Evening star., 1939-01-06
Wants Equal Work
Rights for Women
Denies Thot Capable Men
Are UnjustIy Deprived
Of Employment

To the Editor Of The Star:
In reply to Democrat" whose let
ter was published in Mondays Star, may
I ask first. why not be fair and honest
about working privileges instead Of sell
fish and biased?
True, our civil service is great insti-
tuition and the competitive examination
Is probably the fairest way to choose
competent employees. However, must
sit up and take notice when Demo-
crat" says "it has not been so easy for
many well-qualified men to pass the
required test" What an indictment Of
mems intelligence! 1t has been very
easy for "well-qualified" women to pass
these tests. Therefore, why deny them
a position just because there are men
out of work. There are also plenty Of
women out of work. Any man who has
been in the service "for years and has
not been promoted beyond $1,440" is OBJ
viously short on something. Whether 1t
be ability, spirit Of cooperation or
what not-he certainly lacks something.
Don't be too critical of the emergency
employees either. Many of them are just
as intelligent and energetic as many
civil service employees. That Is a ques-
ton of human nature and the individual,
not the method of appointment. know
a great many of both kinds of employees
and have found that in most cases the
emergency employees have been appoint
ed at lower salaries than the civil service
employees. There are some instances Of
administrative appointments at higher
salaries, but these people are well quail
flied.
Speaking of husbands and wives who
"have no dependents" how does this
gentleman know they have no depend
ents. They may not shout their business
from the house tops, but have yet to
meet the person, man or woman, in the
last few years who has no dependents.
Many married couples have aged parents
on both sides and sometimes brothers
or sisters, besides children.
AS for young girls who 'have left good
homes to take permanent positions" why
not? Probably father doesn't care to
support daughter any more than he
would son. Nothing is said about the son
who goes out and becomes success He
is hero for SO doing, but if daughter
does likewise she is Immediately branded
as selfish and accused of taking a job
from some poor male. What if young
women do spend their salaries for clothes
as we'll as food? Aren't they putting
money into circulation and keeping fac
tory workers busy making clothes? We
need sane spending. Isn't boarding what
caused the 1929 debacle?
believe the public realizes that wom-
en- work for the same reasons men do.
The day is gone forever when one wage
Garner in family is enough. This is due
to our faulty economic structure and the
machine age, not to working women.
Remember, you men took many of the
ladies' jobs, who used to make the bread,
spin the cloth, make the clothes and can
the food? And men even insist on wav-
Ing our hair in many shops.
Another common complaint is that of
the working couple who make a COM
bined salary of SO 900 or 81, 900, with the
wife probably making $500 or 81 300 of
it. She is Immediately attacked, but
nothing is said of the man who alone
makes $4,000. He is considered a rous-
ing success. Neither is anything said of
the man who marries a rich woman and
continues to earn his bread. In fact, he
would be harshly criticized if he didn't
work. But he doesn't need to- yet women
are criticized for working even when
they need to-
This talk of returning women to the
home smacks very much of the German
and Italian viewpoint and yet this man
calls himself Democrat" Neither do I
care for his reference to unions and any
or all un-American organizations. "
Unions are no disgrace to our country.
I believe the coming Congress will
realize that women are citizens the same
as men and as such are entitld to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness, 4"
even though that pursuit leads them
into the business world. Some of the
greatest contributors to the DEVELOPMENT
OF our civilization have been working
women. Please be fair to the ladies.
January 3. A REAL DEMOCRAT.
Problem Of the "Down
And Out" Citizens.
To the Editor of The Star: