sional women as well-the most difficult problem is the problem of combining home and job. During the war more progress was made on that, I think, than had been made in the previous years. A great many things were tried out, experimented with. Some firms brought laundry machines in and set aside space, hired somebody to take care of them, and the women workers could bring their laundry in in the morning, it was put through the machines, and when they got ready to go home, they could take it home with them. Grocery stores were opened up in factories and time allowed for women to do their shopping. Arrangements were made with retail stores for salespersons to come to the factory with samples at given hours, during rest periods and at other times, so that women could buy staple household articles, articles of clothing. All of those things may seem small things, but all of them were a tremendous step in the right direction.

The one thing that women workers whom I have worked with most in the last 10 years most strongly wanted was that Saturday off. That meant so much to women because, if they had Saturday off from the job, then they could do the laundry, they could scrub the floors, they could do their housework, and could actually have a day of rest on Sunday. But even with the Saturday off, the double burden. . . is so great a problem that some thinking during the coming years along the lines of what industry, government, and organized labor together can do to reduce that burden will, I think, be one of the most constructive programs that can be carried on as far as working women are concerned.

Publicly supported child care centers were called for as a major step toward a solution.

There should be a great extension of public, all-day nursery schools for children as young as 22 to 3 years of age.

It is rather unfortunate that with the close of war we no longer considered it necessary, for example, to continue maintaining childcare centers. . . . Working mothers today are confronted with that problem in addition to so many others of their problems on what to do with their children. . . . One of the reasons why the hotel and restaurant industry has been attractive to women is because it does afford the opportunity of part-time work. . . . It would be a little easier if we would continue a school-lunch program so that they know that their children are adequately fed while they are in school. . . . It certainly is a long-range goal to do something about the culture of a nation where poems have never been written about the children com

and a cookie jar in his hand. . . . And when the mother has to work, whether it is for economic reasons or whether it is simply that she realizes she will be a happier individual by giving herself an additional stimulus that comes from working, we should at least make the day easier by having an adequate child-care program for working mothers.

There is a group of mothers, of children from the age of 1 month to 3 years old, who should not be working because these children need their mothers at home. They are the present prenursery children that we are concerned about. . . . We contact. more than 150 women each month, talking to the women who have to work because their husbands' salary is not sufficient under present prices to meet the cost of living, and these women are going out to work and not making adequate provision for their children.

When we go back, I hope that our groups will fight for not only publicly supported nursery schools, but some provision for making men's salaries more adequate to meet the inflationary costs of living, for we want to meet that and we can't meet it too quickly. If women have to work, everyone should lend a hand in making some provision for the care of their children.

1848

First Woman's Rights Convention
Seneca Falls, N. Y.

"DECLARATION OF
SENTIMENTS"

1. Voting denied.

2. No share in law making.

3. No jury service.

4. Civil death through marriage.
5. Marriage stripped wife of prop-
erty rights, including earnings.
6. Wife not responsible for crimes
committed in husband's pres-
ence; he was held for them.

7. Wife subject to husband; he
could whip her and restrain her
personal freedom.

8. Divorce grounds decreed by man
as lawmaker. Favored himself.

9. Guardianship laws

made by

man. Favored the father.
10. Woman's property taxed with-
out representation.

11. Profitable employments closed to
women generally.

THE WOMAN CITIZEN

U. S. CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE XIX, Adopted 1920: "The
right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on
account of sex.

"GOVERNMENTS DERIVE THEIR

JUST POWERS FROM THE
CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED"

1948

WOMAN UNDER THE LAW

1. Franchise enjoyed.

2. Helps make laws.

3. Jury service in all but 13 States.
4. Keeps personal identity in most
respects.

5. Wife enjoys full rights of prop-
erty. Earnings hers by law in
most States.

6. Wife generally responsible for
her own wrongdoing.

7. Wife a free person. Husband
cannot whip or restrain her law-
fully.

8. Divorce grounds generally same
for husband or wife.

9. Guardianship laws generally rec-
ognize mother and father.

10. Tax laws apply alike to men and

women.

11. Women have legal right to enter
professions, occupations, and
trades. Very few restraints.