Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21
BY vELLA ALBERTA WINNER.

BY VELLA ALBERTA WINNER.
TN THE Seventy-f1rst Congress of the
United States, now in session, there
are eight women. the largest num-
4 Der that ever sat in the Halls of
Congress.
Three of the most colorful and COM
pelling of these StatesWomen--Ruth
Baker Pratt of New York. Ruth Hanna
Mccormick of Illinois and Ruth Bryan
Owen of Florida-are taking their
places for the first time in this august
body.
During their campaigns much was
said and written by them and for them
concerning their political backgrounds.
their platforms and their methods OF
playing the political game. The same
is true of those who have been ap-
pointed. elected and reelected in past
years-Mary T. Norton of New Jersey,
Florence Prag Kahn OF California,
Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts,
Katherine Langley of Kentucky and
Fannie Oldfeld of Arkansas.
But do you know that the distin-
gushed daughter of Mark Hanna, in
enumerating her hobbies, places farming
first, politics second and newspaper
publishing third?
Do YOU know that Mrs. Pratt, although
with a hand on the purse strings OF
Standard Oil millions, confeSses that
she gets greatest Joy out OF game OF
tennis or golf?
Will it surprise you to know that the
prin little New England Representative,
Mrs. Rogers, is flying FAM" and says
that three hours in the air are as GOOD
as a months vacation?
Isn't your attention arrested by the
declaration of Mrs. Norton, serious OF
mind and of mien, that she has an
inordinate liking for chicken a Ia
Maryland. that she can prepare 1t ana
lust to prove it gives the recipe?
Interests outside of their political
liyes-their fads, foibles and favorites
along many lines, their divergent ideas
on requisites in woman seeking public
ofice and their reactions to the sugges-
ton of a woman in the Presidents
cabinet or even in the White House
these are some of the things here set
down.
"If ones literary taste is to be judged
by the relative amount OF time devoteo
to various lines of reading 1t wouio
aupear that my favorite book, recently,
has been the Congressional Record,
saws Mrs. Mccormick, who adds that
her fayorite recreation Is riding, ana
that she can think of no more loeal
vacation than spending as many weeks
as possible on her ranch with aher
three children, riding, hiking ana
hunting.
MRS. MCCORMICK is a strong be-
1N4 lever in the woman's club move
,nent. saving: "Club work induces study
Of public affairs, public officials and
public opinion 1t also affords expert
ence in the most effective methods OF
organization for the accomplishment Oh
desired results. CLUB women Were
chiefly responsible for the constitutionai
Amendment giving the vote to women,
and ORGANIZATIONS of women have since
Accomplished much toward juStifying
women who seek public Office should
,,ossess the same qualifications Tor the
}oh as man candidates would be pre-
ss,,r,ed tn nossess. There should be no
d;stinction as to sex. but there shoulo
he sharp distinction as to relative anl-
ity. industry and experience. Wnen-
eve Individual women prove tneir
eligibility for such important posl.aoL;o
a. cabinet members, or for the presi,,
dencv of the United States, they should
have equal consideration with men,
saws Mrs. Mccormick. 49,,
Mrs. Pratt is distinctly an outdooIs
woman and, though she declares she =
free from hobbies, she confesses to q
great fondness for tennis and golf
MRS pratt did her first public WORK
&c chairman of the Woman's Liberty
loan Committee of the second Federal
reserve district. She was not SUI
frage worker but says that at. her s sck wo as
o,aosed To suffrage, further explaining
f ttat She = was rather busy having six
children in twelve years" -.
Now that suffrage IS attained; M MIS-
pratt believes that women should take
an active interest, not only IN the
larger things in connection with ma
tional politics, but in the more unintsr-
esting local work. even down 10 the
choice Of minor officials.
Apparently she did not enter politics
with a vision of Congress. She began
On the lower rung of the political lad
ranks after suffrage was won, and
swinging the woman vote in her dis