Evening star., 1936-01-05
by poRoTHEA ]. LEWIS.

There was q historic drawing for
prizes recently in Alva Belmont House.
home of the National Woman's Party.
It was an unusual "raffle." A great
many wonderland men, too--had
bought voices in the disposal Of a
free trip to Miami and nine other
prizes" because they wanted voices"
in the disposal of the rights and hopes
of women throughout the United
United States. The funds from the
rattle 60 into that great combination
hope and war chest for the battles
against section 2l3, the married per-
sons clause Of the economy act Of
1923.
Repeal Of that section is the grand
prize, yet to be won.
Each week a little Treasury clerk
goes without an extra pair Of stock
ings, a stenographer in the Depart
ment of Agriculture skips a marcel,
a lawyer In Justice sighs over the
linen she'd like to have for her own
hope chest. All three send their PEN
nies and dimes and dollars to the
Government Workers Council of the
Woman's Party for the fight against
that ominous 213.
Operates Against Women.
That section provides that when
ever reduction in Government forces
is necessary, married person, whose
husband or wife Is also working for
the Government, must be the first to
go. Although it is written with ap-
parent sex equality, it has operated
much more severely against women,
who, according to custom, give up
their jobs so their husbands may work.
The Woman's Bureau has reported
1000 dismissals of married persons
since the clause went through and
about 80 per cent have been wives.
The Government Workers Council
has fought the section before and
after it became law. They have been
sional Women's Club, the League of
Women Voters and many other i'm
portant national organizations.
Now they have bill to repeal that
section engineered onto the House
calendar, and on the opening day
Of the session they will be on the Hill,
holding conversations" with key Con-
gressmen.
The gentleman from Georgia, Robert
Ramspeck, chairman of the Civil
Service Committee, is the center of
the battle. His support must be gained.
The bill is so far down on the calendar
that the council hopes that he will
ask the Rules Committee for special
rule to bring the bill up out of order.
If he will make the request. they will
turn their fire on the Rules Committee
To date. one member Of that COM
mittee has committed himself to
'endeavor to secure action"
Bills to repeal 2l3 have been intro
duced three times by Representative
Celler Of New York, one in the Seventy
third and two in the Seventy-fourth
Congress. The first two times they
were referred to the House Committee
on Expenditures in the Executive De-
partments Cthe birthplace of 213) and
Representative Cochran of Missouri
let them die there. The last bill went
to Ramspeck's Civil Service Commit
tee. He was at first reluctant to hold
a hearing and when he did, promised
only 80 minutes That dragged on
into the third day and he reported
out on the bill, but with an amend
ment for which the council does not
care at all, to wit. that no future
appointments be made in any cases
where "the combined salaries of the
members Of family after such ap-
pointment would equal or exceed
$4,000"
Fights for Half Loaf.
However, something is better than
nothing and the council is fighting for
this half loaf. Once through the
House, the bill should have compare
lively easy sailing in the Senate, it
believes.
The council is heartsick over the
broken homes, hopes and lives that
have resulted from this discriminatory
legislation. One member says that the
only people more tragic than the
young men and women who come to
her asking whether or not they dare
~ KNw(H3lHaSSE9 e