The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-13
WILSON GIVES
JOBS TO WOMEN
Appointment Of Miss Board
man on D. C. Board Was
BombShelI to Politicians.
OTHER WOMEN NAMED
10y JOHN D. ERwINA

-
M washington. Sept. 3.-(special)-An.
pdtrenuy PRESIDENT Wilson has reter.
" teenth amendment, that the right IN yot,
N shail not be abridged on account OF seN
# Lcarrles a corollary that the right tc
noiu ONCE shall not be diminished by
sex. AT least, that is the way the poll.
.,eIahs are viewing some of his recent
IA appointments, notably that of Miss
X Mabel T. Boardman a COMMISSIONS Of
tne District of Columbia The selection
VI ol MISS Boarcman was a yeritable
n oompshell among the local politicians.
n Whlle Washington has no local self
government and. On the surface, appears
70 De free from city politics, this is
y more apparent than real. The nations
n capital has its coteries and eliuues of
ambitious local parsonage who try to
N monoopolize what offices there are, either
w Ior themselves or their friends. The
boardman appointment was q joul to the
packers OF half a dozen prominent male
polticlans who. without any fare Of
N trumpets. were attempting to influence
n sioner Browplow, who recently resigned
To Rule 100000 City.
Inc selection OF the Red Cross leader
\ as one of the two civilian commission
ers OF the capital means that she will
De one OF the two persons who rule the
II
100000 inhabitants. The city commits
sion is composed of three commissioners,
nut as one OF these is invariably an
1 army officer. whose duties are to look
aiter engineering problems, the two
civilians virtually are the only persons
Iesponnible for the proper conduct of
city AFFAIRS. There is no council or other
body to act as checks. and the commits
s.oners have wide latitude in civil mat
tiers.
The appointment was unsought by
MISS Boardman, while the male appli-
cants were pulling every available wire
TO land the place, which pays ST, 900
The president had made no announce
ncnt of policy looking to division of
tho two offices so as to give the women
share in the responsibility Of gov
eminent, but his appointments give
evidence of his purpose to carry such
policy into effect. At least, thas Is the
way it looks to many OF the women
leaders. who are applauding the rccogni-
ton of the fair sex.
Other Wilson appointments which are
pointed to as showing an evident pur-
pose to relegate the qualification 10 the
rear in filling public office are as fol-
lows
Mrs. Annette Adams. Of San Francisco
appointed as first woman United States
district attorney at San Francisco, and
more recently named as assistant attor-
ney-general of the United States.
Mrs. Helen Gardner. of Virginia, first
woman to be named as member of
United States civil service commission.
Miss Kathryn Sellers, Judge of District
OF Columbia juvenile court.
Numerous minor appointments, here
tofore held by men, have gone to
women under the Wilson administration.
1t may be said in this connection that
at least three, and probably all four,
OF the above named appointments came
to the women appointees rs complete
surprises, neither they nor their friends
having had any mixing in advance that
their names were under consideration.
She is Republican.
The Boardman appointment may prove
a little embarrassing to highly placed
republicans, as one or two prominent
Washington republicans who have con-
tributed literally of time and money to
the Harding campaign, are said to have
their eyes on the district commissioner
appointment, in the event of republican
success in November. Miss Boardman
is republican and personal friend OF
the Taft family, so that rejecting her
name in the senate would be delicate
matter. 1t might be resented by re-
publican women and the newly enfran-
chised voters generally and it would GER
tainly offend former President Taft, who |
was a personal friend of Miss Board
mans father,
One of the things to be considered at |
the National Woman's party to be held |
in Washington about October LIST is the |
proposal of a blanket law to remove all |
determinations against women, whether |
based on law or custom. With ratifica- |
ton of the suffrage amendment achieved, |
there are a number of women promin-
ent In public life who are likely to be |
urged for high political appointments.
Both political parties have appointed !
women leaders to their campaign com
mittees and these women are taking
leading parts. making speeches as well
as lining up the women voters by
private appeal,
Some of the old line politicians who
have been apprehensive of the trend OF
the feminist movement now see their
fears about to be realized They con-
denim President Wilson for encouraging
the women to enter into the oflice-h hold
ing class, which heretofore has been an
exclusively male prerogatiVe.