The Washington times., 1914-12-17
Sut7ragists Organizing Fight
For Married Women Teachers
Legal Aspects Of "Rule Forty
Five" Discussed by Dean
Gillette. of Washington COL
Ieue of Law. and Miss Mary
0'TooIe.

0TooIe.
DisguaLitriHg a Woman from
teaching because she HldrrieS IS
akin to the old Ian which deprived
her OF property rights upon mar
rage. asserts Miss Emma GiAett,
a prominent Lawyer and sntrdgist
in discussing the mdrried-tedcie'
Issue in the public schools OF
Washington.
II the theory that unmarried
wOmeH need the salaries more, de-
bars married WOmen in schools, the
same theory should operate against
all teachers, men and WOmeH,
having independent incomes, she
maintains.
Suffrage organizations OF the
District are about to mite in urg-
ing the repeal of the Board of
Education rule which automatically
retireS teachers When they marry.
BY ]. R. HILDEBRAND.
Washington suTragists are preparing
TO enlist all suffrasist organizations in
fight TO the finish on the married
teacher issue in the public schools.
ON Friday. the specific case of Mrs.
Carl a Hellman VIII be laid before
the executive committee of the District
of Columbia State Suffrage Associa-
ton. OFFICERS of the National Council
OF Women Voters. the College Equal
Suffrage League. the Anthony League
and the Women's Suffrage Council al
ready have gone on record as favoring
the continuance Of married women as
school teachers. They also will bring
the question before their organizations
for immediate action
Airs. Hellmsn. married last July. re-
ported for duty nj the first grade OF
the Morgan School this fall. and found
that she had been automatically re-
tired by her marriage.
Many married women teach in the
grade and high schools of Washington.
Several in the high SCHOOLS, retired by
the operation of tho rule that affected
Mrs Hcllman. took examinations and
re-cntornd the service. Mrs. Holman
is eligible for such an examination. but
examinations arc not given for grade
school teachers because all grade teach
ers are recruited from normal school
graduates.
prejudice Is Archaic"
Miss Emma NJ. Gillett, a prominent
surfraeist. LAWYER. and dean of the
Washington College of Law. today conf
pa rcd tho bar against married teacher
As a survival of the day when a Won
in washington los, rAr property right.
by marrying. Miss Giliett said:
ANY prejudice against married
women as teachers is archaic, and
very far behind our present-day
thinking. There is no reason, in
the opinion of most folk today. why
= woman should not continue her
work after marriage. There are
many economic and social reasons
why snc should.
Tho argument that unms rried
married omen should be universally
applied. or ignored altogether. n
married women arc no longer re-
Eardpd rs eligible teachers because
their husbands could support them.
then all teachers. male and female.
VINO nov have independent means
Of SUPPORT. should Ec removed from
tho school system.
To take ~ fo- granted that 4 won1-
an becomes disqualified for teacher
when tho District law regarded a
woman Who married no longer ca
pablo n caring foT he- own prop
erty This law s. as changed in the
seventies. and further altered BY the
so-called Mussey bill in 1905.
Other business and professional woHl-
ga viii undertake the fighr on behalf
% Ihn married teachers. Ono Of these
is Mss Mary O'Toole surfragist, club
woman, and pIanii-l-.S layer.
Legal aspects.
Mrs. Hcuey r.l=~. Mrs. Carohn,
Kent. Miss Nestle Lovisa White anc
oshcr prominent Washington women ar,
members o. tho executive committee 0
the stat Suffrage Association rhicl
viii taxi 10 a.. case % Ms Heilman
Miss OIo".e sad:
uo not think the Government
SaiDAi'+ o. a- - bdl against marriage py
any suc6 ruic as tina, barring mar
red women from teaching 4 viii
STIMULATING ncurlarTiage az coudi-
ton TO obtain tn legacy has been
construed. j. some States. as illegal.
and tire iegacv Is paid regardless OF
that prohibition.
The rule Of the Board of Educa-
ton not only tends to prevent mar
Tiages. but worse yet, il might easily
encourage concediment.
There is no prohibition against