the innate qualifications and wisdom of her sex, would bring an added asset to the bench that would materially aid in the solution of the all important problems involving the disposition of the cases of children, for, as a rule a woman's understanding and knowledge of children is better than that of a man. Women seem to intuitively know the shortcomings of children and with instructive "mother judgment" provide the proper corrective treatment for the awakening of conscience and reformation of the bad child."

Katherine S. Clark is a Justice of the Peace at Oak Park, Illinois and Mrs. John C. Duff occupies the same office in Chinook, Montana. In 1914 Mary Bartelme was raised from a minor court office to that of Associate Judge of the Children's Court of Chicago and Mrs. Georgia Bullock is Judge of the Women's Court of Los Angeles.

As an instance of the inadvisability of forcing public opinion by legislation may be cited the record of Margaret Gardner one of the most capable, and at the present time, fully appreciated women lawyers in this country. When she had graduated from a University, but before she was admitted to the Bar of California, she was appointed a clerk in the office of the City Prosecutor of Los Angeles at a very small salary which, within three months, because of the excellent work acomplished was trebled. When Miss Gardner was admitted to the Bar she was appointed Deputy Prosecutor, serving on an equal basis with the men attorneys and under the salary ordinance then existing. No special legislation had been evoked to give her the position of Deputy Prosecutor, simply as a citizen, as a member of the Bar with the necessary qualifications, she was appointed-and, made good, and the precedent was established of qualification being the sole requisite. In direct contrast to this is the condition created by the special ordinance which was passed CREATING the office of WOMAN Deputy District Attorney of Los Angeles

County. Under this abortive legislation there can be but one woman deputy District Attorney in the County and there cannot be more until the law is repealed or declared unconstitutional.

It is no longer an unusual sight when women appear at the Bar of the courts to plead cases and juries see so many women in and about the courts they take no heed of the female advocates as women noting only the strength or weakness of the cases presented. It is to the women who blazed the path, those who came to the bar in the early days when women dared to break into the most learned of professions, to whom all women lawyers owe a never ending debt of gratitude and to whom women of all classes are indebted for the better legal status which has evolved from the efforts of those early torch bearers. Notably there is the record of such women as Phoebe Cousins, Belva Lockwood, Ellen Spencer Mussey, Marilla Ricker and Mary Elizabeth Lease, the last named an author, lawyer, lecturer and publicist. Thirty years ago Kansas was jarred to attention, and later the whole nation waked to an appreciation, of the young woman who dared to take the stump and to send out her wonderful oratory in behalf of certain needed reforms. Mrs. Lease began the study of law when she was a small girl, was admitted to the bar of Kansas when just twenty one and later has been recognized in the courts of many of the other States when she has appeared in cases of note. Mrs. Lease was a "homesteader" and knew that "home" meant not merely a place of residence but a sanctuary erected upon the foundation of toil and privation, and she launched a campaign against excessive taxation and foreclosure, never ceasing until her efforts caused an abatement of the worst of the troubles of those who would maintain in security a permanent roof tree in her native State of Kansas. It was she, too, who was largely instrumental in bringing to public attention the theory of land as surety for loans and

governmental aid for homesteaders. It was Mrs. Lease, who, when placed by the Governor of Kansas in charge of the eelemosynary institutions of that State swept it clean of those lax systems in the harbors for the State's charges which had led to excesses and abuse, and she brought justice to children and the witless, thus purging Kansas of reproach. It was following this work, when she was called to the National Conference of Eelemosynary Educators, she was presented with the bronze medal of honor.

Always Mrs. Lease was the lawyer, and she went to the fountain head to secure proper reforms, seeking the law making bodies and obtaining corrective legislation to work out the best ends.

Mrs. Lease removed to New York to enable her to give to her children the best education procurable and in later years she has lived at her home in Flatbush, Long Island, there enjoying the well earned result of her life work and lending to younger women at the bar the encouragement of her ready advice and stimulating aid. She has been heard on the rostrum in every State in her stirring addresses: "Sinews of Suffrage." The Constitution of the Republic," "Statesmanship and Peace;" "A Vision and a Realization," and "America." More recently she has presented her wonderful sermon-lecture "As a man Thinketh so is He," and a splendid symposium on "The Women of Shakespeare."

Then there is in the beloved ranks of the pathfinders in the law for women Mrs. Marilla Ricker. It was in 1882 she went up with a class of nineteen for examination for admission to the Bar of the District of Columbia, and not only passed the examination successfully but was highly complimented on her unusual knowledge of the law, and President Arthur appointed her United States Examiner and Commissioner in Chancery for the District of Columbia a few years later. She was candidate for Governor of