The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-07

The first report in the state-by state
| investigation of laws affecting women
now being carried on by the National
Woman's Party, is made public to-
day. This investigation, when COM
pleted, will cover every state in the
| Union.
The first report covers the states of
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and
Louisiana. 1t is more than 10000 words
in length, cities not only constitutional
provisions and statutes but also court
decisions throwing light on the mean
ing of the law. 1t is up to date to
December 1921, which necessitated a
vast amount of research since some
of the state laws have not been codi
fled for a number of years. The in
vestigation fas been directed for the
Woman's Party by Mrs. Burnita Shell
ton Matthews, of Mississippi, now
practicing law in the District of. Co
Iumbia, and legal research secretary of
the Woman's Party.
AN analysis of the legislation in the
states shows grave injustices suffered
by women who come into contact with
some of our leftover barbaric laws
said Mrs. Matthews.
"To remove all these political, civil
and legal disabilities in all the states
the Womans Party has drafted a con-
stitutional amendment to be introduced
at the regular session of Congress. 1t
is also introducing in all state legisla-
lures as they convene state bills of
rights ending the determinations in
that state"
Summarizing the laws of the four
states the report says:
I'm all four states a husband owns
his wife's services. in all four states
the authority of the husband as the
head of the family is absolute whether
or not he supports it; in all four states
the father controls the children, can
put them to work when he pleases.
controls their education and every de-
tail of their upbringing, and alone en-
joy their earnings. In all four states
the husband has the entire choice of
domicile.
In. three of the four states, Louis
lana, Alabama and Florida, married
women do not have equal property
rights; in the same three states they
do not have equal right to contract or
to do business; in two states, Missis-
sippi and Alabama, divorce laws dis
criminate against women; in Alabama
and Florida inheritance laws discTim-
mate against women. Florida, Ala
bama and Mississippi deny women the
right to serve on juries. Their right in
Louisiana is limited. In Florida and
Albania women are excluded from
some pubic offices"
or hn
states:
In Florida women are under the do
minion of the old English common law
to a greater extent than perhaps any
other state in the Union. According to
the common law man and his wife
are one person and that person is the
husband. A married women could
make no contract of any kind" This
is true in Florida today with a few ex-
ceptions.
Even the wife's separate property in
Florida is controlled by her husband;
she may not sue him to secure an ac-
counting OF what he has done with heI
own money.
A married woman cannot become a
responsible public merchant unless the
court gives her permission. The prom
issory note OF a married woman isl
void she is not able to enter into a
legal partnership. \ court decision has
ruled that married woman does not
have the right to hire domestic ser
wants.
A married woman working in bust
ness distinct from her husband ma,
control her own earnings, but if shs
work in her husbands business or al