The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-19


 state legislatures. The sessions of most of them have now come to close and summary of their actiVi- | ties collected by The Associated Press discloses that the question ofAwoman suffrage came up for deTiberation in twenty-two states and that divorce laws, mothers pensions, women po- lice, minimum wage, eugenic mar riage other subjects relating to women were considered in twenty-sev- en states.
 The legislatures of seven states adopted resolutions whereby a, con stitutional amendment giving women equal suffrage rights with men will be submitted to the people at the fall elections either this or next year. They are Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in 1915; Iowa, South Dakota and West Yir- ginia in 1916. Tennessee adopted a similar resolution, but it must also be passed by the next succeeding leg islature before it can be su omitted to the voters. So did Arkansas, but the resolution was ineffective because of a provision of the state constitu- tion which forbids more than three constitutional amendments to be sub n1itted at one election and three had already been filed with the Secretary of State.
 California; adopted a resolution de- claring that women suffrage in that state had been an unqualified success. Alabama will consider the question at adjourned session to begin July '.
 In twelve states woman suffrage measures met defeat-Connecticu Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma. Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin. Three votes defeat ed the measure in Indiana. It was passed by the Senate with only three votes rekistered against it, but a mo ton in the House to call the bill out of committee failed to carry, 46 to 49.
 Three votes also killed the meas ure in the, Texas legislature, where it was introduced in the House A two o-thirds majority. however, was required to pass it and the suffragist supporters claimed a great gain. The resolution did not reach the Senate.
 Eight votes defeated the bill in the Assembly of Wisconsin and there was a bitter contest on the question in Montana where, undaunted by the de- feat of their cause at the general e1ec- ton last year, the suffrage adherents renewed the fight. In Delaware a proposed constitutional amendment was defeated decisively in both House; in New Mexico and North Carolina it died in committee. In Michigan a proposed amendment to the constitution giving women the right to vote for presidential electors and all officers of educational nature was never reported out of the Senate committee The General Assembly of Connecticut declined to send the measure to the next Assembly for ratification.
 New Mexico, however, passed 3, law providing for the appointment of of state institutions in the discretion of the governor. North Carolina, en- acted a bill making women eligible to become notaries in the state and giving them the right of petition in certain instances. Women may be- in Tennessee and serve in that state on school boards.
 Pension for mothers came up for consideration in eighteen states-in eight, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire. New York. Oklahoma, Tenn essee and Wyoming-legislatio for this purpose was enacted for the first time. In the rest of the present laws were amended or amplified.
 The new Kansas state fixes the maximum grant to needy mothers at s25 month to be paid at the discre- ton of county commissions. The New Hampshire law limits the payment to $1o a month for a dependant mother having one child under 16 years and s 5 for each additional child. The legi- stature appropriated $16, 900 for the first two years of the laws operation. The New York statute applies to widows with a child or children under sixteen who will be allowed the same 1 amount that it would cost the state to support them. The Montana law ap- plies to mothers with children under fourteen and whose husbands are con fined in a state institution or are; physically incompetent; the Nevada law to widows only In Oklahoma. both widows and mothers whose hus- bands are insane or prisoners are eli 1 gible to the benefits of the law, the compensation being $10 a month for ] one child under fourteen and $5 a | month for each additional. The Wy oming law is similar
 The law in Tennessee applies in counties of 50,0O0 population or more and having Juvenile courts. The act | was not made mandatory. Sixteen is is the age limit and $10 and $5 the compensation. Washington passed the bill making her mothers pension pro- visions somewhat less liberal.
 California, Colorado, Connecticut, North Carolina, Nevada, and West Virginia acted on divorce laws, Cali fornia amplified hers so that judges were granted power to call in the Dis | trict Attorney where fraud or colIu- sion are suspected. Colorado amended i hers so that a decree shall not be is- sued until six months after the divorce 1 has been granted. Connecticut added 1 incurable insanity to the list of l grounds for divorce before the courts l Previously this cause had to be taken 1 to the legislature. North Carolina pas l sed a, measure changing from ten to 1 two years the period required to es- l tabl1sh desertion, but the act met such a storm of protests thai. it was repeaIe l the next day. Nevada. returned to her | law the six months residence clause. West Virginia created in each county the office of divorce commissioner, D 1 with power to investigate divorce suits 1 appear for trials examine witnesses l and defend the interests of the state