Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 292, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1919 — WOMEN ARE HELP IN FINLAND POLITICS [ARTICLE]

WOMEN ARE HELP IN FINLAND POLITICS

Country, Where Suffragists Won 13 Years Ago, Quick to Right Self After War. MANY SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS Women of Finland Fortunate From an Educational Point View Work During Labor Troubles Wins Them Vote. I Washington, D. C.—“lt seems only natural that Finland, a land where women have had the vote for 13 years, and won it by their participation in quelling labor troubles like those which now assail the United States of America. should be one of the first portions I of the dismembered Russian empire to get up a stable constitutional government,” says a bulletin from the Washington headquarters of the National Geographic society. This new member of the family of free nations is described in a com- ' to-tligWiety by Baronet Alletta feorff as follows: “From an educational point of view the women in Finland have been very fortunate, as there are many excellent schools for girls and a number of coeducational schools throughout the country which prepare students for the university examinations. Girls Admitted In 1878. “Girls were admitted to the university in 1878, and, until the war intervened. they not only attended lectures, but took part in all branches of university life; they participated in all the celebrations and festivities, and were members of the’ various clubs and student organizations, in which they were on a footing of perfect equality with the men and frequently were elected to various official positions. After they were graduated from ope of the several high schools or from the university there were many branches of work open to them. “They became teachers, even in the state school for boys; cashiers or bookkeepers in banks, clerks in state archives and in many branches of the civic administration. “There are really not enough educated men to meet the requirements of the country, and consequently the cooperation of the women is a matter of vital importance., It not Infrequently happened, in normal times, that even married women in comparatively gool circumstances sought employment outside their homes.

“Having thus such an excellent foundation to build upon, it is small wonder that the woman’s movement soon found many active supporters. In 1863 the diet had accorded the municipal vote to woman taxpayers living in the country, and in 1872 to women living in the towns, all of whom were also given the right to be fleeted members of certain local self-govern-ing bodies. In 1900 the woman social democrats Included the suffrage in their program, but the special activity for the suffrage began only in the year 1904, although in 1897 a petition had been officially presented to the diet at the request of the Finnish Woman's association. “The reason why so little was done in direct furtherance of the cause of woman suffrage between the years 1897 and 1904 is that just at' that time Finland was passing through a severe political crisis. Women as Strike Managers. “After the outbreak of the October revolution in Russia (1905) a sympathetic strike was declared In Finland, and several of the members of the centra) committee ejected J>y,a mass mating to manage the details of the strike were women. “The first action taken by the committee was to close all the liquor shops, saloons and and to organize a volunteer police force to keep order. After the second day the markets were reopened and the Strikers were not allowed to cut off the water supply. In short, the strike was managed in a most orderly and systematic way and no outrages of any sort were committed. "During the course of the strike numerous deputations were sent with petitions to the governor general, and in each deputation there were women members. Thus, even in moments of grave political danger and at times when the utmost moderation and foresight were needed, the Finns were not afraid to trust their women. “The very great interest that the women took in the elections may be gathered from the fact that in Helsingfors, the capital, at the time of the second elections (in 1908), there were 19,640 woman voters and 15,516 men voters registered. It is true that the majority of the women voted for men, as there were only i 6 women elected in a house of 200, but one woman received a larger number of votes than was given to any of the men candi-” dates of her party.” „

Tokyo is to have a subway to help solve Its transportation problem. It U reported. .