Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-06
Married Women i'm
Department Service
To the Editor Of The star:

To the Editor OF Tne star.
Mr.. Gifford's report to the President
has aroused so much comment IN the
newspapers as to married women being
fired" thereby solving the unemploy-
ment problem, that I, as reader OF
your paper, would like to call attention
to the Injustice of such discrimination
against any class of workers.
As a citizen and taxpayer, ! am very
much interested in any plan to aid un-
employment. However, was greatly
surprised to note that one possessing
the degree Of intelligence attributable
to Mr. clifford should propose that
married women give up their positions.
Why not married men as well? Mar
ried women are citizens and taxpayers
as well as married men. Many are
supporting mothers and fathers who
because Of age or physical 1nf1rmtties
are no longer able to support them
selves. It Is true that many are merely
working shoulder to shoulder with their
husbands to maintain decent homes for
their children and educate them so that
they will not be burdens to society and
be begging the future generation Tor
Jobs However, who can say that they
are not entitled to the same opportu-
nifty to increase the family exchequer
as the men? Why should single girls
who have homes be forced to give UP
Is this mans country" and are we
living in the Dark Ages?
Why not ask that married men VINO
have SUFFICIENT money to live on retire
and give up their positions and busi-
nesses to the unemployed? Why not
ask all rich mems sons to give up their
positions All rich mems wives who
maintain shops, tea rooms, etc., to give
up their "hobbies"?
A-Ir &I.a& ho
earning a living wage give portion
Of their salaries to aid unemployment
and restore the country to normally?
Why not ask the big men" drawing
salaries in excess of $4,000 to donate
their salaries over and above that
amount to aid unemployment? Many
married Women's salaries combined
with their husbands, do not total that
amount.
why not look into the number Of
cases where men are receiving salaries
from more than one source. Many OF
our city officials are on several pay
rolls; many retired Army officers are
drawing good salaries and also receiv-
ing pensions ample for their support.
Do women work for the pure JOY Of
working? Absolutely no. In most
cases 1t Is an absolute necessity.
Should these women be forced to re-
bIS WOulO tLle GHplOycQ IucI1 HuSAl
to the aid Of their needy families? I
think not.
Let us make this problem as much
burden for the men" as the wom-
en-, inasmuch as the women are bear
ing their burden of taxes and their
share of responsibilities.
Is there not also a moral phase to
this question? Are we to destroy the
prospects Of home and home relation
ship with the idea that married women
should not be employed? What Single
woman, who has found it absolutely
necessary to work and who expects to
soon have home, but the man she
loves does not and cannot earn sufi-
cient funds to maintain that home I'M
less helped out by her, as his wife, will
deliberately marry and be forced to give
up her position?
Rather than increase unemployment,
as this suggestion of Mr.. Gifford's
would surely do, why not cut down the
hours Of labor? It stands to reason
that II one-third Of our people are
unemployed and we reduce the hours Of
the employed one-third, 1t will put the
other third to work. Production will
not be increased, and 1t will automati-
cally increase the buying power and
restore normally. A. P. GRACE.