Evening star., 1923-12-29

guarding the interests OF their
children. The present laws in most
states give ali the advantages Of con-
troll over legitimate children to the
father. and all the burden and shame
Of parenthood OF the illegitimate
child to the mother. Federal iegisla-
tion under the proposed amendment
VIII rectify such injustice. The
Women's Party contends that the
present laws affecting women are
law. and that the amendment and
the consequent legislation will sim.
plify all legal aspects and rulings to
the, great benefit of the women.
III. The League . OF Women Voters con-
the complications which will arise
under such federal legislation so
changing the status of women as
to property and other matters.
Under present laws, husband has
wife, and IL she be injured by an
accident. she can sue for damages
for her suffering, and the husband
can also sue for loss of his wife's
services-often much more than he
ever before had appreciated those
services: But II a husband be injured,
the wife cannot claim compensation
for the loss of his support.
federal law, under the equality
aneLoHeul' Wouiu give Ihe WiIe an
equal partnership of all property ac-
quired after marriage, and an equal
part In the responsibility, right and
power In caring for their childen;
also in the care by the wife of an
injured or sick husband, with all
her means, in case he becomes in
capacitated and she has physical or
financial means to care for him. 1t
will require the father of illegiti-
mate children to share responsibility
and cost of their support
1t will give woman as much
right to choose her occupation as
a man has.
The secretary Of the Womens
Party used this illustration: There
settlers working on New York morn
ing papers, when the New York
legislature passed a law to protect"
women by making 1t illegal to en-
ploy a woman after a certain hour
at night-except scrubbers, cabaret
singers and mattresses Because men
thus protected" them, these woman
typesetters lost their jobs. which
labor wants to protect" women in
regard to all jobs wanted by men.
But Mrs. Park, president of the
League of Women Voters. answers
that certain work, like typesetting
and match making NOT matches
heavenly made. but the Internal kind
made with phosphorus-ought to be
barred from women, for lead or phos-
phorus poisoning bring physical dis
asters. So with blanket legislation"
the very acts intended to protect
women" increase their hardships.
when the legislation is blanket
1t is hard to strike down what is un-
der it without hitting heads of which
one would not pull single hair"
says Mrs. Park.
Senator Curtis states that there
have been no hearings nor any polling
OF Congress concerning the amend
ment, hence ii is impossible to indi-
cate Its prospects.
The United States of America is not
so progressive in its care of women
as some nations Of effete Europe, al
though America has long suffered
from the accusation OF setting it's
womankind upon a pedestal instead of
putting her at the plow, as in Europe.
In the Austrian constitution Of 1920
1t says: "All Austrian citizens are
equal before the law. Privileges
based upon birth, sex, rank, class or
religious belief are abolished"
Similar provisions are in the new
constitutions of Germany, CZechosla-
vakia, Free and Hanseatic City OF
Danzig, Esthonia, Lithuania and
Prussia.
The constitution of the German re.
public, adopted in 1919. says: All
Germans are equal before the law.
Men and women have in principle the
same civil rights and duties"
Copyright. 1923. by Paul V. Collins.)