Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06
WOMEN TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF 10 YEARS OF SUFFRAGE
Benefits Are NOn-SensatiOnal, but Many
Hold Office and Places OF
Party Power.


Katherine Langley, Kentucky; Mrs.
William P. Oldfield, Arkansas; Mrs.
Ruth Hanna Mccormick, Illinois, Mrs.
Ruth Baker Pratt, New York, and Mrs.
Ruth Bryan owen, Florida.
Three Ruths" a Notable Group.
The last three, the Three Ruths,"
comprise a group which has attracted
wide attention, and affords promise of
still further contributions to the politi-
cal scene. Mrs. Mccormick is at the
moment in the midst Of a vigorous pri-
mary campaign for the Republican
nomination for United States Senator
from Illinois against the present Sen
ator, Charles S. Deneen. The daughter
of Mark Hanna, she brings to the politi-
cal life of Washington a mind trained
in its lore from earliest childhood In
addition to the experience of suffrage
leader and wife Of Medill Mccormick,
| former Senator.
Side by side with her in the popular
mind, though IN opposite camps politi-
cally, is Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen, daugh-
ter of William Jennings Bryan, who also
father, as well as his eloquent tongue
The third Ruth" is New York's Re-
publican member, Mrs. Pratt, who won
her way up from leadership of the If
tenth assembly district to the post of
first woman alderman and first New
York City woman in Congress.
In addition to elected members of
Congress, the Washington scene knows
few women in highly important ex-
ecutive posts. Miss Jessie M. Dell is
civil service commissioner, Mrs. Bessie
P. Bruggeman is chairman of the United
! States Employees COMPENSATION Com
mission Miss Grace Abbott Is chairman
| OF the Children'S Bureau, Miss Mary
Anderson of the WomenS Bureau under
the Department of Labor and Dr. Louise
Stanley of the Bureau Of Home Eco
Monies in the Department of Agricul-
ture. Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt
served as Assistant Attorney General in
Charge of Prohibition Enforcement
| from September, 1921, until last year.
| Others holding responsible positions
| are:
Maj. Julia stimson, head of the Army
Nurse Corps (only woman with the
the United States Army.
Miss Anita Ph1pps. in charge of wom-
mems activities, War Department.
Miss Beatrice Bowman, head of Navy
Nurses Corps
Mrs. Ruth B. Shipley, chief. passport
division, Department of State
| Mrs. Myrtle Tanner Blacklidge, collec-
| Mrs. Nellie Gregg Tomlinson, collector
of customs, district of Iowa.
Mrs. Jeannette A. Hyde, collector of
customs, district of Hawaii
Mrs. Jennie P. Mussor, collector of
customs, district of Utah.
Mrs. Eddie Mccall Priest, collector of
customs. district of Tennessee
Mrs Anna c. M. Tillinghast. commits
sloner of immigration at Boston.
MISS MarV Harris SllDerintandent of
Federal Prison for Women at Anderson,
w. Va.
Miss Mary Stuart, assistant director
OF education, Indian Service, in the De-
partment of Interior 1
Miss Bess Goodykuntz, assistant COM
missioner OF the office of education.
On Bench in Consular Service.
Five women have passed the exami-
nations for consular service and three
serve as trade commissioners under the
Department of Commerce abroad. Judge
Florence e. Allen is the only woman
serving in a Supreme Court, having
been elected twice in the State of Ohio
Miss Genevieve r. Cine was appointed
In 1928 associate judge of the United
States Customs Court.
Mrs. Bertha K. Landes of Seattle,
Wash, is the only women who has been
mayor of a large city, but a dozen or
more places have had feminine mayors
According to the latest survey made
In November. 1929, there we're 149 wom-
en- serving in the Legislatures of 80
States, OF whom Is were State Senator'S
They were divided between 80 Republic
cans, AZ Democrats, no party designa-
ton, 5, and non-partiSan, 5. Connecti-
cut led with the largest group, 20. More
than one-thtrd OF the total number were
serving in New England Legislatures.
In New York State Mrs. Rhoda Fox
Graves has served for five terms as
member OF the Assembly from st. Law
renee County.
In New York State a rapid review of
the women in Office shows the highest
positions held by Miss Frances Perkins.
as head of the State department of
labor, and Mrs. Charles Bennett Smith,
head of the department of civil serv-
ice. Miss nellie Swartz is member of
the State industrial board. One woman
serves on the board of regents, Mrs.
Herbert L. Pratt. and there are dozens
on the less important boards and COM
missions which have no salary attached.
New York City Offices.
The same holds true in the high Of
fees of New York City. There is a
woman register of New York County,
Ttrs. Rebecca F. Hoffman, with a salary
of $4,000, and two city magistrates,
also commanding $4,000 salaries, Miss
Jean H Norris and Mrs. jeanette G.
Brill There is no woman commissioner
of a city department, none on the
boards of the departments Of hospital,
parks or museums, and only one on the
board of education, Mrs. Margaret Nc
Aeenan. Mrs. Rose M. Reese is men,
Der of the parole commission, and Mrs.
Louis r. Welzmiller is deputy commits
sioner in charge of the bureau of edu-
cation and information in the depart
ment of public markets. It Is only when
one hunts through the lists of deputies,
clerks, secretaries and assistants that
one finds the names of women in any
great number.
This, in brief, is a picture of the
direct action of women in the political
field in their first 10 years. Does 1t
satisfy the women who strove so val
iantly to bring about the victory OF
1920?
Let their leader speak
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, president
of the National American Woman. Suf-
frage Association during the last period
and now honorary president of the
National League of Woman Voters,
paused in her labors in behalf of the
prevention of war the other day and
commented as IOIlOWS'
Looking backward on those days of
the suffrage victory, believe that what
thought then would be the real test
of women in politics was not holding
public Office, not helping the political
parties. or even voting in such numbers
as we might wish, but rather how much
the influence of women would increase
when applied to political questions.
We are having one great test now in
the prohibition question. and another
in the movement to build up machinery
| for settling international disputes. 1t
was significant that when women pre-