The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-07-30
SALARY FOR WIVES
GREAT BOON, SAYS
MRS. BARTLETT
DETROIT NOVELIST WARMLY
coMMENDs AR r AN q e M EMIT
POINTS OUT ADVANTAGES.

The fact that the majority OF won
en- are financially dependent upor
their husbands Is believed by Mrs
Alice f. Bartlett. the novelist. to be
largely the cause OF divorce. Mrs
Bartlett is at present engaged In writ
ing novel In which the divorce prob
lem figures and for this reason has
devoted much thought to the ques
ton.
Mrs. Bartlett discussed the action
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Gordon Strong,
Chicago society people. who recently
filed for record a compact by the
terms of which they release all dover
or inheritance rights from each other
while Mr.. Strong agrees to pay his
wife $4,000 a year for the hrst 10
years after July l, 1908; $4,000 a
year for the second 10s years, and.
thereafter, $4,000 year until her
death. Mr.. Strong said that the ar.
rangement Is to facilitate" his wlfs's
financial affairs; that she often goes
to Europe alone and that he wanted
her to be able TO manage her own
affairs and not be left utterly help
less.
What a blessing 1t would be II
there were more Mr.. Strongs In the
world" said Mrs. Bartlett. Il think
that womans financial independence
would put an end, largely, to divorce.
Put woman where she Is financially
free to do as she pleases and all these
other complications do not come up.
Domestic life must hinge to a great
extent upon the almighty dollar, and
when the wheels are creased fnan.
cially and the machinery moves along
without the question Of how, when or
where the woman's temper Is much
sweeter.
If Mrs. Strong could dress ON $500
a year, as Mrs. Roosevelt says a wom-
an ought to. she could save quite q
little each IL months. That would
leave her free to travel and go as she
pleases. without applying to her hus-
band for funds. The most humiliat-
ing thing woman can do is to go to
her husband and ask for dollar. IL
one notes the various causes given
for disagreements In the divorce
courts 1t will be seen that over half
the cases are due to lack OF provis-
ion on the part OF the husband for
the wife. One woman will say that
her husband gave her only So in their
two years Of married life. while an
other tries to squeeze enough from
her household funds to have a little
money for her personal expenses.
IF the wife receives a salary, she
has chance to enjoy her money
- ~
wait until her husband dies. and look
beyond the cypress leaves for good
time. She will then have an oppor-
tunity to enjoy the fruits OF their COM
bined labors while both are able to
do 30. She also has the satisfaction
OF knowing that her husband gave 1t
to her willingly. This would be OK
cellent, no matter what station in life.
In many instances the husband
takes a great deal for his personal
expenditures, and stints his wife. This
arrangement of weekly. monthly or
yearly salary would do away with
that feature of domestic life.
Il believe that marriage should be
an equal partnership, and the wife
should have Just as much OF a share
In the management Of the finances as
the husband. or course, this would
depend to a great extent upon the
individual There are some women
who would not be able to handle fin-
ancial affairs. and again, there are
men who cannot do 1t. II resolves It.
self into a case Of individual ability.
II don't know how many men
there are who would be as broad as
Mr.. Strong. fear there are not
many. There is a certain amount OF
the slave driver in most men, and they
might be afraid that IL women were
financially Independent they would go
beyond their reach. However, I can
not see anything but good, to the
greatest number at least, to come
from such an arrangement"