The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 16, 1920, Page 8

3 In Ancient Babylon Crop Loss Freed Farmer From Interest Payments in Olden Days " The Leader takes pleasure in presenting herewith the first of a series of short articles written by a woman whose work at Washington, D. C., keeps her constantly in touch with the laws that are bemg vassed by all states and nations, relating to the social - welfare of men and women of city and country alike. I BY MARGARET WINFIELD STEWART F THE many interesting provisions in the -recent legislation of North Dakota none is more enlightened than one in the act creating the state bank. “In case of a crop failure which reduces the mortgagor’s reasonable income by - one-half, all payments under such mortgage may, in the discretion of. the industrial commission, be extended for one year, *ipon condition that on the payment of all installments such further annual payments shall be made as will pay -the interest thereon for the year for which no payments were made.” A similar provision is contained in the act creating the state home building association. Should such a provision be made applicable to private loans no doubt there would be a great to-do about “depriving of property without due process of law,” but in Babylon, 2300 years before Christ, it was provided, under the Code of Hammurabi, that “if a man owe a debt and Adad (the stone god) in- undate his field and carry away the produce, or through lack of water grain have not grown in the field, in that year he shall not make any return of grain to the creditor; he shall alter his contract tablet and he shall not pay interest for that year.” In Egypt loss to a farmer through “an act of God” exonerated from payment of taxes. The king “divided -the country amongst all the Egyptians, giving an equal square allotment to each and from thence he drew his revenue, having required them to pay a'fixed tax each year, but if the river hap- pened to take a part of any one’s allotment. he was to come to the king and make kown what had hap- pened; whereupon the king sent persons to inspect and measure how much the land was diminished that in future he might pay a proportionate part of the appointed tax.” (Herodotus, Book II.) SUFFRAGISTS PRAISE LEAGUE Miss Hannah J. Patterson of Pittsburg, Pa., until recently a special assistant to Secretary of War Baker, and Mrs. F. M. Roessing, president of the - Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage association, recently visited Bismarck, N. D., and met farmer officials. “I have known hundreds of public officials,” said Mrs. Roessing later, “but I have never had such in- telligent, interesting, refreshing and inspiring con- versations as I had with- those public officials this afternoon. I have never before met such a group of progressive pubhc officers.” “You must win again in North Dakota o MlSS Patterson said. “You must show the way to the workers of the East. It is only through such a movement as you have started here that anarchy can be staved-off. The Nonpartisan league seems to be the only political movement advocating the change of economic’ conditions' by legal means ° through the ballot box. The attitude of the gov- ernment toward radicalism simply increases it.” WHAT IS WOMAN’S COST OF LIVING? Miss Helen Farkasch, secretary of the minimum wage commission of North Dakota, has. submitted a report recommending that in carrying out the minimum wage law, women workers be divided into two classes, ployes, office &nd clerical help, waitresses and tele- phone operators. Class 2 would include layndry workers, chambermaids, factory workers and kitchen help in hotels, restaurants and hospitals. Women in the first class, Miss Farkasch points out, must_buy more clothes, their occupations re- quiring them tc appear well dressed at all times. She recommends a minimum wage of $16.26 a week for class 1 and $15.50 a week for class 2. The cost of living for a girl in class 1, Miss Far- kasch finds, averages as follows: Room, $2.25; board, $7; clothing, $4; sundries (laundry medical care, church and charitable contributions and organ- ization dues, reading material_stationery, ete.), $3. The workmen’s compensation bureau, which has Class 1 would include mercantile em- | charge of the administration of the law, is now “ holding a series of hearings, giving opportunity to allow both employers and employes to present facts and arguments, before fixing any definite figures. WOMEN ORGANIZING Women must organize to work with the men at the next election. Through- out the League states- Women’s ~Nonpartisan clubs are being formed. Flora 'C. Thomason ‘ is national secretary. Address her at Box 495, St. Paul, Minn., for mem- bership and directions Flora C. Thomason. how to organize. Plans for Farm House Another Suggestion for Mrs. J essup-—What About Others? : Editor Nonpartisan Leader: In response to Mrs. Jessup’s inquiry about building I am sending a ground floor plan for a house 24 by ™8 feet, with a pantry and back porch extension 8 by 14 feet. I have designated north and south, as I think this makes considerable ' difference in the arrangement of the windows in making a pleasant exterior. It also has much to do in locating the pantry. ' A pan- try with a north window keeps -much cooler and fresher than if otherwise. Here are a few sug- gestions: Closets—One may be used for things pertaining to the kitchen, as aprons, workcoats, bonnets, etc., the other for newly made garments, until someone can take them upstairs without an extra trip. Bathroom—If a water system is not in use warm water may be had from the kitechen stove. ‘A hard- ware man will put in a reservoir at the back of the cook stove and let the hot and cold water pipes run under the kitchen floor to the bathroom. Another pipe here may carry the waste water away in a tile. CLOTHES LINE. HinOE Seion s wperesre s srssmeersirsmcas e van rORCH Ground floor plan. - A force pump outside and another plpe will bring the water to the reservoir. Southeast room—Here is your lounging and read- ing room. Have an inbuilt cupboard for books and papers and a couch. The room may also be used for washed clothes till ready to iron, for a sewing room, or, in case of sickness, set up a smgle bed here and have your patient_handy. Coal or wood for immediate use may be kept on the back porch. A partition will keep it from storms. A sleeping porch may be placed over the pantry and 4 cistern under it. ment beside the cistern. I would have an inbuilt cupboard in the pantry and my work table in front of the window. - Of all things I wouldn’t have a cupboard between kitchen and dining room, opening on both sides. If you have many things in-the cugboard you are in constant danger of pushing some thing out. Dunkerton, Iowa. MRS. B. PAGE EIGHT The laundry in the base- : - shouldn’t. Tips for This Page What Women Say of Mrs. C.’s Advice—Mrs. . Comes Back to the editor in response to Mrs. C.’s suggestion that this page be devoted "to discussions of woman’s place in public affairs, instead of® being con- fined to household matters. Here are a few of the many expressions on the subject: Mrs. Austin Dawson, Buhl, Idaho.—“I agree with Mrs. C.. ‘We farm women all take farm papers telling us how to raise little Billy and feed dear old John. What a farm-wife needs now is-to know the cause of this great unrest among our own peo- ple. Always before we have sat back and let hubby do the reading. More than likely our minds were on the bread or the washing or ironing, but “when the call came and little Billy, now grown but still our little boy, had to march away, maybe never to return, or perhaps left the farm for the city, it made us think that maybe something is not right.” Mrs. M. Hoskins, Basin, Mont.—“Just a line in regard to the ‘woman’s page. Personally I prefer that it be confined to economics for women, ex- plaining thoroughly the results of ignorant voting, -advising literature to advance knowledge, announc- ing measures before congress and what they mean and suggesting measures to promote women’s rights and welfare in general.” Mrs. R., Roundup, Mont.—“Mrs. C. has certainly expressed a bright idea.. What most of us*farmers’ wives need is more information in politics. We all get lots of practlce in housecleaning, darning, mendmg, sewing and standing over a cook stove. We really ought to have a change. have been deprived of the pleasure of knowing any woman in public life. Couldn’t we interest some of these women enough that we might get ac- quainted with each other and polities ?” Mrs. Gunder Draxten, Grove City, Minn.—“I agree with Mrs. C. -Let this be a page for discuss- ing politics for women. Don’t they get enough of pots. and pans in everyday life?” ‘Mrs. B. E,, Epping, N. D.—“By all means let us drop the recipes. Although I like to get recipes I must say I was sorry to see them in the Leader.” Mrs. W. W. Ditsworth, Cartwright, N. D.—“There are so many farm papers and women’s magazines, also our weekly and daily papers devote some space to household helps. It seems the woman’s page in the Leader could be used to better advantage in educating the women in politics and what they can do in public affairs.” Mrs. K. G. Osterhous, Nezperce, Idaho.—“I be- lieve the page would do more real good if the dis- cussions of pots and pans were dropped hard for a while at least. Why can not we discuss all so- cial questions for the betterment of humanity?” Mrs. Frank E. Snyder, Plummer, Minn.— leave household problems out'of the Leader. What benefit can we possibly get from an apple pie recipe now? That takes sugar and we all know what a scarce and hlgh-pnced article that is. The farm women seem to be the most interested in public affairs. Let us hear something about consolidated schools, how they work where being tried.” Mrs. E., Wibaux, Mont.—“I think it is time the women were interested in politics. Mrs. C., we have no need of recipes. Especially here, it takes all the poor farmer can get to pay his tax.s.” MRS. C. COMES BACK Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I think it is Just fine of you to let us have the page for women in public affairs. I sure hope the women will appre- ciate it and write often. Women are bound to look at things somewhat differently than men. It isn’t going to be clear sailing any more than housekeeping and we ought to help one another, but I’d just love to have the farm.women start something first. And there is no reason why they They are the smartest women—they have to be. The woman in towr can call on,some- one else to help out; the farm woman has to know it all herself. ‘And they can be well-informed, for it is only by reading thaé: you can learn ancd you can find time to read as well as your husband. Calumet, Mont. - MRS. C. OZENS of farm women have written I, for one, “Tet us €-» PIoE 9N