The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-28
THE WOMAN CITIZEN
Department jefferson County League of Women
Voters-Mrs j. s. Foster, Publicity Chairman
BY Way of introduction

Voters opens this department in The
Sunday Age-Herald, which has been
assigned to us TO do with as we
please. Our object is to make it a
weekly source OF information as to
the activities of the league, and
through it to carry on systematic
campaign of educating the public as
to what the league really is, its plans
and purposes, and the development of
women politically in this country
and abroad.
We hope to make this column per-
= form a real service in the cause OF
good government which Is the chief
object of the league. We. shall be
glad to have letters and suggestions
from, those who are interested, both
friends and unfriends.
How 1t All Happened
The League of Women Voters is
the outgrowth of the old suffrage
association, national, state and To-
cal After the ratification of the
federal suffrage amendment, the old
Birmingham Equal Suffrage associa-
tion disbanded. and from its ashes
rose the Birmingham League of
Women Voters, in September, 1920,
with Mrs. S. L. Ledbetter as its first
president. While the women were
not allowed to vote in the election
of 1920 their influence was felt in
this county, particularly in the board
of revenue race.
In May of 1921, Mrs. Ledbetter re-
signed as president of the league,
and was succeeded by Mrs. Brenton
Fisk, who held office until Decem-
VI - =
program, know Birmingham"
which was later expanded into
know Jefferson County," and at its
semi monthly meetings, talks on city
and county government as well as
from candidates for office, have been
the order of the day One important
and fruitful activity of the league in
1921 was the anti-vfce campaign
which was followed by survey of
all social agencies and institutions
in the county, and as result of the
survey, the whole city welfare de-
partment was reorganized.
Mrs. r. f. Johnston was chosen
president following Mrs. Fisk and
under her administration the league
grew from 200 members to 944. Ques-
tionnaires were sent to all candidates
for office. and several mass meetings
to give out unbiased political infor-
nation were held. In November,
1921, the city and county leagues
consolidated to form the Jefferson
County league.
New Officers
New officers were elected in Mo-
vember for 1929, as follows: Pres
ident, Mrs. ]. NJ. Hankins; first vice
president, Mrs. Brenton Fisk; second
vice president. Mrs. j. H. Doughty,
third vice president, Mrs. C. D.
Rrnnls G
kamp; publicity secretary, Mrs. ]. S.
Foster; treasurer, Mrs. C. D. Colby.
Mrs. Hankins has appointed the
following chairmen of standing COM
mittees and city precinct chairmen.
The chairmen for the county pre-
cincts have not yet been appointed by
Mrs. e. ]. Burns, who is general
chairman for the county precincts:
State and national affairs, Mrs. r. f.
Johnston; finance, Mrs. ]. II.
Doughty; education, Miss Rosa
Strickland; health and hygiene, Mrs.
Scale Harris; disarmament, Mrs. G. j.
Sharp; women in industry, Miss Mol
lie Dowd; Americanization, Mrs.
Priestley Toulmin; press, Miss Mig
non Hall; headquarters, Mrs. Joseph
Wieferich, sJr.; social, Mrs. Murray
Brown; program, Mrs. Brenton Fisk
membership. Mrs. Palmer Daughette;
county precincts, Mrs. L. J. Burns
, precinct 9, West End, Mrs. d. G. Bat
son; precinct "a, Woodlawn, Mrs.
r.. A. Clayton; precinct 10. East Lake,
Mrs. j. IL. Minter; precinct 81, Old
Birmingham, Mrs. Asa Hull; precinct
81, Old Birmingham, Mrs. w. ].
Adams; precinct As, East Birming-
ham and Avondale, Mrs. j. w. Part
ridge precinct AZ, North Birming-
ham, Mrs. Lon Albritton; precinct As,
Ensley, Mrs. w. l. Phillips; precinct
81, Wylam. James Kirkpatrick.
Headquarters Now Open
An executive secretary has re-
Gently been employed, in the person
of Mrs. Brenton Fisk, who, in order
to take the position, has resigned as
first vice president. Headquarters
+ will be open four hours daily, from
IL to 8. Members are urged to come
to headquarters during these hours.
A telephone will soon be installed.
Mrs. Neal Wallace has also been
retained as organizer to work out
side of the office, and beginning Feb
ruary 1, she expects to put on an
intensive membership drive. urging
those who have not paid their dues to
Z do SO at once, and securing new
members. The fiscal year runs from
October 70 October.
Plans for Housewives Exhibit.
One of the important achievements
of last year was a housewives exhibit
. of local manufactures, conducted
under the leadership OF Mrs. Scion
Jacobs. 1t was so successful, and the
exhibiting merchants were SO de-
lighted with the results that they
urged the league to make an annual
affair of it. and this was decided
upon. a
Mrs. ]. H. Doughty will servo as
chairman of the exhibit committee
for this year. She is already or
ganizing her committees, and expects
to announce the time and place at
an early date.
Council-Mnnager Information.
These members of the league who
desire further information on the
council manager form of city govern
ment will find it at Headquarters.
There are number of copies of d.
gests of the proposed council-mana
ger bill, which is now in the legisla-
+ ture, as well as copy of the bill
itself and history of this form of
government from it's beginning.
At its next meeting, February 6.
the league will vote as to- whether
or not it will indorse the council
manager plan. The matter was post
poned from the last meeting. II ia
important that every member should
inform herself on this important
.Lxcf A RI Hn7,1