Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-19
WOMEN II CLUB AND CHARITY

The presentation and discussion Of the
new equal inheritance bill TO be presented |
at the coming. legislature occupied the So
cial science department Of the Woman
club on Monday afternoon. Mrs. George |
w. Tiden, chairman Of the departments /
committee on the property rights OF
women, presided, and three OF the Douglas /.
county representatives in the legislature
were guests For the last six years the
club women have been working for a de-
cedent law that would be more just to the
women of Nebraska, and while their bills
OF the past have met encouraging success, |
they have each time been amended by over
Jealous friends or others in such manner
as to render them undesirable and have
been finally killed by friends. Attorney
d. L. Johnson. who has drafted the last
two bills and also the new one presented
It. He quoted Judge Vlnsonhaler as au-
thority for the statement that from 50 TO
80 per cent Of the estates of Nebraska are
distributed according to the inheritance law
rather than by will, and the provisions Of
the present law he pronounced very unjust
to the widow. General ignorance of the
law he ascribed as the reason for this. The
present law for the decedent Of real estate
provides, briefly:
II married woman die leaving a hus-
I UAIlu ana CnlluTeu surviving, the nubpdnQ
takes the use for life Of one-third part OF
real estate, not necessary to pay debts,
Of which the wife was seized at death.
| II a married man die leaving a wife and
children surviving, the wife takes the use
| for life Of one-third part Of all real estate
Of which the husband was seized at any
time during the marriage, except that OF
| which she has been barred by deed, mort
gage or ante;nuptial contract. ,,..,.s
| OF wife surviving and no children, the sur
yiying, husband or wife takes the use for
! ceased died seized, except that which is
necessary. to pay debts or has been dis
II married man die leaving a wife and
no relative whatsoever she takes the fee
/ title to all the real estate.
/ If a married woman die leaving a hus-
band and no relatives whatsoever, the fee
/ title to all the real estate goes to the state
of Nebraska, and the husband gets only
| the use for life
The proposed bill abollshes dover and
courtesy and the surviving husband or
wife share alike. In the main, 1t is as
follows:
When any person shall die, leaving hus-
band or wife surviving, all the lands, tene-
ments or hereditaments of which such de-
ceased person was seized of estate of
inheritance at any time during the mar
rage, which the husband and wife have
not lawfully conveyed, and which has not
been lawfully devised, shall descend sub
teCt to his debts and the rights of home
stead, in the manner following:
| (a) One-fourth part to such husband
or one child and the issue Of one or more
deceased children, and such surviving hus-
band or wife is not the parent of all the
children Of the deceased.
o. One-third part to the husband or wife
II there be one or more children, or one
ceased children, and the surviving husband
or wife is the parent Of all the children of
the deceased.
(c) One-half to the husband or wife II
there be only one child surviving, or the
issue Of a deceased child, and the surviving
husband or wife is the parent of such
(d) Two-thirds to the husband or wife
If there be no child surviving nor the Issue
Of any deceased child nor children.
(e) If such deceased person leave rela-
tives of his blood. the residue of the
lands, tenements or hereditaments of which
the deceased shall die seized, in the cases
above named, when not lawfully devised,
shall descend subject to the rights of home
stead, in the manner and to the same per-
sons as hereinafter provided for the descent
OF lands, tenements or heredi' a.lents of de-
ceased persons leaving no husband wife
person leaves no relatives of his blood, the
residue OF the lands tenements or heredta-
ments herein provided for, shall descend to
the surviving husband or wife.
The Florida federation decided at its re-
cent meeting to devote it's energies to edu-
eating public opinion to the necessity Of
compulsory education law. Such a bill
was presented to the last Florida leglsla-
tlIre and failed to pass and the women hope
for better results next time. The preserva-
ton of the pine forests o. the state and
} the protection of the native birds are also
! receiving the attention of the women.
The Boston Transcript says: 1.-THE ad-
vent of woman, the consumer, is going to
be most benefcent It will give a balance
} to our social system that It has hitherto
, lacked. Life is not all matter of acquir-
ing the means to live. II is partly a mat
ter OF living. And this is a side of the
! question that in America especially has
been too much overlooked. 1t will not be
a overlooked now that the living, as we'll as
the providing. side Of things, as well as
the mans point of view lis going to have
its innings"
At the meeting of the Dundee woman's
club, held at the home Of Mrs w. L.
D Selby Saturday, December 10 the following
resolution was unanimously adopted:
I'll Whereas. We believe a LIQUOR department
4 / In grocery store to be detrimental TO the
/ moral tone of our city, a menace to our
children and our homes; be 1t
, Resolved, That we, the members OF the
Dundee Womans club, refuse TO sanction
by our influence and our PATRONAGE any
: maintain a department where intoxicating
I lduOrs are