The Washington times., 1920-08-09
Business, Industry, and Trade
Would Be Paralyzed
Without Women.
sy MARTHA WRIGHT.

The important questions OF mar
riaEe are not settled at the altar
when the preacher pronounces the
few sweet words and the groom
seals the ceremony with the we'd
ding kiss.
Radiating from this ceremony
out into the world or business and
industry-the big questions OF
marriage obtrude themselves and
form a connecting chain OF prob
lens which. until solved one way
or another, will always offer them
selves as a barrier of more or less
impregnable proportions to the
girl hesitating between marriage
and a career.
What privileges should a girl be
forced to surrender when she be-
comes married? Should she. along
with her own name. be obliged
to forfeit her right to economic
independence?
II isn't a new question. 1t is an
old. old one. But IL is presented
to Washington persons In a new
form through the announcement
recently made that the railway Of
nces In this city. being forced TO
reduce their working forces. would
Naturally such proceeding gives
rise to the question: should a
woman be forced to be dependent
upon her husband?" Also: SHOULD
a woman who has been trained in a
profession or business and
whose training has become a vital
and remunerative force in her life,
be forced to remain at home and
perform the duties OF a menial.
while her ability to earn real
money is dissolved by non-usage?"
Some there are who look upon II
as IAN open and shut question"
When a woman marries. they say.
her duties are in the home. And
in answer there are those who raise
the question: "But what OF the
young couple where the husbands
salary isn't sufficient to furnish
the home in which the wife is to
perform her enforced duties?'
It's broad question. And it's
one that has been given quite a
bit OF thought as evidenced when
well-known Washingtonians were
asked to give their views on the
subject.
"It seems to me that II Is no
longer a question of whether it's
right or wrong for married
woman to continue in business"
said Mrs. Sarah NJ. Farr. teacher of
mathematics in the Central High
School. Conditions the world over
are such now that IL women were
to get out of business, industry and
trade would be paralyzed. Natu-
rally, there are many married
women who form these supporting
pillars OF industry.
you can imagine what the re-
suit would be were they removed
indiscriminately.
"Of course, the economic phase of
the question must be considered.
There are many women who are
working to support incapacitated
husbands and families. Unless the
'pubfic wants to assume the care OF
such families, do not see how any
open and shut rule of denying en-
ployment to married women could
be enforced.
"I have always believed that mar
ried women make better teachers
than single women. This is due, /
believe, to the fact that the mar
ried women can look upon the
child as an individual--that she
realizes all children are not made
after the same mold.
~ believe that in most cases the
married woman in business is more
efficient than the single woman.
For one thing, she feels that her
future Is more or less settled. and
the time that the single woman
spends planning her future, the mar
ried woman can spend at her busi-
ness"
Mrs. Edith p. Hall. special agent
for the, Equitable Life Insurance
Company, and one of the most sue
cessful business women in Wash