Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-16
LAWS ABOUT WOMEN
BY Frederic J. Iraslsin


A husband in this state may do as
he likes with the proceeds from his
wife'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 out
that court decision extended the
husbands authority even to owner
ship Of his wife's clothes. And In
another case court ruled that a
married woman did not have tho
right to hire domestic servants.
In this day when 80 many married
women prefer work In an Office or
shop 70 work in a kitchen Il IL inter-
esting 10 note that in Alabama the
husband generally has authority,
backed up by law, 20 say whether or
not his wife may work outside the
home. TO quote court decision the
vices to the extent that she Is stiu
in this respect merely a servant 80
court In 1914 decided that II out
side work would interfere with her
domestic duties a husband could legal
" prevent his wife from entering paid
employment.
So many women have business ex-
perience before marriage that the
home standards have been advancing
more rapidly than the laws. Tho
modern woman knows the unit Of
labor which earned a dollar In the
store or Office and she compares that
with her work about the house. she
hgures that she is putting her share
into business partnership and tina.
Whatever is saved or acquired is in
part hers.
There are several theories with
which the modern domestic establish
nent is experimenting One is 10 nsIs
the home partnership and 10 hsvs
everything about the home held Joint
lIy. Another fdea is for each OF the con-
tracing parties to hold his or her own
share separately. In this 'plasi the wife
might receive fixed salary for house,
work besides money set aside for her
10 pay certain Of the bills. What she
can save out OF her salary and ex-
penses she puts away or spends TO
! suit herself and the husband doc,
likewise with his share Of the budget
whats Yours Is 8ine.-
BY some such scheme the horo. q.
~
2 after marriage. But IN many states II
Is only a courtesy arrangement by
2 which the husband does not demand
his legal rights. And in event o, A dis
/, agreement or divorce. the wife finds
J that she has very little that her hue
: band cannot control or in some states
= even dispose Of. So. the feminine law
= yers contend that the modern wife,
-
10 sand.
d 1t is difficult TO get good many d.
= the states to make sweeping changes
in the old fashioned. discriminatinc
laws women campaigners have found
+. Miss Maud Younger, Legislative.
n chairman Of the wonlan's party has
n said, In some states. like Louisia M
n 4 and Alabama which have just taker
= adverse action, It has already beer
r shown 70 be practically impossible q,
i secure state laws. Further, state law,
4 are never permanent. The next leg.
islature may repeal the rneasur.,
a passed by fts predecessor"
II Because OF these facts, the woman,
party is also working TO have a con.
;. stitutional amendment adopted givin.
women Of the country legal equality
!, with men. This amendment is still {:
process Of evolution. The party want
!. IL 10 be woroed so that il ia fooIproo
" and so that 1t completely covers III
- case. Lawyers are now working or
= the amendment so that it can be in
~ troduced before Congress shortly.
. The state bills and the amendnen
: are intended TO make secure women
sd rights in such matters as OWNERSHIP
le and control Of earnings, Office holdina
D. jury service. control of children, choic
I'd Of domicile and name. The law O
nt Louisiana provides that wife mus
es live where her husband decrees eve
If she supports him.
a. II is interesting. to note that in IN
ne states where surveys have been mad
,n no statute provides that woman mus
ps take the name Of her husband. Her
d. is a right" of which women nigh
ed have availed themselves for geneI
of atoms perhaps, yet few have don
= so. Those who went TO law for the
W, rights have, it seems. been concerne
% with more vital affairs.