Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-15

WASHINGTON Dec. l5.-Ihe
~searchlight IS being turned, perhaps
more thoroughly than ever before,
on the laws which affect women
The National Woman's Party is 60
| ing systemf t.cally ircm state to state
making surveys OF these laws. Then,
when legislatures inquire innocently
in what wav wcmen are bound un-
fairy by their statutes, the feminists
| are ready with a report showing
| concisely the states legal attitude
toward wCncen.
Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Alabama are the four states which
so far have been studied. These
states Wee taken first because the
state legislatures were to meet there.
Now. the woman's party workers are
going on TO collect evidence on nine
more states where the legislatures
convene early in the coming year.
This is a part of the campaign to
| get each state to pass a blanket bill
removing all legal disabilities of wo-
men. Wisconsin Is so far, the only
state to a60rt such a measure.
Last spring. in a nine weeks cam
paign, Wisconsin put through a bill
which gave the mi of the state
the same rights and privileges be-
fore the law as the men hold. The
bill instructed the courts to take the
words, he. his, him. and similar
words indicating She masculine gen.
der in the STATE laws to include also
the feminine equivalents. One
ception to this was provided: the
laws are not 10 be SO read where the
construction would deny to females
the special protection and privileges
which they now enjoy for the gen.
eral welfare"
This refers, in Fart, TO the laws
protecting women in industry.
Wisconsin made this sweeping
change without much ado. But when
the proposal came t. the four south
ern legislatures hat met a little lat
er, II was given a chilling reception.
Louisiana, it is true, did take ac-
ton to the extent of repeating nine
specific Disc examinations against wo-
men. AS one result all political and
civil offices in the state are now open
to m Another reform achiev-
ed by Louisiana compels a husband
to obtain consent of his wife before
he can sell or mortgage the home.
The rest of the family property re-
mains under control of the husband
as befOr~. But the wife is assured
NllGA LtN lOt@ WI AltA AtoN WAL nv
be sold without any reference to her
wishes or interests.
Louisiana agreed to nine changes,
but the radical idea of absolute legal
equality for m was turned
down fatty. The other three state
legislatures to which the measure
was submitted also rejected it. And
yet the feminists point out. these
states. progressive in many ways,
are far behind some other states in
their legal treatment of women.
Marriage in Mississippi
Tie survey of the state laws show
ed MANY cases where the old COM
mon law holds. For instance. a wife
in Mississippi was refused the right
to sue for damages for the aliena-
ton of hen husbands affections. The
laws Of the state give the husband
control O. the wife's personal prop
erty and the courI held that in these
circumstances if the wife won the
suit. the err.ng husband would BEN
eft by it as he could appropriate
the one
In this state. which is o the most
backward Of the AS, a woman prac-
tica.ly leases herself out 10 her hus-
band for life. Iny return for her
services she receives her board ana
keep. But she cannot require her
husband &c pay ner anything. She
has no RICH; to any part of the fam
lily income and sac a no interest
in her husbands property unless he
dies and leaves l..
Thus. VIXEN a woman was injured
by q fall OF an exposed gas pipe, the
wife received damages for her per-
sonal injury. but the husband was
allowed by the court 70 collect h
amount awarded as the loss of her
services in the home.
According TO the report from Flor
ida. the woEen of that state are In
der the domination Of the old Eng
fish common law TO a greater ex-
tent>than perhaps any other state In
the union. According to the COM
mon law a married woman could
make no cOEtrac. OF any kind" This.
the report shows, is true in Florida
today with a few exceptions. Unless
her husband has been pronounced
insane and has been insane for a
year, . married woman may not
rent. mortgage. or sell even prop
erty given or willsd to her without
his consent. If the husband is a
criminal he still has this control
yer his wife's property.
A husband in this state may do as