, 1921-12-31

community property. including his wife's esrnines,
without even the knowledge Of his wife, yet husband
and wife are responsible for the family debts and the
them.
Married women. minors and the insane are declared
unnbie to contract by Louisiana laws.
A marriei woman in Louisiana cannot legally re-
estye a gift without the consent Of her husband or q
Judge.
The fathers authority IN superior to that Of the
mother over their children. The mother Is the sole
guardian Of the Legitimate child, unless Acknowledged
by the father in which case he has the preference.
Women are eligible to jury service only il they file
written declaration Of their desire for it.
The wife's domicle niust be that of her husband.
In Mississippi one of the effects of marriage is that
the woman practically leases herself out for life for
board and keep" for the services of women and minor
children belong entirely to the husband. For instance.
a Mississippi court decision states that II q wife de-
votes her labor to the cultivation Of crops on her hus-
bands farm, she is simply producing property for him
subject to the attack Of his creditors and to any dis
position Of it by him that he wishes to make.
The authority Of the husband as head Of the family
Is absolute. He may. for instance, exclude any per-
son from his house for any or no reason, even his
wife's relatives and friends, even IL the wife owns the
home or pays the rent. A case is cited Of n man who
refused to let his wife see her own child by a former
marriage at their home and was upheld by the court.
The father is the legal guardian of his legitimate
minor children with control over their services and
earnings. The mother is the guardian of her iIlecit;-
mate children.
Wnrsi are no. eligible = jury service.
Prostitutes are classed as Migrants and punished M
such. The men involved are not liable to prosecution.
A married wonan's domicile must be that of her
husband.
Grounds for divorce are not equal.
In Alabama no married woman may administer an
estate without the consent of her husband. She may
not become surety for her husband, nor may she
ALLEVIATE or mortgage her property without her hus-
bands consent, unless he is n criminal, insane or has
deserted her.
The husband is entitled to his wife's services to the
extent that she still is in this respect, to quote a court
decision merely n servant" A wife is not authorized
according to a 1914 decision, to undertake work out
side the home which would interfere with her domestic
duties unless her husband consents. Yet the husband
is not legally liable for his wife's debts.
The husband is the legal guardian of the child and
is entitled to its services, yet the mother as we'll as the
father may be punished for failure to support. The
father may appoint by will, any one he pleases as his
child's guardian, with the one restriction that the
mother is given permission to take care Of the child
until he is fourteen.
The father alone may sue for injury to a child, un-
less he 1.-THE father) is a criminal, a deserter or in
sane. A husband may recover damage for injury to
his wife, but the wife may not secure damages for in
jury to her husband unless he is killed.
"a married woman follows the domicile Of her hus-
hand; a person who is under the power and authority
of another possesses no right to choose a domicile."
Women are not eligible to jury service.
Marriage revokes a woman's will but has no effect
on a mans will
Inheritance laws discriminate against women. A
wife is entitled to one-third to one-half Of her deceased
husbands land. A husband is entitled to life inter-
est in all of his wife's land. A similar discrimination
holds with regard to personal property. Also if a wife
has a separate estate equal to her legal share Of her
husbands property she receives practically nothing
from his estate. There is no such restriction in in
heritance by the husband.
What the other ~forty-four states may reveal in the
form of statutes discriminating against women con-
trary to the constitution as it stands today, can only
he surmiaed from the analysis of the laws of the four
states named herein.