Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-12-26

ana and North Carolina have refused to ratify,
states rights being the determining Issue. Massa-
chusetts which next meets in 1925, did not act in
1924, but the people rejected the amendment in
a referendum
The General Federation of Women's Clubs and
most organizations of women working for
the amendment. The American Federation of La
Dor Is carrying active campaign for its rati-
ncation. The National grange is as squarely
against the amendment. The A. f. L. attitude is
this:
1T Is not only for economic reasons that the
citizenship of our country is urged to ratify the
proposed amendment to the Constitution. 1t Is
one of the highest duties of the men and women
OF our time to safeguard the childhood of Ameri-
ca"
A N INTERESTING mile post in woman's
march to full citizenship will be reached in
1870 when women are seen as governors of the
states of Wyoming and Texas 1t Is a fact, of
course, that in many of the states women do not
stand In exact equality with men before the law.
Ihls due to two things: Old laws that discrim-
mate against her and new laws that give her spe-
cal privileges because of her SEX The women
leaders have split into two camps on this issue.
Both camps want legislation. The League
of Women Voters is campaigning to secure action
through the state legislatures thus retaining spe-
cal privileges already granted The National
Woman's Party would have an amendment to the
Constitution giving exact equality before the law,
regardless of existing laws.
The Texas election apparently settled one vexed
question. legal battle was waged against the
eligibility of the woman candidate ON the ground
that women were not qualified in the absence of
special enabling legislation, to hold the Office of
governor, the law invariably using the pronoun
"he" instead of the qualifying phrase, "he She"
How about the poll tax that obtains In many
states? In New Hampshire woman went to jail
as public protest against the payment of this
tax Unfortunately sympathetic-or unsympa-
thetic-friend paid the tax, so there was no legal
decision the issue raised.
In the meantime the United States War depart
ment has begun study intended to give American
women recognized place in the army lin all
branches of the military service in of future
emergency involving a maximum effort" That
would seem to include everything from making
Red Cross bandages to womanlng machine gun.
And of course everyone knows that the American
woman fight if she has to and will not be sat
isfied until she has the right.
THE New Year will Increase in the num-
Der of motor vehicles and in automobile traf-
fc. Five million new vehicles likely to be
made and sold. There are now approximately IT,
100000 motor vehicles. Four million of these
than six years old, will go to the junk pile.
Net increase, one million.
The New Year will also see a corresponding In
crease Of the appalling slaughter of the American
peope-unless the nation bestlrs itself quickly and
vigorously In 1923 the loss from traffic accidents
was $4,000 human lives, 67SO00 serious personal
injuries and an economic loss of $600,0O0OOO The
year 1924 saw about $4,000 fatal accidents; 1925
will probably make new slaughter record Of
about 10000.
Speeding and violation of the rules of the road
are the greatest contributing factors where motor
lists are at fault Pedestrians cause almost as
many accidents as motorists in cases where pedes.
TRANS are killed. There Is obvious necessity
for systematic effort to gain accurate and complete
data concerning traffic accidents, their types,
causes and methods of prevention Sooner or later
mental and physical test will have to be applied to
all applicants for licenses. Doubtless inferior In
telligence, slow minds and muscles and defective
eyesight are responsible in large part
Illinois may pass licensing law providing for
mental and physical tests; such a bill will be in
troduced in the legislature in January and pressed
Other states will probably consider similar bills
Nine states have already made beginning in the
testing Of eyesight