Evening star., 1915-04-17
'CLUbWOMEN URGE
RULE ASS REPEAL
Tell Board of Education Its En-
forcement Is Against
Public Policy.
WOULD HAVE EFFICIENCY
THE TEST FOR TEACHERS
Marriage, They Contend. Is No
Proper Concern of the School
Authorities.

The board of education is today an
possession Of the brief of committee
of clubwomen who addressed the
members of the board yesterday after
noon in an argument to repeal the IA
nous rule a. which requires woman
teachers to resign when they are mar
ried. In addition, the briefs were sup
plemented by a large batch of private
letters on the subject, together with
resolutions favoring the repeal OF the
rule from several clubs and societies.
The board of education previously vot-
ed not to rescind the rule. but, having
reopened the subject and having heard
arguments on one side OF the case. the
rule will be voted on again.
Mrs. Ellis Logan. president o. the
Federation of Women's Clubs. present
ed the brief to the board and read a
short statement of her objection to
rule As. and her reasons for asking its
appeal Summarized. her brief con-
tained nine heads on the subject of the
rule:
Arguments Against Rule.
First. that it penalties marriage; sec
| ond. that 1t discriminates against mar
ried women: third. that it discriminates
against the social status of married
women: fourth, that 1t is against pub
lie policy: fifth. that 1t is contrary to
the principles of government: sixth,
that it Is class legislation: seventh,
that IT places restraint on marriage:
eighth, that it discriminates against
the state of marriage; ninth. that it as
sumes women to be less efficient after
marriage than before.
Following Mrs. Logan, Miss Ellen
Marshall Rugg, secretary Of the fed
Grafton, presented formal resolutions
against rule 40, and Charles E. Vroo-
man, appearing somewhat in the light
| of an attorney for the federation, made
an address to the board as II he were
speaking to a jury. Mr.. Vrooman used
several expressions to tell of his i'll
opinion of rule As. He called the rule
"a violation of the Constitution, un-
just and unfair. class legislation and
a violation of the fundamental princi-
pies of government" From the Con-
stitution he stepped into anecdote,
relating little episode to lead up to
ried woman is the goat" He also de-
| clared that rule 45 interfered with the
property rights of women. This state
| ment he backed up with numerous
legal references and extracts from law
dictionaries. and cited one instance of
where the right to practice a profess
sion was called a property right.
Created delpmeet.
woman he said, was created for
man to be a helpmeet. not a noodle.
not serf or a vassal, but helpmeet.
Referring to recent utterance by
Rev. DR.. c. f. Granger in support OF
rule As, Mr.. vrooman said he could
drive a span of horses through Dr.
GranRer's argument, because DR.. Gran :
ger assumed that all women married
husbands who could support them"
Mr.. Vrooman concluded. and Mrs.
Ellis Logan threw the board room into
gales of laughter:
This is by way Of a personal matter
she explained, but just as 1 was COM
ing down the street a sweet little
child asked me what we were going to
do with rule As, and whether, II Miss
Elizabeth V. Brown should get mar
ried. would she have to stop teaching"
AS Miss Brown was right there there
was a roar of laughter: No! No. said
three members of the board at once.
Go right ahead, Miss Brown said
President Blair with twinkle in his
eye.
Following this little excursion. Mrs
Albert N. Wood, addressed the board,
saying that the position of it's mem
bers in falling to repeal rule As had a
logical flaw" Mrs. Wood said she had
been a mother for twenty years and
had found that teaching of one kind or
another is the most important thing
in mothers career.
Efficiency Proper Test.
If there is anything in matrimony
that Jnfits woman for benp a teach