The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-26
More Women to Serve
 As State Legislators
40 Elected in % States in Recent Elections Four Women to Serve as State Secretaries; 25 in Conn.

The nations women lawmakers again are on the increase, the Ma tional League of Women Voters re- vealed today in its biennial record ing Women in State Legislatures. An upswing from 130 women elected to serve in 28 state legislatures in 1889 to 14O elected to 29 state legis- latures in 1941 was marked in the report.
 Noting that the increase may indicate "an upward trend or only another of the fluctuations that have occurred since women's en- francisement," Miss Marguerite M. Wells, National league president. urged wider participation by wo- men in public affairs.
 More Needed!
 "One hundred and forty women legislators in 19 states are not enough. More ar eneeded," Miss Wells declared.
 we shall have more as women participate more and more actively in all the political processes. They are beginning now to become more active in politics and in parties. The place to begin political activity is in party committees, in delegations to party conventions, even in the precinct. When more women are precinct leaders, then we shall begin to, have more women in elective offices "
 The number of women in the na- tional Congress has sirniliary in- creased, the report disclosed. Five women took seats two years. ago at the opening o fthe Seventy-sixth Congress, while eight will pass upon, national legislation when the Seven ty-seventh assemblies January 3.
 As between the parties while Re- publican women legislators in the states continued to outnumber Democrats, the ratio of increase was higher among the Democratic wo- men, Democratic women legislators for 194l total 6l, as against 4S in 1939. Republican women legislators total 76, as against 72. The feminine political complexion also includes two ''no party" legislators and one independent"
 New England, as usual far in the lead, emerged with 9 women legis- latcrs in Connecticut; "A in New Hampshire; 18 in Vermont. All other states reporting women legislators had from one to eight apiece. It must be remembered, however, that Connecticut has a lower house of 267 members; New Hampshire, APT members; and Vermont, 246 mem bers, due to the New England town" system. Of the other states only Georgia, Massachusetts, and Penn sylvania have lower house of more than 200 members.
 No women were elected in 13 states: Arkansas, Delaware. Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming, Alabama, Maryland, Kentucky, and Mississippi did not elect members of the legislature in l940. Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana Mississippi and Virginia will not hold legislative sessions in 1941. Mine State Senators Nine women were elected to state senates, a drop from Il in 1939. States in which one to eight wo- men are on 1941 legislative rosters are: Washington, 8; Arizona and New Mexico, each; Maine and New Jersey, 8 each; Massachusetts and Ohio, each; Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New York, and Utah, 3 each; California. Indiana, Minnesota Missouri, Rhode Island. and Texas, | 3 each; Michigan, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma. Oregan, West Virginia, and wisconsin. each.
 The value of political experience to women running for office was demonstrated by the fact that many women elected to state legislatures were .incumberts, some of them veterans at the job. Among those reelected were Mrs. Clarissa Nevius of Connecticut, Mrs. Mabeth Hurd Paige of Minnesota, and Mrs. Elea- nor Miller of California, who will begin their tenth terms in the lower house. Mrs. Hannah J. Kempfer of Minnesota will begin her ninth two- year legislative session; Mrs. Lottie