Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-03
PROPER PLACE
FOR WOMEN is
BACK IN HOME
Feminists Themselves Have
Found That Home-Making
Is Best.
STUDY IN MATERNITY
By FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.


WASHINGTON, D. CA change in the
attitude of the enlightened toward that
knotty problem Of womans proper place
in the scheme Of things is shown by the
great interest which has been aroused IN
this country by the Sheppard -Towner
bill, and by many State measures
which have been passed pensioning and
| otherwise caring for motherhood.
This change is based upon the dis
covery that Woman's entrance into in
dustry has greatly reduced her value as
mother, that there are only a few
kinds of work women can safely do, and
that poverty and factory work between
them are costing thousands of lives Of
women and babies every year.
The feminists of a quarter Of a CEN
fury ago demanded loudly that woman
should have complete economic indie
pendence. 1--WE demand all labor for our
province" wrote Olive Schreiner, one Of
the most eloquent and influential Of the
early femiuists. And then the war came
along and women got just what Olive
demanded Most of them had never heard
Of feminism and had not personally de-
manded anything. They got all labor
for their province because all the men
were at the front. OF course, even be-
fore the war, the number Of women in
industry was great and growing. The
reason for their presence in the fac
tories was not that they had been in
spired by visions of economic indepen-
dence, but that it was becoming in
creasingly hard to find husbands who
could support them.
little group of women at the top
demanded economic independence They
got it by going into the arts and pro.
fessions and to some extent into business.
At these occupations they were remark
ably successful They won places In the
working world without sacrificing either
their feminine charm or their right to
motherhood. But it does seem as If these
leaders Of the feminist movement did not
fully realize that only very few women
can go into arts and professions, that
for the great majority Of them work
means eight hours a day in a factory with
very little hope Of progress. The great
bulk Of women have gone to work be-
cause they had to, and the results have
often been injury to their own health
and that Of their children.
WOMEN NEED
PROTECTION FROM WORK.
This fact the femlnists themselves have
Just lately realized Several recent in
telilgent books on feminism set forth the
lew viewpoint in a very convincing way.
That long discarded and much ridiculed
motto: "Womaus place is IN the home"
seems to have been hauled out Of the at
tic, busted or, subjected to a few revi-
sions, and qualifications, and placed on
the wall again.
At least these recent writer's seem TO
have reached the conclusion that woman
should be protected from ali sorts OF
work which in any way Injuries her use
fulness as n mother. and they are forced
to admit that many kinds Of Industrial
work are IN that Glars. They agree tAat
the woman Of brains should follow n pro-
fession II she chooses and that women in
the arts and professions have al good
chance as men. They admit that every
woman should be given every opportu-
nifty to fit herself for any kind OF work
her health Will stand. But they see that
motherhood is her most important fun
ton, from her own viewpoint in most
cases an dfrom that Of the state in all
cases.
The trouble IS that woman is now in
industry by the million. For the most
part she is not there by choice. She Is
there because she has to be in order to
eat. Therefore. merely TO establish the
conclusion that she should come out
again is II lie She is going to stay there
because she has 10. And industry itself
is going TO try TO keep her there beIause
she furnishes a cheap labor supply.
What IS to be done then? The answer
Of the scientific femiuists Is that laws
must be made protecting her from condi-
tions that menace her health and her
value as a mother, and giving her all
possible aid IN caring for herself and her
child. England and France have gone
much farther than We have In protecting
women in factories by laws regulating
hours and character Of employment. pre-
scribing rest periods and the like. They
awe also gone much farther in providing
care for women during the prenatal and
maternity periods.
The Sheppard Towner bill is the most
advanced step yet taken in this country.
II is chiefly an educational measure, pro-
viding for the instruction OF mothers by
State agencies under tho general super
vision Of the childrens bureau. As or
iginally drawn tie bill provided also
that actual medical care should be given
by the State when it WAS needed. This |
obviously socialistic measure was striCk- |
en- out by the Senate, which then passed !
the hill with a reduced appropriation. |
1t will doubtless come before the House !
at an early date. 1t has attracted so
much favorable attention that there is
little doubt Of its passage in some form |
The proponents OF the bill have made
out a strong case to the effect that some |
thing should be done for motherhood in
America. 4 few extracts from the hear |
ing before the House Committee will |
give in brief space the main facts upon !
which the demand for this legislation is
based;
I'VE are still sacrificing the lives OF