The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 25, 1921, Page 11

News of Women’s Nonpartisan Clubs Man-Made Laws How a Wife Is Cheated Out of PropertSr in Some States The author of this is a Washington (D. C.) woman who has made a study of laws discriminating against women. BY MARGARET-WINFIELD STEWART RECENT judicial decision in Ala- bama, reported from Mobile June 11, 1921, brings out in sharp relief the un- fairness still existing in the laws con- cerning property rights of women. A man was indicted and tried for arson for burning the family home, on complaint of his wife, who charged that it was done for spite after a quarrel with her. The judge decided, as was the obvious law and is probably the law in nearly every state in the Union, that he was guilty of no offense so long as the home was not sufficiently close to ' another to risk the safety of the neighbor’s home or the home was not insured so as to involve a r,_‘fraud on the insurer. The neighbor or insurance company had an in- forcible right; the wife had none. This is undoubt- edly the law. Arson is the malicious burning of the house of another. It matters not how many hcurs of work by the wife had gone into the equip- ping and upkeep of the home, the husband held title to everything therein and could burn it if he chose. Had he wished to sell or mortgage it his wife’s sig- nature would have been necessary in order to re- lease her right of dower, but he could waste, muti- late or burn it as his fancy dictated, under the sacred right of a man to do as he wills with his own property. There is just one way out of this sort of situation and if the women of the country wish to start out after specific reforms in favor of women none is better worthy of their effort than a campaign for the adoption of a law of community of goods be- tween husbands and wives. Several states have this system, and of those that have it some have permitted judicial decisions, by judges schooled in the old English ideas of law, to destroy the value of the laws adopted, so a mere campaign for a change of statute law can do no good unless women con- tinue vigilant in seeing that the purpose of the law is fulfilled. COMMUNITY PROPERTY LAWS SHOULD EXIST IN ALL STATES Under a system of community ¢f goods the prop- erty which either a man or woman has at the time of marriage or acquires thereafter through gift or will is the personal property of each, but whatever either acquires through his or her efforts after mar- riage becomes the joint property of both. The hus- band has the power of managing this joint prop- erty, and this has been. perverted in the California law to mean that “the wife has no interest or estate in the community property during the marriage relation; the husband is the absolute owner there- ¢ of,” although it is admitted in another case that the theory of community property is that it is ac- quired by the joint efforts of both. This makes the theory of community of goods merely a new rule * for dividing property in case of death or divorce and is of little value. The rights of women in such cases are quite care- fully protected under the old system of law. The Idaho law seems to have been interpreted in a way which is probably much more nearly in accord with the intention of the statutes. “The wife has an equal interest and ownership with the husband in community property and the only particular in which their rights differ is in the fact that the statute constitutes the husband the managing agent and trustee of the community partnership.” RESOLUTIONS = Women’s Nonpartisan club No. 154 of Wing, N. D., at a recent meeting adopted resolutions pointing out that many farmers, where there have been re- peated crop failures, are depending solely on re- turns from butter, cream and eggs to exist this vear, and that the low prices of these products is causing much suffering. The club demands an in- _vestigation of the continued high prices of farm vroducts to consumers, while prices to farmers have been reduced to a pre-war basis. The club de- mands the passage of the Sheppard-Towner bill to protect women and children, the freedom of polit- ical prisoners and the abolition of child labor. The resolution committee consisted of Mrs. David Fryer, Mrs. John Moilaneu, Mrs. Ed Elliasson and Mrs. John M. Hanson. - Against Recall North Dakota Resolutions Also Back Move for World Peace Mrs. C. A. Fisher, president of the Barnes coun- ty (N. D.) Federation of Women’s Nonpartisan clubs, sends the following resolutions, adopted at a federation meeting: “Resolved, that we commend our state adminis- tration for its staunch stand in carrying out the will of the people; and be it further “Resolved, that ‘we reaffirm our pledge of faith- ful support to our state administration and to our executive committee of the Nonpartisan organiza- tion; and be it further : - - “Resolved, that the opposition in 3 most un- American manner has been unwilling to abide by ] SERVICE, PLEASE! l ‘Yoman Voter: Please stop Arguing and fill my order. 1 have all my work to do after I leave here! This cartoon appeared in a recent issue of the Maryland Women’s News, published at Baltimore. the repeated decision of the people and is forcing upon us a recall election whose only motive is to hamper and defeat officials who have loyally and faithfully endeavored to carry out the will of the people; and be it further , “Resolved, that we ask the support of our con- gressmen in the passage of the Sheppard-Towner bill; and be it further “Resolved, that we ask the president of the Unit- ed States to call an immediate international dis- armament conference; and be it further “Resolved, that we heartily indorse the circula- tion of a petition asking for the appointment of Seth Richardson as an additional judge of the United States district court of North Dakota.” COMMUNITY BUILDING To assist rural organizations in working out ways of financing and maintaining community buildings, THE FARM WOMAN’S PAGE Letters From Live Workers Child Welfare North Dakota Woman Discusses Importan Subject Before Clubs - BY MRS. E. 0. BAILEY - of Emerson, N. D., chairman child welfare work o; Women’s Nonpartisan clubs of state. =] HILD welfare work is something that should interest each and every woman. There is a large field to work in and much can be accomplished for the welfare of our growing children, the foundation of our nation. In order to successfully help our children we must educate and - help the mother, and especially our wage-earning the United States department of agriculture has * just ‘published Farmers’ Bulletin 1192, “The Or- ganization of Rural Community Buildings.” Wom- en’s clubs interested should send to the United ?tates department of agriculture for a copy. It is ree. “WHEN WOMEN WORK” The women’s bureau of the United States depart- ment of labor has a moving picture, “When Women Work,” which has been taken to Europe. The Czecho-Slovak legation at Washington has ordered one of the films to be used in Czecho-Slovakia. Negotiations are under way in Belgium for the pur- chase of the film. PAGE TWZILVE - ‘ 8, girls and women. Thijs is a vital subject, knowing full well that the mothers of tomorrow are the working girls of today. We have 10 millions of women employed in the 100 or more leading indus- tries in the United States today. We must safe- guard the health and morals of our working girls; we can do this with our-eight-hour-day law and minimum-wage law and by so doing we are laying the foundation for a healthy next generation. A well-born child is an asset to his state and to the nation, growing into a strong, healthy citizen, both physically and mentally. We have the caption, “Cattle Inspected, Forest Protected and Children Neglected.” Let us all pull together and create a clean, healthy atmosphere for our children to grow and live in; let us aid the mother by kindly advice and suggestion, urging our congressman and others to put laws on our statute books for the protection of maternity and for the welfare of our children. Other nations are ahead of us here in the United States in the matter of protective legislation for our child-bearing women and also for our unmar- ried mothers. These unfortunate girls need our helping hand and advice—not scorn and banishment —their child needs a place in the world—not the lifelong stigma of illegitimacy. Here is work for us to do. Make it a part of our club work and we will be the happier for it. Resolution Passes Disarmament Proposal Up to the Presi- dent—Send Letters to Him BY MARY GRAY " Women’s organizations, which are largely re- sponsible for the growing sentiment everywhere for measures to assure world peace, are elated over the passage by the lower house of congress of the Borah resolution for an international conference on limitation of armaments. The senate had previous- ly passed the resolution. It does not compel Presi- dent Harding to act. It merely authorizes him to. The activity of women’s organizations should not cease, as the president can let the matter die if he wants to, and unless the writer misses her guess he will need plenty of prodding before he actually calls the authorized conference between the United States, Great Britain and Japan. Instead of to congress, letters and . petitions of women’s organ- izations should now be sent direct to the president, as it is up to him now. The women of America can force the government to take the lead in bringing about international dis- armament. It has been a wonderful experience for me to watch the unanimity with which women’s or- ganizations have worked and are working for this object. Our enfranchisement and entry into poli- tics have already been justified, but we have not won. After our successful bombardment of congress we must turn our guns on the White House. The president must understand in no uncertain terms that we women demand he act on the Borah reso- lution. ~ 1 ; A GAME SNAKES AND HUMMING BIRDS—The boys and men take arms standing in a long line to form a snake. The girls and women are humming birds and dart about separately to avoid being encircled- by the snake. If the snake succeeds in making a ring .around a humming bird, she is put into the lair of the snake beside a tree or bush until the snake has caught all the humming birds. The last one caught may be given a prize. . R e