Evening star., 1934-02-09
Observations on Women
And New Deal Economy
To the Editor OF The Star:

Will you be good enough to permit
. reader few remarks in regard to
an article which appeared in the
columns of The Evening Star Feb
ruary S? The article referred to Is by
the Associated Press and comments
on the merits Of radio address given
by Miss Frances Robinson. assistant
Of Hugh 8. johnson. The writer
was unfortunate enough to miss the
address given by Miss Robinson, which
must have been very good to merit
such favorable comment from the As
ISOLATED Press, but these same re-
marks have caused q desire TO ask
how, In the future, our women are to
carry on" II they are forced out OF
business because they commit the un-
pardonable sin of marrying? How
could our most efficient Secretary OF
Labor, Miss" Perkins. possibly be
holding the position she now SO capa-
bly, nils II she had been forced out
Of business some years ago because
she was married? Or our director OF
the mint, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who
writes the word Mrs" with her name?
Miss Robinson says 1t Is not such
a secret to her how an obscure poll
tician usually makes good when sud-
denly placed in position to manage
the intricate affairs Of highly tech
nical Government job; that 1t is very
often due to some highly efficient
woman behind him in his Office who
was never heard Of, but who knows
what 1t is all about. Being busi-
ness woman myself until our Gov
ernment started to economic, very
readily agree with Miss Robinson and
would like to hear some one explain
what is to become Of the future gen.
Grafton If our young women OF today
have to remain single so they can
look after the Offices Of said politicians
of the future. There seems to be only
two solutions-either the young Wom-
an OF today does not marry or there
are to be no Mrs" Perkins, Mrs. Nellie
Ross, Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen or Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt of the future. Men
will be left to run the affairs of our
Nation with no feminine ideas to
guide them in the more delicate mat
tiers which only women understand.
Yes. gentlemen, there really are such
things even in our Government.
Quoting Miss Robinson. there will
be a sudden realization that it was
the women who implemented and en-
forced the economic and social revo-
luton Of the new deal'-and yet this
same new deal' is helping to force
women back to obscurity by permit
ting that iniquity, the marital clause,
to remain in the So-called economy
bill. II section 213 Of that bill re-
mains a law, it will eventually lead
to the abolition of women from busi-
ness of any kind. Already industry
is following suit and barring women
Gn many instances) from its oftlces.
Why hire and train young women II
they are soon to marry and be barred
from working again, no matter how
essential it becomes for them to do
so? An incident recently happening
which concerns friend OF mine
brings this more forcibly to mind. A
few years ago she was my ROOM
mate in Y w. c. A. in Columbus,
Ohio, and a bookkeeper in certain
large concern in that city. A young
man was taken into that office and
she was asked to train him to do the
same work. She did her job so thor
oughly that she not only taught him
bookkeeping, but also the finest thing
in life, real love. About a year and
half later they married, and as
funds were not very plentiful, she
continued on in her job for some
time. then a little son came to
brighten the home, and she remained
there to care for him. All was we'll
with them until about six months
ago. when the young husband was
suddenly taken by death and she and
the babe we're left without. means Of
support. She returned to the Office
and applied for the job left vacant
by her husband. whom she had
| trained for it, only to be told they
| had decided to not have women in
their Offices in the future. Two young
men were hired to fill the position
she could so ably have filled alone,
and she and her babe are left un-
provided for. all because she did what
her Maker intended she should do,
married the man of her choice.
My dear Senators and Congress
men, is that economy If so, let's
forget to be economical and once more
be human!
MRS. LILLIAN ]. YERKES.