Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-11-13
THE HASKIN LETTER
WOMEN OFFICIALS

the need of women in the cabinet
and in congress, Mrs. Annette Ad.
ans is showing what a certain type
of woman may be expected to do in
high office.
As assistant attorney general, APP
pointed last May, she has to hand
down legal opinions on various SUBJ
jects to the government depart
ments. Questions from the people
on income tax. for example, are
answered by an income tax bureau.
But IL the tax experts get stuck on
a point of their own law, or IL some
new angle or claim Is brought Up,
the bureau refers the problem TO
Mrs. Adams, and she gives her opin-
ion, which stands as tuat of he de-
partment of Justice.
Likewise. she handled disputed
points of Volstead act. though SUI
preme court and congress have
made the terms Of prohibition so
plain that there are few doubtful
phrases. To Mrs. Adams are also
entrusted the legal matters relating
to the Federal prisons. the wa risk
insurance, pensions, the Adamson
eight hour law, and other laws such
as the pure food and drugs act and
the safety appliance act.
n IIdce FDt brains.
To render intelligent opinions on
these weighty matters demands def
mite legal experience and ability.
Having ia deal with the income tax
labyrinth alone would stagger the
average human being. Yet Mrs.
Adams manages TO look cheerful
and sures you that the income tax
law is in itself not unreasonably
complicated. though she admits that
the exemptions and surtax provisions
are a bit confusing.
She recalls how, before she came
from California to be A government
lawyer. she herself had a little diff
Guilty with her own la blank. It's
mysteries had been carefully I'M
raveled, except the battling propo-
sition as to which liberty bonds were
exempt from taxation. She took
the inquiry to an income tax expert
and he admitted that he had been
stumped by the same thing, and
that he finally paid tax on all of
them to get it off his mind. Now,
Mrs. Adams will not have 10 bother
over the possibility of her !nterpre-
tation OF the lax law being wrong,
for IL a dispute arises the matter
will be referred 10 her anyway.
Mrs. Adams does not talk much
about herself, either her past or
what she intends to do. She has in
troduced no innovations into her
branch of the department of Justice,
n she does not expect to. AS a
woman in a high government Office
she Is a pioneer. and. to use her
own expression. she is making haste
slowly.
She is also a pioneer as a woman
lawyer h has achieved a national
reputation. As a girl she graduated
from the State Normal school I'm
California and from the University
of California, and taught school
while h worked for her degrees.
When she vas admitted to practice
In the California courts AMI In the
federal courts she gave up teach
ing and, with a partner, went into
business for herself. She never spe-
ciaiized In divorces or women's cases.
though women who came to her
often stated their preference for a
woman council in business matters.
Her chance came n day when
she was pleading a case against the
state prosecution. The district at
torney had practically assured the
accused man of a long Jail sentence,
but when Mrs. Adams arose and
stated her clients defense in a sim
pie. direct plea. the judge gave the
prisoner only six months. The de-
feated district attorney sought out
rhe council! for the defense and ask
ed ner directly If she would like to
be one of his assistants.
First Woman District Attorney.
She became the first woman as
sistant district Attorney position
requiring a good deal of tact, prob
aoiy-fo the men were not used TO
a woman lawyer in their midst.
Where a man would occasionally
take a chance. Mrs. Adams pored
over details and acquired a reputa-
o for making sure. The district
attorney relied on her so extensive
ly to draw up the papers tor plead
ings that when he became i'll, she
a to take his place, and eventu-
ally she became the district attor-
ney OF northern California, the first
woman to hold the office In any
state.
In her new position at Washing
ton she has more time to give care
ful attention to cases. She thinks
that this can be overdone, however,
and hat women are a little inclined
to work too much with details, so
that by close attention to fine points
there is danger of overlooking the
main Issues, in other words, of los
ing h perspective. A man has
less patience with details.
Mrs. Adams says this with reluc.
lance. She dislikes to make any
catalogue OF women versus men TO
show that the woman juror or law
yer is less logical or more emo
tional than the masculine prototype.
because h regards the individual
element which makes each person
different from the rest as too I'M
certain a factor for such crude class
tfcationS to be worth much. A Jury
of women. she thinks, is not more
likely to be swayed by emotions than
a jury of men of a similar degree of
mentality.
Mrs. Adams looks at life from an
impartial, matter-of-fact angle-the
judicial outlook. With a little smile
n says that she has not the news
paper sense" that she never could
reel off chatty little incidents about
her life. Il have no hobbies" she
added. though I do like to cook
and takesj care of my apartment"
There You have one of the first
women executives in the Federal
governments widow of pleasant
middle age (the forties) who is a
hare worker and a lawyer of recog-
nized ability. This first feminine
Federal attorney believes in keep
ing M honle fir s burning, but she
does it by going out into the world
| and hustling for the f,,eI