The Washington times., 1915-06-14
Economic Independence
Means Dignity Of Labor
And Woman'S Free Choice
Mrs Flora Macdonald Thompson Takes Issue With Mrs.
Frederick on One Point of Question Raised in Con-
troversy--DiscusSes Relation of State to Home

the family. that the mission Of Christ is
directed. Yet living under a democratic
and a supposedly Christian dispense ton,
the American woman as an individual
has yet to be discovered In her own
country.
Industrial reform promoted on be-
half OF American woman wage earners
is either to the end Of relegating to the
submerged conditions of house work
the cheap labor Of woman because it is
pre1udicial to men, or else in view Of
the clear necessity of population to a
nation, 1t is argued that women's work
must be relegated SO as to assure child
rem the conditions of being we'll born.
My suggestion to the Industrial COM
mission to urge upon the Congress a
maternity comission to inquire into the
conditions of housework. has met with
this response from one member of the
commission:
Il would suggest that the Children's
Bureau take up that investigation. Or,
should II not be possible in the Chi;-
dren's Bureau. I would suggest CO.
operative. Arrangement with the public
health service
Object of Public Concern.
In other words. maternity is to be
regarded either as a means Of child
welfare or else an incident Of public
health. Will nobody see that the first
object Of public concern in the matter
of maternity Is the individual woman,
and that 1t Is the industrial incapacity
which maternity imposes upon the indi-
vidual woman. interruptng the continu-
ity Of her labor and thus making her
unequa! in competition with men that
Is the particular i'll to be regulated for
the Improvement Of the whole situation
OF women in industry.
That iB an economic ILL., and unless
we interpret human existence as a
malady maternity Is first OF all the con-
cern, not of the public health service,
nor yet Of child welfare. but of labor,
OF business, Of social well-being, Of
human happiness, in view Of the wom-
psndence. - : -
Incorporated in the whole scheme of
public education in the United States
and in other structural elements of the
nation Is the idea that children are
necessary to the state. Maternity is
therefore q service which women per-
democratic order that the state, rather
than the father. Of the child, should
compensate the woman for that serv-
Ice. Social Insurance properly should
designate to the woman monetary
benefit in lieu Of the support rem
maternity. 80.
History Of Divorce.
the economic situation of the husband
should recommend the idea " Another
point In its favor Is that the history
of divorce in the United States demon
strates the advisability Of looking to
the more stable provision of social in
surance to finance the important office
Of maternity. The husband who today
by American law is bound to support
xrySfA
tomorrow is free. and the alimony the
wife may receive makes no account Of
how marriage compels the deteriora-
ton of the woman's productive ability
After a number of years Of married
life which will have cost the woman
her place In industry or In q profess
sian. the wife divorced has no longer
the support Of her husband. and the
alimony which Is not always forthcom-
ing may, while bearing no necessary
relation to her necessities, at the same
time, as happened recently in the case
Of an actress divorced, bind the woman
to do no work, out Of consideration for
the social dignity of the husbands g
name.
Free Choice of Occupation.
To put upon the state instead Of the
husband the tax for the monetary bene-
fit to which maternity entities a woman
would simplify the marriage contract
and the law. AS to the adjustment of In
dustry and business 1t would impose.
that is largely in actual operation in
Germany and in France. although the
reason Of this adjustment remains to be
more clearly stated as regards the wom-
ans individual rights.
But let 1t be born in mind that the
question of womans rights which the
problem Of her economic Independence
proposes Is not as Mrs. Frederick con-
ceives 1t. the right to earn and spend
money as she pleases 1t Is her human
| right to the dignity of labor which de-
mands such social and economic pro-
visions as will permit her free choice Of
| occupation. the free application Of her
industry and ability to the end Of her
greatest achievement.
FLORA MACDONALD THOMPSON.