The Spanish American. [volume] (Roy, Mora Co., N.M.) 19??-19??, 1920-01-10
NEW MEXICO WOMEN
IN PUBLIC LIFE


In view Of the fact that the expect
ed special session of the state legis,
lature will probably ratify the Fed
eral Suffrage Amendment and that the
women of the state may have com.
plete political equality with men by
the time of the November election, i.
is interesting to note that New Mexico
women have already made places fol
themselves and their interests in the
public life of the State
Mrs. Josie Lockard of Ration is
member of the State Board of Educa
ton. Mrs. Hallett Reynolds of Las
Vegas is a regent Of the Normal Uni
versity and Mrs. Adelina 0tero-Wav-
rem is the chairman Of the State Board
of Health, while there are five women
members OF the Child Welware Board
and five in the Girls Welfare Board.
The State Librarian and the State d.
rector of Industrial Education are wo-
men, and all the Governors for the
/ last decade and more have relied upon
the expert assistance of Miss Clara
Olsen who has been the Governor )
private secretary for many years. Ma.
!urally the women are especially in
terested in educational matters anu
ten counties have recognized the worn
Of women by making then County SUI
perintendents of schoo.s, while TWEEN
ty-two others are serving on County
Boards Of Education, One hundred
and thirteen women are members OF
School District Boards and many 9TH
ers are acting as Rural Supervisors,
Home Economics, Directors and as
sistants to County Agents.
The legislative work done by New
Mexico women extends over a space
Of only a few years, but considerable
has been accomplished for the benefit
of women and children in that short
time. The record should begin with
the work of Mrs. w. E. Lindsey, who
induced members of the Constitutional
Convention to include the clause Civ
ing women suffrage in school cleo
tions. Mrs. Lindsey, Mrs. A. A. Kel-
| lum and Mrs. Otero-Warren served
| in turn as chairmen of the legislative
department of the State Federation of
1Women's Clubs, and, aided by the in
teersted women of the state, have sue
iceeded in securing some excellent leg
islation. The laws secured largely by
the work of women include the rails
ing of the age of consent, the repe!
of the act which permitted the hu:-
band to dispose of community real es
tate without the consent Of the wife,
the creation Of juvenile courts, the ac
providing for the care O. dependen
and neglected children, the creation ef
the Child's Welfare and Girls Well
fare Boards, while the State Prohi-
bition Amendment and the State Board
1of Health owe their existence very
largly to the interest and efforts Of
women.
Those men who have been worried
as to the effect of the votes and Office
holding of women upon the public life
of the state may relieve their minds
by glancing over this summary of
what has been their especial interest
in the past. The home, the school,
civic housekeeping, the conditions sur
rounding women and children-these
will continue to occupy the attention
of wives and mothers; and they will
find in the suffrage, not new and un-
charted sea of responsibility, but a
tool which will make their public work
easier of accomplishment, whether it
may be for one community, the state
or the nation.