New-York tribune., 1918-02-20
Sufragists Want
State Enrolment
Bill Broadened
Women Ask That All in
Towns of 5000 Popula-
ton Be Included
staff Correspondence

ALBANY, Feb. 19.-The women vot-
crs, through leaders of the Woman's
Suffrage party of New York State, in
formed the legislators to-day that they
wanted the WaltersAdler bill amended
so as to include all communities of
5000 population or more in the per-
sonal enrolment provision.
Women from all parts of the state
packed the Senate Chamber when j..
Henry Walters, chairman Of the SEN
ate judiciary Committee, opened the
hearing shortly after o'clock.
There was not a word said in favor
of the provision which limits personal
enrolment to New York City, Buffalo
and Rochester, Representatives from
these cities were on hand to thank the
legislators for granting them personal
enrolment and asked that the same
treatment be accorded their sisters in
the smaller cities and towns.
Women Oppose Certificate
Most of the women from upstate de-
clared that they would rather not vote
at all this year than enroll by certiti-
exploitation.
Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw, answering
Senator Walters and other legislators
who defended the provision on the
ground that it would save money, said:
"There will be expense in any case,
and if the enrolment provision is
amended to meet the just demands of
the women it will be borne by the state.
If it is not amended the amount saved
by the state will be spent by political
parties in making a house-t to house cam
vass upstate"
eliminating the question of ex-
pense, there is only the question of ex-
ploitation left? 2" inquired Senator Wal
terS.
"That is only one of the large ques-
Senator Walters wanted to know if
the non -partisanship of the Woman 5
Suffrage party was not due to its desire
not to injure the chances of the Fed
eral woman suffrage amendment.
"No," replied Mrs. Laidlaw. "How
could that have any effect on the Fed
eral amendment when the amendment
fore we vote in the fall?"
Mrs Rosalie Loew Whitney. chair
man of the New York City branch of
the Woman's Suffrage party, said that,
speaking for her branch, the members
thought the Legislature was trying to
find way to be fair.
"There is no party alignment in this
at all" said Mrs. Whitney. at would
be the straig ghtforward, fair thing to
have personal enrolment extended to
all communities Of 5000 or more. We
ask you to do this now, and then we
will come back again to ask you to
NJ
Calls Provision Unfair
Unjust, unfair and discriminating
were some of the characterzations APP
piled to the enrolment provision by
Mrs Samuel Bens. of Utica. Mrs Otto
R. Eichel, of Albany, said that up
state leaders Of the women feared that
for exploitation in the large industrial
centres upstate. "unscrupulous poll
ticians, if there are such, might per-
suade mill owners to tell the women
in their employ to enroll in one par
ticular party or lose their jobs" she
said.
Mrs. Raymond Brown, Of New York
chairman Of the organization commit
tee of the State Woman Suffrage party
speaking for the party as whole, said
that if the measure was passed in its
present state it would be tacatical
error on the part of the Republican
party.
Either this is a Republican measure
intended to exploit women, or it is de
signed to treat women like children "
said Mrs. Brown. EITHER is to be re-
sented. Men don't understand women
we'll; politicians less. | understand
that to-day there was an attempt made
to make it lawful for woman not to
tell her age when she went to vote.
We shall resent deeply any attempt
to exploit us or TO mollycoddle us"
Mrs Brown was referring to an
amendment TO the bill which Senator
Elon r. Brown offered as o-day's ses-