Evening star., 1933-04-09
MARRIED women
FIGHT DISMISSAL
Budget Director Says Matter
Maybe Carried Before
Roosevelt.

The dismissal of married women fror
the government service when two yneno-
oers OF the family are thus EMPLOYED.
may become a problem of high Gov
ernment policy" to be determined only
py President Roosevelt, or Attorney
General Homer S. Cummings.
At the nearing conducted by the Ma
tional Womans Party yesterday, before
Lewis II. Douglas, director of the bud,
get. 1t became evident that a legal
problem exists as to the permaner,ce, of
section 213 Of the Economy Act passed
a year ago, which provided that where
two members of family were employed
Dy tne Government, one Of them should
De dismissed before other dismissals
were made as a measure of economy.
Inc new measure passed since Presi-
oent Roosevelt took Office contains no
such provision. Expert opinion here
differs as TO whether or not the new
law supplants or supplements the old.
sympathies with Women.
The director Of the budget told the
women this afternoon that his sympa-
thies were with them, but that ne
feared the law was against them.
There should be an opinion from
the Attorney General as to the perma-
nence of section 213." he said. "If it
Is temporary, you have nothing to worry
about as to any action may take If
permanent, then the law can be re-
pealed or amended That would be
matter Of high Government policy
which should have to take up with
the President"
Miss Elsie Hill, who presided ovefethe
hearing then made the formal request
Of Mr.. Douglas that he present the
problem to Mr.. Cummings and the
President
I'VE ask that the new administration
offer new deal to women, guarantee
ing the right Of the working woman TO
marry. and the married woman to
work." she said.
Mr.. Douglas promised further that
inasmuch as so days must elapse be-
tween the time an order was given ana
the date 1t took effect, and ilasmuch
as the old economy act containing sec
ton 313, applied only until July l OF
this year, he would not invoke its rul-
ing between now and that date.
Miss Hill explained after the hearing
that the theoretical complaint Of her
organization was not against the dis
missal of married women alone, since
one Of the largest groups to suffer was
as men from the navy yard whose wives
were in Government departments.
"Our complaint is against using mar
riage as basis for dismissal OF either
men or women" she said. Dismissal
should be controlled wholly by the eff
ficiency or non efficiency of the indi.
vidual Theoretically, we object Just
as much to disnissing q man because
he is married and his wife Is working
as we do to dismissing married wor1-
an. But, as matter of working habit,
it is usually the woman who Is dis
missed 49,.
Cites Women's Indignation =;
The first speaker, Mrs Florence
Bayard Hilles, national chairman Of
the Women's Party. pointed out to Mr.
all parts Of the country over the
announcement that the National Cow
ernment is considering the wholesale
dismissal Of married women from the
service on the sole ground Of their mar
riage to another Government employe.
MRS. ,Hilles then introduced the follow.
4 miss seEi Elsie nj Inn. representing tho
National wonian's Party,
Mrs. Pinckney Glantzberg. National
Association Of Women Lawyers.
Mrs. Sarah Sparks, National zonta
Clubs
Miss Edwina Hammond, womens In
ternational League for Peace and Free
dom.
Mrs. Mary B. Wright. National As
sociation of Women Nurses.
Mrs, Sarah B. Cummings, Married
Women Teachers Association Of Phil
adelphia.
Mrs. Ida Kloze, National Business
and Professional women's Council Of
the Womsn's Party.
Mrs. Elizabeth J. White, Quota Club
International. -,
Miss Laura Miller, National Fedora
ton OF Business and Professional
Women.
Mrs. Elizabeth r. Menafee, National
Democratic committeewoman from
Maryland.