The Mankato free press., 1918-06-14
Bull Bill Will Zigzag Its Way
Through the Commons
DITCHING OF MEASURE
There Are Many Ways That This
Can Be Accomplished;
Provisions


Consumption of women soon VIII
start zigzagging its way through the
house of commons. Sir William Bulls
bill appears to be TOO coarse for sue
cess. If it ever becomes law the
changes will be so great that its au-
thor won't recognize it.
The bill may go on and suffer de-
feat. Or it may be tabled after II
has served. the purpose of permitting
discussion of the complicated prob
lem of forcing Tommy's shrinking
sisters to put on khaki or blue and DO
their bit.
The Bull bill cannot succeed unless
the government lowers the minimum
voting age for women. 1t proposes
conscription of women between
eighteen and thirty one while the
suffrage law doesn't permit women
to vote until they are thirty years
old. Thus more than ninety per cent
of the eligibles for conscription
have absolutely no voice in the gov
ernment.
Ditchina the Legislation.
There are many quiet ways or
ditching impracticable legislation In
the house of commons. Sir William
will have accomplished one big pur-
pose if he merely starts the idea
running through the heads OF the
cabinet members. 1t will be up to
them to make the compensating con-
cessions in suffrage, and perhaps ITO
introduce a women's conscription
hill of their own when the showdown
s11.
There are about 100000 women
between eighteen and forty without
family or household responsibilities
who have never engaged seriously IN
war work. They are virtually idle
except that some spend few hours
each week in light canteen work fol
the soldiers.
Could Release Men.
By working full time at farming
munitioning or clerking it is esti
mated that they could release hall
million able young men, many OF
whom could be developed into in
fantry troops. This addition to the
army would in turn postpone the day
when 100000 elderly civilians woult
be called up under the recently en-
acted manpower law.
There are thousands of yOunt
women in civil life who are earnins
good wages as stenographers and OF
flee clerks, factory hands, store
clerks and transport workers, eacl
one of whom has released fit mai
for the army. Most of these womel
have been at work for year or two
having first been specially traine'
for their new jobs. They would hav
to receive special consideration, be
cause they could not be expected t.
give ND those jobs with their pres
ent high wages to accept nomlna
wages on an equal footing with un
skilled "slackerettes" of a feminin
conscript army. :,
The .Waac's and the Wren's-th
latter org anization being the women
naval auxiliary arm-would welcom
conscript recruits for the valuabl
work they are carrying on both i
England and behind the lines i
France. A great many other con
scripts could be employed in savin
small business houses from ruin du
to the calling of proprietors VIII
have been carrying on alone for tn
past two years.
Place Far Women.
The man business house ma
been one of the tendereSt cases wit
which the tribunals have had to det
in their daily hearings on pleas fc
exemption. The despairing bushes
man usually faces complete ruin whe
he is finally called up. He some
times succeeds in finding a buye
for his store-usually at sacrifice
but more often he is forced to sc
out stock and fixtures at loss, clos
up the place and face the prospect I
beginning all over again late in lii
after the war if he is fortunat
enough to come back.
If the women conscripts could say
such firms the gain would compoI
safe for the trouble of building up
conscription machine.
In any case there is no likelihot
of mothers with children being callt
up. Their contribution to the nation
al cause is apparent.
These Work Bravely.
More than million other wom'
have been working hard and stead
ly. the majority of them at least fl
full DAYS a week, for two years
more without pay. They include t
women and girls of comfortable ci
cumstances who wash dishes, coo
answer telephone calls and do t
hundred land one odd jobs around
hospital. They are to be found in e
cry canteen and soldiers lodgi
house, in the munition making are
and even on railway platforms,
recting columns of travelling troo
from train to train. 1t would be
no benefit either to them or to t
government to bring these WON
under conscription, especially
thousands of them hold as many
three of those unpaid jobs apieci.
The suffrage issue is one that t
government surely must face aga
if conscription of women should
undertaken. This. might not be diff
cult, as the opposition to extendi
suffrage to younger women could
stand up very long against the bra
z and efficient record Of the you
women who already are releasi
many battalions of soldiers for
trenches.
xiw Bernice and Frances Morrow
II - -