Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-09
Women Fast
Becoming
Responsible
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.


woman in business Is very much
distressed by having the statement made
to her that the word of our sex was not
held in high esteem in the legal world.
that from almost every standpoint woman
was regarded by man as rather ir-
responsible being.
Until the last quarter OF century
woman was what man made her. with
his laws aud restrictions and traditions.
Yet even with all those handicaps she has
left a remarkable record upon the books
OF history.
In every walk Of life. in every art and
sphere. woman has made her shining
mark During the last twenty-five years
her progress has been less impeded by
the debris of old traditions, and she has
sped forward upon the broadening road
Of progress with astonishing rapidity.
Comments and criticisms such as my
correspondent repeats are scarcely WORTH
remembering or refuting. Man compelled
woman to prevaricate about herself for
so many centuries that II she has still
the tendency to withhold the truth or to
distort II at times we need not wonder.
Man hid her away from all knowledge
OF the great issues OF life so long and
htpb HeT III TOT rear she WOulu
know herself and him too well that we
should not be surprised IL she is still
unable to grasp real conditions OF life
as readily as he Is.
realization Of personal responsible
ity has only begun to dawn upon woman.
She stiIl thinks OF herself. to a great
extent, as the privileged being--where
self-dependence is concerned-that man
sducated her to believe it was Gods in
tent when abe was formed.
Without question. woman does not keep
appointments of a business nature as
promptly or regard obligations as seri-
ously as the majority OF men do. Few
business women are as thorough as men
in their work. and their methods are
less direct, less positive. Women are usu-
ally more nervous than men, and conse-
tquentiy less agreeable to deal with.
II is only the exceptional woman who
possesses the power of concentration
which is one Of the first qualities man
develops In business. Women scatter their
forces in thousand avenues where men
conserve them. Women have not yet
learned to know the value of time in
business matters as men perceive its
value.
TactfuI and agreeable In social life, IN
business woman rarely shows these qaul-
tiles to the same degree the most blund-
ering man exhibits them in his dealings
with his fellows.
She is often brusuue with her own sex
and indifferent with the other, nnistak-
ing both attitudes for poise in the bus
mess world. Woman still expects privi-
leges and benefits to be granted her be-
cause she Is 4 woman.
s Tt,f- fhaaa 20 ra&tns xsrtll ~ >,,t
grown with the passage of time and the
increasing opportunities allowed her for
the cultivation of her full powers. Here
are a few suggestions for every woman
who has started upon business career
and vino wishes to prove herself as sue
cessful as her male competitors.
Let her put down in her note book
these qualities az worthy of cultivation:
A sense of responsibility TO fill her
position, with dignity and exactness.
A realization OF the value OF time. her
own and that of others.
Pfomptness In keeping engagements.
A purely business point of view regard
ing debts. with no idea of sex privilege
or benefits
The value Of affabIlity and the neces-
sity Of tact IN business affairs.
The need of controlling the nerves and
= nervous actions.
A fine sense Of honor. OF trnthfulness.
ana desire for thoroughness.
Meantime here is what is reported by
Mile Borst. a French philosopher. who
has been experimenting with men and
women in the matter Of credibility of
evidence! The experimenter used TWEEN
ty-fo1r persons. twelve of each sex, in
her Investigation.
After ending the tests. which covered
several weeks, as the subjects were ex-
amined repeatedly. Mile. Borst tabuIated
the results.
She noted false answers. correct an
swers, answers certain and uncertain.
correct or wrong answers given under
oath. She thus discovered the extent Of
evidence given. its faithfnlness. the as
sirance Of the witness. the influence Of
the oath upon him or her.
These are her chief conclusions:
Entirely faithful evidence Is the ex-
ception, every witness supplying from his
Or her imagination the omissions of
memory.
About 10 per cent Of the statements in
a voluntary deposition are wrong
Dispositions brought about by sueges-
tions are longer than voluntary ones
fuller that is OF detail-but less relia-
BILE
Evidence improves by practice.
Women are more truthful witnesses
Than men.
About one-tweifth Of the statements in
a deposition under. oath are incorrect
Mile, Borsts Investigation simply
bears out in a scientific manner. the
idea that woman sees more details than
man. and remembers them better.
IT is an interesting discovery.
This would indicate that the woman
In business has been misinformed re-
garding the legal status Of womans
word the world over.