIminations dis- dis crIminations ons sf agal t. t women As one r re result re- re suit sult all political and civil offices are now open pen to v women omen women Another r achieved I b by Louisiana compels a husband to obtain ob Ob- ob- ob tain consent coment of his wife wie he can sell or mortgage tV home The rest of the property remains control control con con- trot of th tho husban 1 as before beCore But the wife is assured that the roof root over her head will vill not be sold without any reference reference reference refer refer- ence to her wishes or Jr r Intel Interest Louisiana agreed to nue cl alges buthe but bu the radl radical l Idea of ob absolute legal equality fr fir n was turned down flatly The Theother Theother other three legislatures to which the Ue measure was submitted al abc I o I it nd jit d. d t the femi its ut out these Blaus progressive in many was v are far behind ton fon on c others In n tl their egal treat treat- I mt nt of women The surveys showed cases where tl cid tid law ii 11 li Id For Tor Instance a n wife iC in iii Mississippi w e ed the right o o 0 s su for damages lor for the tho r. r of 1 cr cr affe tio s n 10 law vs of the tate give the husband husban control of the wife's personal property and nd the court held that In these circumstances if the wife won the suit the erring husband huband would benefit by it as lie could appropriate ate the money In this state which is not the most mot backward of the forty eight a woman practically leases herself out to her husband husband hus bus band for life liCe In return for her Iler services she receives recel her board and keep leep But Hut she cannot require ht her r husband to pay her herI anything thing She has no right to any part of the family Income and she has no In Interest Interest interest In- In I terest In her husbands husband's s property unless ho dies and leaves it Thus when a woman was injured by a fall fail on an ex exI exposed ex- ex posed gas pipe the wife received d dam damages dim lm I ages for her personal injury but the husband husband hus hus- band was allowed by the court to collect the amount awarded as the loss of her services ser In the home According to the report from Florida the women of that state are under the domination of the old English common law to a greater extent than pt perhaps in any other state Jn In the Union According to the common law a married woman could make male no COil contract tract of any kind This the report shows is true In Florida today with a few exceptions Unless her husband has been pronounced Insane and has been insane for a year jear ear a married woman may not without his consent rent mortgage or sell even en property given or willed d to her l If the husband is ri a criminal he still has this control over ove his hIs' wife's property A husband In that state may do as he lie likes with the proceeds from Crom his wife's wife s separate property and she may not sue him even n to s secure cure an accounting of what he has done with her own money The report points out that a court dt deciSion deci deci- cl- cl I sion slon extended the husbands husband's authority even to ownership of his wife's clothes And In another case a court ruled that a married woman did not have hae the right ight to hire domestic servants In this da lay when so many married women prefer work in an office or shop to work worl in a kitchen t note that t hen it Is interesting to lo In Alabama the husband generally gen gen- has authority backed up by law to say whether or not his wife may work the home To quote a court decision decision de- de the husband Is entitled to his s wife's still till f in services this to the extent that she Is s respect merely a servant rvan So a court in 1914 decided that If IC outside out out- side work would Interfere with her domestic do do- duties a husband could vent his wife fl from m entering kw legally pre pre- prevent ment empo employ employ- So bo many women have ha business experience enco ence before marriage that tho the home dards dard have been standards standards stan stan- advancing more rapid rapidly I v than the III laws ws The m modern dem the unit of oC W labor which woman knows know earned a dollar In the store e or r office and arul she that h with compares compares- her work worl about the hou house e She figures that she he Is putting her share in into o a f business Partnership and that whatever er is sav saved d or acquired Is In part hers There jarc arc are several theories with which the 1 modern j domestic establishment is ex ex- ex One is to make the home a n. partnership and to have hae everything about the ne home held helel j Jointly Another Jell idea rs ta ts' ts for each of the contracting parties to hold his or her own share f separately In Informed that the sheriffs sheriff's office here has written him three letters in regards to the account but he has made mado no I also had Attorney Hansen write him and he received no reply and as a last resort I visited the la labor labor la- la bor commissioners and as yet have got no returns When hen a man with a family has to wait walt four tour months for money due him himi from a public official who pas as not noti prestige enough t tc see that a bill bUI he he contracts for labor is paid it I is high time that a recall saw be put In force I Iso so that officials of this type can be bol I removed from office to protect the la la- la I boring man who endeavors to make malte an honest living I S oS H II CARMAN J South th Eighth East S i 5 S 'S S I 5 1 |