The Connecticut labor news., 1921-12-16
WOMEN WORKERS
 ADOPT PROGRAM
 FOR STATE WORK
Will Endeavor to Amend Laws to Place Wife on Property Equal
 ity With Males.

Study of Connecticut conditions 1T child welfare, women in industry social hygiene, American citizenship and study of the laws concerning the civil status of women and the ellie iency of government of the state, Is to be the work of the Connectlcu League of Women Voters during the coming year A plan of work has been recommended to the loca leagues, 34 in number, by the state executive board.
 According to this plan each of the local leagues will be offered a speak CT on each of the subjects of the leagues standing committees on the above subjects. These committees presented their programs to the leagues convention, recently held II Hartford The programs will be studied, the work of the National League of Women Voters along these lines will be reviewed, and in particu- lar the women will study the situation as related to Connecticut.
 In addition, the executive board urges every local league to take up one or two of these subjects for spe- cial work, either by field work in their own locality, or by intensive study. Two leagues, Pennington and Hart ford, have already taken measures for utting this plan into effect. Arrange for cnaolyarc made thrn11Cr1 the state headquarters of the league in Hartford, and the chairmen of the standing committees are at work find ing the speakers best qualified to pre- sent their respective subjects.
 While the laws of Connecticut pro- vide for equal guardianship by both parents of the persons and property of children, while a father is liable for necessary family expenses, and may not will away from its mother the cus- tody of their unborn child, though a wife may make contracts and enter into partnerships without her hus- bands consent; and though women in many other respects are assured of equal rights before the law, still there are many respects in which the Con- necticut law falls short, according to women here.
 Mrs. Harrison B. Freeman of Hart ford, chairman of the committee on civil status of women of the Connec- ticut League of Women Voters, has completed a study of Connecticut laws regarding women. She has found that in many important re- spects women have still to work for equal rights with men.
 Husbands and wives have not an equal interest in each others real estate" says Mrs. Freeman. "Nor has each a half interest and control of property acquired after marriage by either or both. .-...s ..
 "A wife has no share in the sur plus of property, real or personal accumulated by their joint efforts after marriage, and 1t is customary for the husband to take this surplus in his own name.
 The law does not secure to a wife any portion of the family income free from the husbands dictation unless earned by he routside the home
 "She cannot by law enforce pay ment for her services performed in the home for husband and children.
 "A wife's separate property can be levied on for family necessaries order ed by her.
 "The wife is legally entitled to no choice in the family home nor is there legally joint headship in husband and wife.
 Our law does not provide for a health certificate before issuing al marriage license.
 Our law does not prohibit the | evasion of the marriage laws of other states
 While women may be employed in the higher positions in the public l schools of the state the salaries paid | them never average as high as the | salaries paid men. There are statis- tics available as to what ratio they bear the salaries paid men.
 Women are not accepted as jurors in the state of Connecticut. This question came before the last 1egis1a- ture but favorable action on it could not be obtained.
 At this same session of the 1egis- lature, the civil service reform laws were repealed"