The Washington times., 1935-04-05
ECONOMY LAW
LETTERS To
WIN PRIZES
Contest on Repeal of Married
Persons Clause Opened
by The Times

Acting in conjunction with Miss
Esther Penn, national secretary OF
the American Federation Of Gov
eminent Employees, and Stephen
E. Cochran, managing director OF
the National Theater, the Wash.
ington Times today inaugurateS .
contest on the question whether
section 213 Of the economy act
the so-called married persons
clause"-should be continued IN
the Government service or abol-
ished.
Letters on the subject viii form
the basis Of the competition. For
the best six submitted there will be
prizes consisting Of passes for two
seats for each week Of the "Na-
tional Theater Players" who be-
gin their season April 70.
10 More Awards
In addition, throught the cour-
tesy of Mr.. Cochran. the next best
ten letters each win receive two
admission tickets to the opening
performance Of the Natto n q !!
Theater Players season, which Will
be Accent on Youth" starring
Nancy Sheridan and Roy Roberts,
popular stage duo. All letters must
be submitted by April II.
To consider properly the merits
Of letters submitted, a panel OF
Judges will be formed by Miss
Penn, composed of women proml-
nent in political, social, and or
ganization affairs, whose names
are to be announced later.
Speaking on section 2lS today
Miss Penn said:
"There has been considerable
discussion on the part OF many
individuals and organizations
concerning the effects Of the
Government limiting its own
employment to only one mem
Der of each family.
Gas a result of this enact
ment, some truly sad cases have
come to light. One, where the
husband was q substitute mail
carrier whose avarege earnings
did not 60 over $1,6OO per year
and whose wife, as q Govern
ment employee, earned $1,44O'
stood out. They had bought q
home, supported their parents,
and were rearing two children.
'By the dire consequences OF
the law, the wife, earning the
lesser amount, was the one who
had to give up her job, nOtwith-
standing that her chief rated
her exceptionally highly IS an
efficient and loyal worker Of
eleven years. service.
"The wife could find no other
work. They could not meet
payments on their home. Other
expenses piled up and today.
it is understood, they have lost
practically all they had man
aged to earn and save during
. period of years.
"Other, similar cases have
been cited. The question today,
then, is, shall section 213 be
continued, or shall section 213
be abolished? For that reason
I offer the following suggestion:
That all Government workers
affected by section 213 write,
in detail, their opinions OF the
law, and its effect upon their
lives, and homes, and send such
communications to me, that
they may be properly collated
and presented in due form to
those in Congress who would be
most interested.
PETITION SUGGESTED
I'm that connection, what
would be more natural than to
prepare such letters in the
form Of a memorial and send
a copy to each of the women
members of Congress? am
sure that Senator Hattie E.
Caraway, Mrs. Florence Kahn,
Mrs. Mary E. Norton, Mrs.
Edith NOurSe Rogers, Mrs. Wiz.
ginia E. JenckeS, Mrs. Isabella
Greenway, and Mrs. Caroline
O'Day, who each have been
wives, partners, and loyal help
mates of their husbands, out
Of the depths Of their own ex-
periences would Be very sym.
pathetic in a matter of this
kind, and should prove strong
advocates for those who, thus,
consider themselves unjustly
dealt with"