New Britain herald., 1926-01-30
RIGHTS OF WOMEN

RIGHTS OF WOMEN
 The Woman's National party, having presented a petition to l President Coolidge in m effort to gain his support for the immediate passage of the equal rights amend ment 10 the Constitution, hopes something will be done about 1t, Since the 18th amendment, how ever, the American public has be- come strictly dubious about such things. Women were given the right to vote by the 10th, but the goth effort along this line sadly tiz. zled. How the equal rights amend ment will fare can be guessed at without having matriculated from guessing school.
 The lucrctia Mott amendment as 1t is sometimes called, reads thus;
 Men and women shall have
 equal rights throughout the
 United States and every place
 subject to its Jurisdiction, Congress shall have power to
 enforce this article by appro- ,,ri,ta lnpiSIo,iop
 Equal rights sounds swectly 10 most women; and is nothing to worry men. The only difficulty at hand is whether the proposed amcndmen. would give us what 1t purpor'a to rive.
 Equality certainly means equal ity; i: would mean the elimination Of handicaps imposed upon women in some states -~ which are greatly in the minority But such an amendment would also mean tho loss of privileges and immuniies enjoyed by women in all states.
 It would mean the removal of socially and indus'rially protective lcgislation which has been de- signed 10 proiect women from cX- ploitation Rhcta Childo Dorr, one Of the faminiats advocating the amendment, gave 2 good clue 70 It's object when she declared: "Thc women of every state have organ- Izod for the purpose Of getting rid ot their disabilities not only but of their so-called advantages also as protected class,'
 Getting rid Of advantages as well as losing disadvantages un- doYbtedIy appeals to some women who have few advantages or dis olvartarrs to lose; but they are in the minority; a minority so small thu if can we'll he included with In the ranks Of the National Wom- e0'a party,
 The plan means doing away with restrictions of hours in labor done hy women. Men and women would Da on q par. Rest periods would c<aporatc; night labor for women would he pormie~'hlc; the minimum w7go for women would go to the ds@carl.
 The Womon's Trade Union Lcaeur saw through the proposed amendment al an early date, when tho oreanizaton announced; ">yorrj0g women oppose this ainrndmrut hrcaus" they distm- puish between equal rights in theory and equal rights in fact And srnntor Pepper promptly raised lhe question whether aprar- cnt inequality in legal rights may moi bc necessary to secure equality of social and economic oppor- unity,
 THe passage of the Lncn"tia Mott amcndment would create .normous legal difficulties; there would lv confusion in every state. The laws az to dcsertion and non support would be among the first 10 he attacked. Today q runaway husband K criminal and the yurts force him, if apprehended, 3o support his family. But what of tne runaway wife?
 The amendment does not need fo he adopted because states which have inequalities toward women in 1uair statutes can rcctify 'hcm without aid from Inc federal gov ernment. Proponents Of the merely go to Washing