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by that body, and I think it expresses to you more plainly than I can its position as to why it has taken this position:

Whereas the General Federation of Women's Clubs has been cooperating in State and national movements for the establishment of political, legal, and economic equality between men and women, which movements, since the ratification of the women's Federal suffrage amendment, have accomplished 86 specific equalizing changes in the laws of 30 States; and

Whereas such inequalities relate largely to the commonplace relations of men and women in their family life, in industry, and in community responsibility, where the term "equality" requires careful definition; therefore be it

Resolved, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs continue to work for the removal of inequalities by specific measures, which shall not be prejudicial to mothers' pension laws, nonsupport laws, age-of-consent laws, labor laws for women, and other types of social legislation applying to women and not to men, or applying definitely to men and women;

Resolved further, That the General Federation of Women's Clubs continue to oppose blanket legislation for sex equality, such as the so-called equalrights amendment to the Federal Constitution, which by its sweeping, indiscriminate character would be likely to bring about serious inequalities instead of the desired equality.

That was the general federation speaking in assembly with regard to its position on the measure before you to-day.

Mr. WELLER. How many women were present at your convention? Miss HAFFORD. We had about 6,000 women at the Los Angeles convention.

Mr. WELLER. They were delegates, I presume?

Miss HAFFORD. Three thousand of whom were delegates appointed by the several clubs.

Mr. WELLER. And the clubs are organized in each State?

Miss HAFFORD. We have 50 State federations, Alaska being considered one and the District of Columbia one, and the 48 States. Mrs. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, our next speaker is Miss Elizabeth Eastman, of the national board of the Y. W. C. A.

STATEMENT OF MISS ELIZABETH EASTMAN, WASHINGTON, D. C., PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL BOARD OF THE YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

Miss EASTMAN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am Miss Elizabeth Eastman, 2266 Cathedral Avenue, Washington, D. C., member of the national board of the Young Women's Christian Association.

The Young Women's Christian Association has a membership of about 600,000, 30,000 of whom are women working in industry, and one of those women has spoken this morning. Since our convention in Cleveland in 1920, when we adopted the social standards of the churches for the adequate protection of women in industry, including adequate protection and proper standards of working conditions. and conditions surrounding women in industry, we have been working toward this end, and on December 5, 1923, the national board of the Young Women's Christian Association passed the following resolution upon recommendation of the legislative committee:

Whereas the legislative committee believes that unjust discriminations against women can be removed more effectively by working for specific laws than by blanket legislation; and

Whereas the equal-rights amendment to the Federal Constitution proposed by the National Women's Party may jeopardize laws of social value relating especially to women, such as protective labor laws, maternity and infancy welfare laws, etc. It is

Resolved, (1) That the national board join the subcommittee of the women's joint congressional committee, which has been formed to opposed the equalrights amendment; (2) that the national board give consideration to ways and means by which it could use its influence to remove unjust discriminations against women without jeopardizing existing laws which are of benefit to women.

Mrs. SHERMAN. Our next speaker is Miss Lita Bane, of the American Home Economics Association.

STATEMENT OF MISS LITA BANE, WASHINGTON, D. C., EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN HOME ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION

Miss BANE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am the executive secretary of the American Home Economics Association, 617 Mills Building, Washington, D. C.

The American Home Economics Association has a paid membership of 6,000 persons, representing every State in the Union, and has affiliated State associations in 46 of the States and in the District of Columbia.

The council of the association acted on the proposed amendment in 1921 and the association itself affirmed the council's action in 1923, when the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That the association does not indorse the proposed amendment to the Constitution, "Neither political or legal disability or inequalities on account of sex or marriage shall exist in the United States," nor the proposed amendment to the Constitution, "Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction."

Present standards for the protection of women have been laboriously built up. Aiding in their maintenance are social agencies directed by people of skill. We are not convinced that this amendment, if passed, would maintain the present standards. We know that its passage would involve great confusion and, we fear, a loss of hard-won social legislation out of proportion to any advantage yet apparent.

Neither have we yet been convinced that there is need for Federal legislation on this point.

Mrs. SHERMAN. Our next speaker is Mrs. Glen L. Swiggett, of the National Council of Women.

STATEMENT OF MRS. GLEN L. SWIGGERT, WASHINGTON, D. C., NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN

Mrs. SWIGGERT. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the National Council of Women, which is a clearing house for national organizations, was organized in 1888. It has a membership of 35 national organizations representing individuals of something over 11,000,000.

Mr. DYER (presiding). Mrs. Swiggert, what position do you hold with the National Council of Women?

Mrs. SWIGGERT. I am chairman of the Federal legislative committee.

Mr. DYER. Where are you located?

Mrs. SWIGGERT. Here in Washington.

Mr. DYER. Give your address to the stenographer, please.

Mrs. SwIGGERT. 42, the Mendota. The National Council of Women has biennial conventions. The last one was in October, 1923, when it passed the following resolution:

Whereas there is a movement to introduce in the next session of Congress an amendment to the Constitution to give equality to men and women in the United States and in territorial possessions, thus making a constitutional provision so vague and general that all laws pertaining to the protection of women (especially labor laws applying to women only that have taken many years to enact and to establish by Supreme Court decisions) would be subject to litigation and interpretation by courts; and

Whereas the disabilities and inequalities sought to be removed through the so-called blanket amendment can be removed by separate laws in the several States:

Therefore the National Council of Women declares itself opposed to the blanket amendment as a method of bringing about sex equality.

I would call your attention to the fact that this was before the amendment was introduced, and it was referred to in the resolution as the "blanket amendment," and there should be substituted now "the equal rights amendment."

I would also call your attention to the fact that of the 35 national organizations there is not any organization representing women in industry.

Mrs. SHERMAN. I would like to ask, Mr. Chairman, if Mrs. Borchardt has come into the room? If not, Mr. Chairman, that closes our list of speakers.

May I ask for permission to file a statement from the women's bureau of the New York State Department of Labor, by Mrs. Nellie Schwartz, and also those speakers who are not present who were to be here, Mrs. Ellis A. Yost, of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union; Dr. A. Frances Foye, of the Medical Women's National Association: Mrs. Myrtle McAboy, of the International Brotherhood of Bookbinders; Miss Selma Borchardt, American Federation of Teachers; and Mrs. Reginald Stevenson, of the Girls' Friendly Society in America? Those statements will be presented later, with your permission.

Mr. DYER. I take it, of course, they will be brief.

Mrs. SHERMAN. Very brief. Those persons were only supposed to speak for two minutes.

Mr. FOSTER. They will define the position of the organization they represent?

Mrs. SHERMAN. Yes; they will be in opposition to the amendment. That closes our part of the program.

Mr. DYER. If there is no objection, it will be so ordered. Mrs. Hafford, you did not state what your position was for the General Federation of Women's Clubs and where you are located.

Mrs. HAFFORD. Director of the headquarters; 1734 N Street NW., Washington, D. C.

Mr. DYER. Are there any other witnesses who have testified that have not given the positions that they occupy with reference to the organizations for which they speak, and the address of the speakers?

Mrs. SHERMAN. I have filed with the stenographer a list giving the names and addresses of our speakers and whom they represent, and

I ask leave to file statements from those who were unable to be present to-day. The list of our speakers follows:

Mrs. John Dickinson Sherman, of Denver, Colo., president of the General Federation of Women's Clubs and chairman of the women's joint congressional committee.

Miss Katherine Ludington, of Lyme, Conn., treasurer of the National League of Women Voters.

Miss Mary Anderson, of Chicago, Ill., Director of the Women's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor.

Miss Anna Neary, of Baltimore, Md., of the American Federation of Labor. Miss Elisabeth Christman, of Chicago, Ill., secretary-treasurer of the National Women's Trade Union League and secretary-treasurer of the International Glove Workers' Union.

Mrs. Myrtle McAboy, of the International Brotherhood of Bookbinders.

Miss Mary Koken, of Allentown, Pa., of the industrial department of the Y. W. C. A.

Miss Selma Borchardt, of the American Federation of Teachers.

Mrs. Florence Kelly, of New York, general secretary of the National Consumers' League.

Miss Agnes Regan, executive secretary of the National Council of Catholic Women.

Mrs. Reginald Stevenson, of the Girls' Friendly Society in America.
Mrs. Alexander Wolf, of the National Council of Jewish Women.

Mrs. Ellis A. Yost, of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
Dr. A. Frances Foye, of the Medical Women's National Association.

Miss Lida Hafford, director of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.
Miss Elizabeth Eastman, of the national board of the Y. W. C. A.
Miss Lita Bane, of the American Home Economics Association.
Mrs. Glen L. Swiggett, of the National Council of Women.

Miss Ludington, do you wish to make a statement in regard to your organization?

FURTHER STATEMENT OF MISS KATHERINE LUDINGTON

Miss LUDINGTON. I believe I made a rather incomplete statement, Mr. Chairman, in regard to the National League of Women Voters. I am treasurer of the National League of Women Voters. The national treasurer's office is situated at 532 Seventeenth Street NW., Washington, D. C.

We are organized with a nucleus in 44 States. We are organized actively in 35 States. The form of our organization is local leagues of women voters composing, collectively, State leagues of women voters, which again compose the National League of Women Voters. In many States we are organized in every congressional district in the State.

Mr. FOSTER. The committee will take judicial notice of that. [Laughter.]

Mr. DYER. Is there any further testimony to be presented?

Mrs. KELLY. I am not sure my statement was complete, according to the requirement of the committee. My name is Florence Kelley; I am the general secretary of the National Consumers' League. Our headquarters are at Fifth Avenue and Twentieth Street, New York City. We have 20 local organizations in 15 States. It is not necessary to enumerate them, is it?

Mr. DYER. No.

STATEMENT OF MRS. MYRTLE McABOY, OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF BOOKBINDERS

Mrs. McABOY. The International Brotherhood of Bookbinders, which I represent, is opposed to the so-called "equal rights" amendment advocated by the National Woman's Party, and I desire to file herewith a copy of the resolution on the subject adopted by our convention.

I desire also to reply to certain statements made to you by supporters of the amendment with reference to the labor laws for which the International Brotherhood of Bookbinders and the American Federation of Labor have always stood-laws regulating the hours of labor for women in particular. Mrs. Mary Murray, who states. that she represents a thousand women employed by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co., told you that thousands of women had lost their jobs because of the night work law passed by the New York Legislature in 1919. Mrs. Murray said also that thousands of women had lost their jobs in restaurants, ice-cream parlors, and candy stores because of the night work laws.

I desire to call your attention, gentlemen, to the following facts: Practically no women were employed before the war by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co.

The women hired during the war began to be dropped in November, 1918.

The bill to limit hours and forbid night work in the State of New York was introduced in the legislature in March, 1919.

The bill passed and became effective May 12, 1919.

Women were being dropped during the entire period from November on. There were only 2,900 women employed on May 1, 1919, before the law went into effect. About 500 of these women were employed in such a way that their hours conformed to the provisions of the law. Mrs. Murray claims to represent here before this committee a group of 1,000 employees on the job to-day; yet she says the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co. dismissed 3,000 women because of the night work law.

This law has not been repealed. The nine-hour day provision was amended to strike out the clause "consecutive hours." Women now employed can work only 9 actual hours per day and 54 hours per week. They can not work between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m.

If, therefore, 500 women were so employed that the law could not affect their hours, and if, as Mrs. Murray states, 1,000 others are still employed notwithstanding the fact that the law is still in force, it is difficult to see how the dismissals Mrs. Murray referred to could be charged to the effect of the law.

In the case of the restaurants the night work law was enacted in 1917. It covers only restaurants, not hotels.

The mercantile law, which probably covers ice-cream parlors, was passed in 1913. One of these two laws must be the one that was referred to as causing the women in ice-cream parlors to lose their jobs in 1919.

If the laws of 1917 and 1913 caused "thousands of women" to lose their jobs, how does it happen that this result did not take place

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