Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-15
by. Frederic ]. Ha,kln.

more thoroughly than ever before, on
the laws which affect women. The
National Womans Party is going sys-
tematically from state to state making
surveys of these; laws. Then, when
legislatures inquire innocentiy in what
way women. are bound unfairly by
their statutes, the feminists are ready
with report showing concisely the
| states legal attitude toward women.
Florida, Mississippi. Louisiana, and
| Alabama are the four states which so
far have been studied. These states
were taken first because the state leg
islatures 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 n blanket bill
removing all legal disabilities of wom-
en-. Wisconsin Is, so far, the only state
to adopt such a measure.
Last spring. in nine weeks cam
paisn. Wisconsin put thru bill which
gave the women Of the state the same
rights and privileges before the law
as the men hold. The bill instructed
the courts to take the words he, his.
him. and similar words indicating the
masculine gender in the state laws to
| include also the feminine equivalents
one exception to this was provided:
! the laws are not to be so read where
the construction would deny to fe-,
males the special protection and priv
ileges which they now enjoy for the
general welfare. This refers, In part.
to the laws protecting women in indus
/ try.
Wisconsin made this sweeping
change without much ado. But when
the proposal came to the four southern
legislatu that met a little later 1t
was given a chilling reception.
Louisiana. 1t is true. did take action
to the extent of repeating nine specific
one result all political and civil Of
fices In the state are now open to
women. Another reform achieved by
Louisiana compels a husband to OBJ
tain consent of his wife before he can
sell or mortgage the home. The rest
OF the family property remains under
control of the husband as before. But
the wife is assured that the roof over
her head will not be sold without any
reference to her wishes or interests.
Louisiana agreed to nine changes,
but the radical idea of absolute legal
equality for women was turned down
flat'y. The other three state legisla-
lures TO which the measure was sub
mitted also rejected It. And yet. the
feminists point out. these states. prog
some other states in their legal treat
mont Of women.
MARRIAGE IN MISSISSIPPI
The surveys OF tho state laws showed
many cases where the old common law
ippi was refused the right to sue for
damages for the alienation Of her hus-
bands affections The laws Of the
state give the husband control Of the
wife's personal property. and the court
held that in these circumstances IL
n a he rr{
band would benefit by It as he could
appropriate the money.
In this state. which IL not the most
backward of the ls. woman practical
for life. In return for her services she
receives her board and keep. But she
cannot require her husband to pay her
anything. She has no right to any part
OF the family income and she has no
interest in her husbands property un-
less he died and leaves II.
Thus. when woman was injured
by fall on an exposed gas pipe, the
wife received damages for hcr per-
sonal injury. but the husband was AL
lowed by the. court to collect the
amount awarded as tho loss Of her ser.
Vices In tho home.
According to the report from Florida,
the women of that state are under the
domination of tho old English common
law TO n greater extent than perhaps
Ing TO the common law a married wom
an could make no contract Of any
kind. This. the report shows. is true
In Florida today with few exceptions
Unless her husband has been pronoun-
ced insane and has been insane for
year. a married woman may not rent.
nortragc. or sell even property given
or wiiled to her without his consent
II the husband is n criminal he still
has this control over his wifc's prop
erty.
y husband In this state NAV do a.
he likes with the proceeds from his
wtfe's separate property and she may
not sue him even to secure an ac-
counting Of what he has done with her
own money. The report points o,,t,
mat "A court decision extended the hus-
bands authority oven to ownership OF
his wifc's clothes. And In another case
a court ruled that a married wom- |
an did not have the right to hire do |
nestle servants. |
In this day when 80 many married
women prefer work in an office or |
shop to work in a kitchen IL is int9r-
cstins to note that in Alabama the |
husband generally has authority. back
cd up by law. TO say whether or not
his wifc may work outside the home
To quote "a court decision the husband
fs entitled to his wifc's services to the
extent that she is still in this respect l
merely servant So court In 1914
decided that IL outside work would in
terferc with her domestic duties a hus-
nand could legally prevent his wife
from entering paid employment
so many women have business OK
periencc before marriage that the home
sta andards have been advancing more
rapidly than the laws. The modern
woman knows the unit of labor which /
earned dollar in tho store or office
and she compares that with her work
about tho house. She figures that she
is putting her share into business
partnership and that whatever Is saved
or acquired is In part hers.
There arc several theories with
which tho modern domestic cstsblisb-
lnent IL experimenting. One is to make
The home. a partnership and to have
cverything about the horne held Joint.
". Another idea is for each cf the