Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-18
THE WOMEN AND PARTY PLEDGES

~ WOWGN OFHhIf
Republican Legislators, particularly the senator's, are
kept pretty busy these days explaining, or trying to explain
why they allowed the bill regulating night work for women
to die in committee during the last session of the legislature
This was one of the measures that the women of the state
were backing and the Republican platform promised to give
it to them.
In spite of all that the women could do, however, the
influences opposing the no might work for women bill were
greater and the women lost. But Mrs. Lillian E. Feickert,
vice chairman of the Republican state committee and presi-
dent Of the women's state committee, is not afraid to tell
her Republican colleagues their troubles and she doesn't
say it behind their backs, either.
In their efforts to placate the women the Republican
leaders got up a testimonial dinner for Mrs. Feickert and
she was duly lauded to the skies along with all the other
good women who voted the Republican ticket, but who were
shown just how much the politicians thought of them by the
Indifference shown toward the bills that had the backing
Of the women.
If the Republican leaders thought they could silence
The women with a dinner, however, they found they were
mistaken. Mrs. Feickert was very diplomatic and polite
throughout the whole affair; she fully appreciated the honor
and all that, but not for a moment did she permit the party
leaders to forget their sins of omission committed during the
recent legislative session and she did not hesitate to tell
Senator White, the majority leader in the upper house, what
she thought of his tactics.
II is quite evident, judging from Mrs. Feicker's atti-
tude, that women in politics have an entirely different con-
ception of the responsibility of office holders to the people
who elect them. In other words, women take a political
platform seriously and feel it their duty TO carry out the
promises made to The people.
This reminds us of another promise which the Republic
cans made to the people which received the same sort OF
treatment that was accorded the bill prohibiting night work
for women.
What excuse will the Republicans offer for their failure
to pass the bill providing for open specifications in all paving
contracts?
The women did not get behind this bill in particular
and no one appeared at Trenton to urge its passage, but the
Republicans had a plank in their platform declaring in favor
Of such legislation and it was one of the strongest points in
their campaign last fall. The people were foolish enough,
81 ~aar Ia taEa The parfv a itS word
But while there was no particular agitation in favor of
The bill. the patent pavement crowd, backed by the state
association of the County Boards of Freeholders, had q
strong lobby against it and did all in their power to kill it,
They were successful.
At the same time, the legislature put across the $4O,-
OOO,O 900 bond proposition whereby, if the people approve
of it this fall, this vast sum will be spent on roads without
competition during the next five years-fat ~pickings for
the patent paving trust.
This open specifications bill which met such an
lenominious death in committee has not a Mrs. Feickert to
ken its memory fresh before the people and consequently
mere is not so much heard Of it as there is about the no
nieht-work for women measure. There is another re-
hinder. however, which will doubtless serve the purpose.
The tax bills cannot help but keep fresh in the minds of the
voters all such measures as tend to increase government
expenses unnecessarily.
There is nobody in particular to speak for the open
specifcations bill so it will be the duty of everybody in gen.
eral to swat the Si0,000,000 grab when it comes up at the
fall election. In the meantime, it would be interesting to
hear the Republicans explain why they refused to carry out
their pledge in regard to competition in all paving contracts.