Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-10
WOMEN'S GREATEST YEAR
IS ONE JUST CLOSED
Political Progress of Sex Has Won
World Wide Recognition; Col
lcge Women Play Big Part

armistice women took up, with the men,
the tasks of reconstruction,
One of the fartbest reaching pieces OF
women's news was the passage by the
United States Congress of the Federal
woman suffrage amendment to the con-
stitution. However, the number OF women
voters through state suffrage laws had
increased so greatly that both political
parties had made point Of nationally
recognizing their large feminine enroll
ments.
Mrs. Medill Mccormick. M chair
man of the Republican Women's Ma
tional Executive COMMITTEES, called and
presided over conference IN Washing
ton. last spring. where men and women sat
together at the party council table.
The Democratic party, with Mrs.
George Bass at the head of the Women 3
Bureau of its national committee, planned
an associste national committee with one
woman member from each state.
In New York State politics women
were increasingly active in the year 1919.
Ida r. Sa!nmis and Mary Nj. Lilly were
seated in the State Assembly January ! +,
1919. The fall elections did not see them
returned. But two other women were
elected to the Assembly from other dis
tricts; Margaret Smith and DIR Elizabeth
Gillett. A bill was passed nv the New York
State Assembly and signed by Governor
Smith providing for Bureau of Women
in Industry in the State Department ot
Labor. Frances Perkins became state
Industrial Commissioner Of New York
Febru ~ 20 and Mrs. Charles Smith, OF
Buffalo, was appointed civil service COM
missioner late in the spring.
jean Norris was appointed the trst
woman magistrate IN the city oi New orit
last fall and her term has been prolonged
bv rrappoIntment from Mayor Hylan.
Rose Rothenherg has been holding the
position Of Deputy Assistant District
ATTORNEY for the Women : Court success
fully since her appointment late IN the
summer bv District Attorney wann
In the business world new era was
opened for women through the fedora
ton of Business and Professional Wo-
mems Clubs THIS was accomplished IN
convention last summer in st Louis, where
met the r presentatives Of more than
100 900 business and professional women
Of the entire country.
The Noman's Chamber of Commerce,
organized by Mrs Katharine Clefnmons
Gould, was launched early in January Of
1919, and Florence King, Of Chicago,
early in the wear became president Of the
Voman's Commerce Association Of the
United States and started upon some new
work for the organization.
Women's organizations held CON
ventions that had been put o hccau g Of
the war. The National American Woman
Suffrage Association hell its luS.icc con-
vention and created the League Of Wo-
men Voters.
An international conference Of working
women was held under the auspices Of the
National Women Trade Union League
last fall And early in the summer the
league had held its seventh biennial con-
vention Equal pay for equal work has
been the objective OF that organization
almost since its inception, and accord
ING to its Of cials the year 1919 saw them
further on their way 10 realization than
any other year IN their history.
4 womans industrial commission Was
sent 10 Europe last spring 10 study IN
dustrial standards. The commission was
composed Of American women sent by
the National War Work Council Of the
Y. W O. A.
An international conference Of women
was opened in Zurich May II. Among the
American delegates 10 the conference
were Jane Addams, Emily Balch, Alice
narDlliOn. Nlrs- J. I4)Tpflft fAGilE, y JNtAiAlACAtc
Rankin and Lillian Waid.
The International Conference Of Wo-
men Physicians opened in New York in
October The chief problems concerned
woman 5 new place in the world since the
war. largely from q physical viewpoint.
The determination Of the physicians was
that the term weaker sex should cease
To be a SYNONYM for women The recon-
Inendatlons Of the conference are to be
embodied 10 report now IN preparation
In October women : nOnpart!san
committee for the league Of nations was
formed.
On JULY Is the work Of the National
Woman's Liberty Loan Committee was
finished This was the first nationa! wo-
man s committee ever named by q Cabinet
member - have equal privileges with any
other bureau Of his department. This
committee recruited, educated and or
gauizei 100000 women from every
walk Of American life Women wAo
had never before thought IN terms Of
stocks and bonds became eli cent bond
salesw omen. in the Victory Loan g. per
cent Of the quota of the State Of Washing
tor was raised by women.
The Motor Corps of America, under
the leadership Of Colonel Helen Rastedo
in September turned over its service IN
New York to the Commissioner Of Health
The Woman's Land Army sent cut
its workers for the fall haryest-calls
being answered especially in New York,
Pennsylvania and Maryland.
In the annual review Of the New York
CITY police the 400 members OF the No-
men S Police Reserves were accorded re-
cognition More active policewomen were
added 10 the New York City staff, and
in Washington several college women
joined the police for the purpose ultimate
~ Of hearing bureaus in other cities.
During the coal crisis IN December
Governor McKelvIe of Nebraska made an
appeal TO the people Of his state 10 mine
coal in nearby states 10 increase produc-
ton. Among the volunteers were two young
women students Of the state university,
who offered 10 accompany the men as
cooks on any coal digging expedition
they might be called upon To make,
Women Of all colleges have come 10 the
fore both through their alumnae Organlza-
tons and through their individual enter
prise Ii is no longer taken for granted that
the graduate Of woman's college was
born wearing hOrn-rlmmed glasses and
with q teachers ruler IN her hand Per
haps the largest amount Of real WEI work
done by women was that accomplished
in all lines Of service by college women.
They were the best equipped ard IT was
no more than should have been expected
Of them that they should have made their
splendid contribution. Nevertheless
credit is due them for living UP TO what
was expected Of them