Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-03
0SD CONGRESS GAVE
SCANT ATTENTION TO
WOMEN'S INTERESTS
Mrs. ellison Gardner Points
to Record of Last Session
as Strong Argument for
Suffrage.

llkoM NTAtF tORRENfONpENTI
| WASHINGTON. Dec. g. Various
measures Of deep concern to women
have been brought before the SD Con-
gress and received scant attention" said
Mre. ellison Gardner. of the Congress
| sionai Union for Woman Suffrage 1T
! is Of interest to survey the consideration
/ accorded these matters No more elo-
quent argument for the necessity of Sc
! curing the direct representation of
women in Congress can be afforded than
| b. the study of the treatment given
these subjects in which women are so
vitality Interested"
This weeks issue Of the Suffragst
editorially reviews the delay Of Con-
sress In acting upon legislation desired
by women. Among other things II says:
Probably no Legislation is of more
direct interest to women than that re-
lating to pure food. -Four measures we're
introduced in Congress to insure the
purity of manufactured or cold-storagc
food. All were referred to committees
and have received no further attention.
Another important food measure, the
occasion for which arose during the fnan-
cial stringency when the prices of food
stuffs tended to soar, was introduced by
Mr.. McKellar This was bill 'declar-
ing that persons. firms or corporations.
in any manner engaged in interstate COM
merce business who shall become en-
gagged or concerned in fixing of prices |
of any foodstuffs, contrary to rules of
competition. shall be guilty of felony, |
and providing for their punishment It
was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture and remains there still.
Two homestead bills of particular in
terest to women were considered. One,
by Mr. Kinkaid, of Nebraska. providing
that the marriage of a homestead entry
man to n homestead entrywoman should
not impair the right of either to a pat
ant,' received no attention further than
a reference to the Committee on Public
Lands.
THE second. also introduced by Mr..
providing for Il certificate of
title to homestead entry by female
American citizens who have married WIN
Iliens, was passed by Congress and is
low a law. If the first bill is not acted
lpon 1t will mean the perpetuation of
he present situation whereby an entry
woman marrying a homestead patentee
orfeits her title to the land, even though
he has made improvements thereon, ac-
ording TO the conditions of the patent
lw.
Under the opium and drug caption five
ills were introduced to regulate the
raffic in habit-forming drugs. Four OF |
hese were introduced by Mr.. Harrison, |
T New York. One regulating the manu-
acture of smoking opium within the
'nited States and for other purposes
as passed. The other three were re- |
erred TO committees and remain there at
resent. One introduced by Mr.. Mann |
o regulate the transportation of habit |
ormtng drugs in interstate and foreign
remains in the Committee on
lterstate and Foreign Commerce, where
was referred.
"A measure with which every one is
lmiliar because IL grew out of the great
itanic disaster is the so-called Seamen's q
Ill, which reads: TO abolish the invol- L
ntary servitude imposed upon seamen in D
le merchant marine of the United States h
nile in foreign ports. and the involun-
ny serVitude Imposed upon the seamen q
the merchant marine of foreign coun- Il
les while In ports of the United States, X
prevent unskilled manning of Amerf- =,
n vessels, TO encourage the training of y
'ys IN the American Merchant Marine u
II the protection of life at sea. and 10
mend the laws relative to seamen.' a
Ihis bill in amended form passed the :,
mate and was referred to the House u
here II was again amended and passed W
le conference of the committees OF the tc
20 bodies resulted in a disagreement. fl,
lie Dill was then reconsdered In the >,
nate ana referred to the Senate Conn u
ttee on commerce, Where ii Is today
Among the most important labor bills n,
.roduced were II measures directly ar :,
ting the hours and wages of women NJ
d children. These were referred to TO
and have progressed no h,
rther Among them are measures for =
TO the Constitution giving sc
ngress power TO regulate employment "
women and of persons under the age ey
a, a bill to prevent child labor i'm
stories and Mines and a bill to pre-
Mt employment of females i'm mills and en-
'tories for longer Period than eight to
urs'" Il
nrnFnEHA