parents, husband, wife, child, or descendants, on amounts of less than five thousand dollars, and between five and twenty thousand the tax is one per cent, and above that amount one and a half per cent.

A Mother's Pension law has been in effect since 1915 which gives jurisdiction of dependent or neglected children to the Juvenile Courts. An allowance of ten dollars a month will be made for one child of sixteen or less and five dollars a month for each additional child.

The general provisions of the labor law in effect prohibit children less than sixteen from working in places dangerous to life, limbs, or morals and women and children less than sixteen are prohibited from working more than ten and a half hours a day.

TEXAS.

All property, real or personal, owned by a woman at her marriage, or subsequently acquired, remains her separate property, but she cannot dispose of or encumber her property unless her husband joins her or she is authorized by the court. The homestead is the joint property of husband and wife and can be disposed of only when both join in the deed. There is established by the marriage contract a community of interest and all property acquired during its existence is the property of both, except that a wife's earnings and compensation for injuries go to her separate estate.

The personal property located in Texas of a deceased husband or wife goes as follows: If there are children all personal community property descends to them, and the separate property goes one-third to the surviving husband or wife and the remainder to the children, and if there are no children then all of the community personal property goes to the surviving spouse. Children of half blood

inherit half as much as children of whole blood and adopted children, if there are no other children, inherit the same as children of full blood, otherwise they inherit in the proportion of one-fourth. The foregoing is subject to the first lien of a widow to a thousand dollars a year for support and five hundred dollars in lieu of exempt personal property. The surviving husband or wife has control of the community property, and has a one-third interest for life in all the real estate of the deceased spouse, and, if there are no children, all of the personal property. The father is deemed the natural guardian of his children and if the mother survive him she succeeds to the trust.

A girl of fourteen, with parents consent, can contract marriage. Divorce will be granted among other reasons, for desertion of three years and for cruelty or excesses which render life together insupportable.

There is no inheritance tax on property passing to husband, wife, parents or descendants.

Women, not relatives of the owner, are prohibited from working in saloons. Children under fifteen are prohibited from working in factories or other places dangerous to life and limbs.

There is a law in Texas which punishes as vagrants parents who will not work but who depend on their minor children to work and support them.

Children between eight and fourteen must attend

school.

The hours of work for females employed in laundries is limited to eleven hours a day, in textile factories to ten hours a day and when employed more than nine hours extra pay must be given.

The marriage of a female minor gives her all of the rights she would have if of age. Marriage agreements may be made before a notary and may be acknowledged by a minor, with parent or guardian's consent, and are unalterable after marriage.

UTAH.

All property owned by husband or wife, acquired before or after marriage, is separate property and may be managed or disposed of without any marital restriction whatever. The expenses of the family and education of children is chargeable to the estate of both and neither husband or wife are liable for the debts of the other. The wife alone can recover for personal injuries she may suffer and the husband is not liable for the torts of his wife.

If husband or wife die intestate all the estate goes onehalf to the surviving spouse and the other half to the child; if more than one child then the spouse takes one-third and the children the remainder. If there are no children at all the estate up to five thousand dollars in value goes to the surviving spouse, and one-half of the amount in excess of five thousand dollars goes to the survivor, and the other half to parents or descendants. In the event there are no parents or descendants the surviving spouse takes all.

The laws of Utah regulate the wages of women and minors providing the minimum wage to unskilled minor workers shall not be less than seventy-five cents a day, of skilled minor workers ninety cents a day, and experienced adults not less than one dollar and twenty-five cents a day.

Minors under fourteen are prohibited from working in any mine or smelter or other place dangerous to life or limbs or morals.

The earnings of a minor cannot be held for any debt. except for his own actual necessaries of life.

Utah has a Red Light Injunction and Abatement law, and is an equal suffrage State. Utah has a Mother's Pension law which gives to County Commissioners the power to apply for the relief of destitute mothers an appropriation of Ten thousand dollars a year in counties of less than one hundred thousand population, and not to exceed twenty thousand dollars in counties where the popu

lation exceeds one hundred thousand. Ten dollars a month will be allowed for one child under fifteen years of age, and five dollars a month for each additional child; the requirement is that the mother shall be competent and best fitted for the custody of her children.

Utah has an individual Welfare Commission and the minimum wage of women and minors is fixed. The regulation surrounding working conditions, hours of labor and the age limit for employing minors is under control of the commission.

Among other grounds for which divorce will be granted are habitual drunkenness, permanent insanity, desertion of one year and conviction of a felony. A girl of fourteen may contract a valid marriage with the consent of her parents.

There is no inheritance tax on estates of less than ten thousand dollars, three per cent. on amounts from ten to twenty-five thousand, and five per cent. on amounts in excess of twenty-five thousand.

Utah gives a condmned criminal the choice of hanging or shooting.

VIRGINIA.

All real and personal property owned by a woman at her marriage, or which she may subsequently acquire, is her separate estate, not subject to the use, control or disposal of her husband or to liability for his debts. She may engage in trade and her husband is not liable for her torts or her debts or bargains and the proceeds of her labor or earnings go to her separate estate. She may make contracts and sue and be sued thereon. If married after March 31, 1875, the husband is not liable for the ante nuptials debts of his wife. If a husband wilfully deserts his

wife and remains away from her until her death he loses all rights in her estate.

A widow is entitled to dower and a husband to curtesy. After the right of dower and curtesy the real estate passes to children and if there are no children to kindred of common great grandparents, and if there are none then to the surviving spouse.

The father and mother are equally entitled to the guardianship of their children and to their services and earnings. The parents succeed to the estate of their children at their death.

Virginia is a Prohibition State and has a Red Light Injunction and Abatement law.

The age of consent is fourteen years and the punishment for rape is imprisonment from five to twenty years.

Among other grounds for which divorce will be granted are desertion of three years, insanity at marriage, fugitive from justice for two years, and conviction of a felony.

There is an inheritance tax on property in excess of fifteen thousand dollars up to fifty thousand dollars passing to husband, wife, child, descendant, brother or sister of one per cent., to others five per cent.

There is protection under labor laws for minors of less than sixteen from working in places dangerous to life, limbs and morals. Children less than sixteen are prohibited from working in mills, factories, workshops, mercantile establishments, etc., more than six days in the week, or for more than ten hours a day but it is expressly stipulated that the children of parents who own factories, mills, etc., are exempt from this restriction and likewise it does not apply to canneries between July and November. Women are prohibited from employment for more than ten hours a day.

VERMONT.

The real estate of a married woman, the rents, issues