The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-04-14
WOMEN VOTERS TROUBLES
Mrs. ParmaIee Tells the Sisters What
They May Do.

Editor of The ner.-Letters o
distress have reached the writer re
garding the provisions of the new
law, granting town and municipal suf
frage to the tax paying women.
Women over 20 years of age, who
| are tax payers fear they are shut ou
from voting Such is not the case
| Had there been poll tax provision
as is the case with men, all tax pay
ing women over 20 years OF age
would have been exempt from paying
such, the same as are men, but would
have voting privileges without any
age limit. No poll tax is required oi
women under this law. The wife OF
the foreigner who has not received
his naturalization papers cannot vote
as the law does not yet recognize a
married woman in this country as be.
ing separate individual.
Women desiring to vote who have
no grand list or property upon which
they now pay taxes, such as working
women, public school teachers or mar
ried women and mothers. may become
voters if they are citizens 21 years of
age, by complying with the following
conditions: They must have resided
in the State one year and in their
town three months, or in the city or
corporation such time as required by
the charter
They must procure an inventory
from the listers and if possessed of
no other taxable property, list under
question 25, section c, whatever
amount of cash they may have had on
hand April first 81, S. or more, as the
case may be. This gives the listers a
basis for computing the tax. They
must then swear or affirm that they
have no other taxable property.
There is no fee or payment of tax
required at the time of filling out the
inventory AT O later period tax
viii be assessed depending upon the
amount listed and the tax rate voted.
They must return the inventory to
the listerA Before April 20th. or they
have disfrallohised themselves for one
year. and asve no vote in town meet
ings befotesthe Legislature again con-
venes in 1919. eoi s.ies
All duly qualified voters take the,
freeman's oath, which may be taken
sinsly or in groups, they are then eli
gibte to vote in town, village, school,
corporation and city meetings if their
names are on the voting check list.
which should be carefully looked
after by the women. $3.50
Women may vote for all officers. in
cluding road commissioners. except
in towns where there is an incorpor-
ated district. The legal voters in
such corporation cannot vote for road
commissioners in the district outside
tho corporation, they can, however,
vote for city and village road com
inside of such city or viii
lage limits. Women residing in a
town district have absolutely the
same voting privileges on road COM
missioners as men. Any further in
may be secured from the
listers and board of civil authority.
A woman who has received free
education in the public schools and
who enjoys the benefits of civilization
such as good roads, sidewalks, sewers,
health and fire protection, and who
desires to see competent, local officers |
elected and laws enforced, should |
this opportunity for prepar-
ing to cast her ballot in the interests |
Of the public good. and 1t is earnestly |
urged that the women act atSonce. be- |
fore April 20th, as after that date it ]
will be too late.
Annette w. Parmalee,
April 9, 1917 Enosburg Falls, VT.