Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-20
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Next Governor ShoulA Not Be Called
On 70 Sacrifice Good Of Stste
In Order to Do Henor
to q Woman
BY SARAH d. LOwRlE

/" STATE my opinion AZ 10 VINO among
the women in this State were entitled to
positions in the Cabinet Of the incoming
| Governor.
OF course, I would not give my opinion
as TO that, even X | had. any idea that
places on the State Cabinet we're going
| a.begging for women candidates, because
the Governors Cabinet /. just now--until he
announces 1.-THE Governors affair. II he
| wants help in the choice Of either men or
women for State positions, I doubt II Il
will be got by that sort Of public betting
process. And i think that kind Of pub.
licity for the victims of this unsOught con.
test would be rather hard on both the men
and women who would be thus brought be.
| fore the Governor elects attention without
any consultation as TO their wishes in the
/ matter.
But, apart from those reasons of SYM
| pathy, ] think, so far az the women are
concerned such a statement would be NAL
apropos because / do not believe that the
Governor will appoint women DIS the heads
OF any Of the State departments.
l should be sorry TO think that he would
feel under obligation to the women voters
to the extent Of sacrificing the good Of the
State to the expediency OF making q grace.
ful gesture in their direction by so futile
an honor. Because there Is no woman
available in the State who could run any
| OF the state departments as well as one OF
| Q dozen or so men who are available. And
that Is no shane 10 women or to our edu-
our good will. The departments Of State
| are first and last business centers on a great
| scale and their functioning !s highly tech.
nical, from the Department Of Highways to
| the Department Of Health.
THAT they have in the past been in part
L open TO criticism. and In some cases
| poorly manned by unfit appointees, is all
the more reason why the man who has set
himself II elected to clean up the mess in
Harrisburg' should appoint only the most
ht officers available to tackle the mess"
There are in this State no well Unknown.
approved business women whose experience
has given them an opportunity to think and
work in hgures OF many millions, or over
! shifts of thousands Of employees. There are
many women who are very rich and who
invest shrewdy and safely the interest OF
their milliong, and there are more than
few women who have the oversight Of the
many employees Of their employers work
| people, and there are thousand. Of women
in business for themselves who are making
good technically, just as there are literally
hundreds of thousands who in point of
acumen and responsibility and farsighted.
ness could be relied upon to take q hrst
rank in the affairs OF the State that have
to do with education, charity. health and
public safety.
But more than acumen, responsibility and
| farsightedness is needed by the head Of any
one of these departments.
You can define that more that Is needed
by the one word experience. or you can add
s"technicar' to experience, or you can add
to the description by adding to technical
experience" the qualifying sentence that
iaepircs general confidence"
In other words. the appointee to abinet
position has to qualify for this position in
the eyes Of the general public to the extent
OF proving that he mas done a big thing
we'll in the technical business world. from
which he Is summoned to do an even bigger
thing better. And this coming adminstra.
tion is even more obligated to make good
with its department chief than most, be.
cause part of the campaign ammunition has
been criticism Of what the party has done
in the past, a. we'll as the usual promises
Of what the party will do in the future.
THE women who have helped in the CAM
L paign will be the last to demand as q
price for that help positions for themselves
that would J leap the Governor at the
very start of his clearing up the mess
But that does not say that women can
be of no use to the State as executives or
ms administra tors in the State departments.
Personally | believe that every department,
even that Of the Highways. would be bet
tered by women who could be placed high
enough in the scale of oficialdom to be
authoritative in the matter of suggestion
and Of CO operation. l think the second or
even in some cases the first assistant Of
the Cabinet officers could very we'll be women
appontees.
These women could be chosen for their
technique and for their proved ability In
lesser positions, where their character and
experience have been factors In their sue
cess. They would not OF necessity be per.
could be left to their own industry and
acumen to build up State wide confidence
after they are appointed. Such persons
could not possibly be known in a general