The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-25
CONVICT LEASING
 END IN ALABAMA
 ASKED BY WOMEN
tContinued on Page Two.)

tCOnhnued on PaEG Two.) the national and regimental repre- sentatiVeS who were frequently called to the front to lead discus sions.
 Mrs. Elliott Cheatham of Atlanta. Ga. regional director for the third region, and herself an attor- forth by the National League of Women Voters. Mrs. Cheatham de- clared that the time allowed only that she give the barest outline of work planned.
 The wisdom of the plan for wom- en 10 serve on jury duty was shown by Mrs. Cheaham, who said that more of the convict than can be learned by Investigating the places where prisoners are confined.
 Discussion of the effort to en- force election laws brought out the fact that not all voters are conver- sant with these laws-and the sug gestion was made by one regional director that popular digest of the election laws of Alabama be made, and after being approved by the attorney general, be used in the manner of a text book.
 Miss Luna Davie, principal of Chiffon school, Montgomery, and for many years publicity secretary of the league, read her report of the work for the year. Miss Davie in- cluded in her report an appreciation of the support accorded her york by certain newspapers of Mont gomery Miss Davis was reelected tol the position of publicity secre- tary.
 The afternoon session was devot- ed to the reading of resolutions. election of officers and discussion of policies. The report, of Mrs. Bren- ton Fisk, Birmingham was read by Miss Ita Stocks of Gadsden, state president of the business and pro- fessional women. Mrs. F. H. Dough- tie, Montgomery; Mrs. Minnette Yeo- man Fritts, Dothan; Mrs. Gustave Mertins, Montgomery, and Mrs. l.. J. N. Cummings of Fairhope were among the speakers of the after noon.
 Urges Welfare work.
 Mrs. l.. B. Bush. state child well fare director, proposed to the league that it hold it's annual session for 1924, at the same time and in the same city as that of the conference ter speakers might be secured for both organizations" said Mrs. Bush. Announcement will be made by the executive board of the League of Women Voters as to the acceptance of this plan.
 A feature of the afternoon session was the offering from the floor of a resolution by Mrs. Edmundson. of Gadsden, which asks that a law be enacted compelling the publication at stated intervals of statements of disbursements of state and county funds.
 The resolution follows: Whereas, there is no system at present by which the taxpayers of the state can know how the funds of the state are dispersed.
 Be it resolved by the Alabama League of Women Voters that they recommend to the governor and leg islature that such a law be passed that shall make it obligatory at stated intervals that the disbursements of the state and county funds be pub lished.
 Want Lease system Stopped.
 The resolutions presented by the committee were as follows:
 Whereas. the convict lease system or contract system is wrong in prin- cipal and indefensible in practice and,
 Whereas, the habit of regarding these unfortunate wards of the state primarily as revenue producers is re- volting to an awakened public con- science and
 Whereas. the continuation of the system is abhorrent to the people of Alabama,
 League of Women Voters in conven- tion assembled that we call upon the executive and legislature and put an end to the present condition by talk ing immediate steps to abolish it.
 Resolved further. that we join with the recently formed campaign com mittee of which Judge Fort is chair man, in an organized effort to rid Alabama of this evil.
 Urge Free Books.
 Whereas, education is the founda- tion of the good citizenship:
 Resolved that we call the attention of the education committee of the legislature to the need of better school buildings, longer terms and free text books, especially in the we urged the legislature to remove. Payment Of poil Tax.
 Whereas, the state needs the help of it's women in framing and enforc- ing laws and electing officials to ad- minister the same, and
 Whereas, registration and the ay- Ilcill ol pOil ldA lS icduil Su III oiuCi to become an elector. Be it resolved that the county and local leagues impress upon qualified women the importance of their con- tinuing to exercise the franchise and that special campaign be conducted to secure an increased registration of women during July, when the books are to be opened.
 0 O o
 Home Economies Boosted.
 Whereas. the expression of home economies is vital to the welfare resolved that we support efforts to secure appropriations for the promo ton of vocational work in home economies. in day part time and evening classes and that state agri- cultural colleges and other inst.tu- tions training teachers in home eco monies be authorized to conduct ex- periments in home economies and. be it further resolved, that a home dem onstration agent be provided in each county.
 Hygiene was practiced by the old Egyptians who paid special atten- ''t-' -r ''.. '- God --1 ci,ild --oIfaro