The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-13
NO. SAY MANY
IN CONTEST ON
WORKING WIVES
Negative Letters in Lead,
but Affirmative Side
Also Is Strong.

number Of letters received in The
Times contest on Should Wives
Work. but there's a strong af-
hrmative contingent, too, in the
race for the two prizes Of $40 each,
one for the best mo" letter and
the other for the best yes"
The contest closes Thursday night
at midnight, and all letters post
marked before that time will be
given consideration by the judges.
Four Of the letters are reproduced
here today. The first, in the affirm
alive, written by Miss j NJ,
follows
Long has been the discussion Of
Should Wives Work." Yes, Of
course, II they choose to do so if
circumstances made it advisable.
It is the right Of every human be-
ing to work in his or her chosen
field, whether married or unnar-
ried, whether the wife goes out TO
work Of necessity or whether she
works merely to buy finery.
Work 10 a gift from a kindly
providence to troubled humanity
and knows no sex, no condition,
no circumstance.
I can not see the destruction Of
the social fabric. In the old days,
so happily gone by. women did
crucifying work in the field and IN
the home. There was no objection
then. And now that the work pays
money and is performed in shop
and factory, they still have fol-
lowed it.
Should Work In Some Cases
Mrs. Edgar Frazier, 2426 North
Illinois street, presents the follow
ing views:
It is a wife's privilege and duty
to work where the husbands SAL
airy does not provide sufficient
necessities, and the man of today
seldom earns enough, at the age
when he is DESTROYS of marrying.
When there is an invalid hus-
band or the wife has dependent
relatives, she should have job.
Unless the husband was richly
blessed, no woman wants her hus-
band to take the responsibility of
earning, when she has an aged
parent or other relative to care
for.
But where there are just the
man and the wife Cor children
also), If the mans salary is large
enough to allow comfortable liv-
ing, the wife should be content
with her home duties, as most
women would be.
Very few are working for the
fun Of it, or for the finery they
may buy. A real wife rather
would make real home than
have career" any old day.
One for the NO Side
Here's a negative, from Miss Clara
e. Faucette, 813 North Bancroft
avenue:
Wives should not work outside
the home, unless absolutely neces-
sary for maintenance of the home.
The wife's place is in the home,
managing the domestic affairs.
From the time Of creation, it
has been an unwritten law that
the wife spend the greater part
of her time in the home, thereby
making it sunshiny by her pres
ence, and cheerful and inviting
refuge for her husband and chill
dren after the days toll
Her children need her careful
attention and direct training, to
become upright citizens. Generally
speaking, the father is busy with
his Office, and has very little time
with the children. Thus the re-
sponsibility falls upon the mother.
This training would be totally
lacking if the mothers time were
taken up in the Office. This par
ticular neglect Of attention Of the
last two generations accounts for
a. greater per cent of the criminals
today.
The wife, by spending her time
and study in the home, could save
as much money by properly man
aging the domestic affairs as she
could make in the Office. There
would not be so many unem-
ployed men; money would be
more evenly distributed; her chill
dren would receive careful train
ing; her husband would take
deeper interest in the home, and
become more attached to it; her
countrymen, who have been UNI
employed, have jobs, and, last, but
not least. she would be more
satisfied, performing the ever
honorable task of home-making.
Look After the Children
And here's another, written by
Mary E Blue, 4619 Carrolltor
avenue
Wives should not work outside
of the home, unless widowed. If
they have children, they should
be in the home rearing them,
instead of leaving them to
stranger who has no interest in
them.
The trouble these days is that
the wives want to get rid Of the
children, and shove the reSpon-
Sibility on someone else. If they
have no children, they should not
work to help make the living, for
if they do what Is required in the
home, they will be contributing
their share toward the income,
and the husband won't be so apt
to get discouraged and give up,
as he is when he has wife with
a pay envelope.