The age of consent is sixteen and the punishment for rape of a woman is imprisonment from five to thirty years. Marriages may be annulled for lunacy, fraud, coercion, physical incapacity and lack of having attained the proper age at time of marriage.

There is no inheritance tax on property.

FLORIDA.

Florida retains much of the sentiment of the old laws which obtained in all that section which was once French and Spanish territory, hence, while the property owned by a woman at the time of her marriage remains her separate estate and is free from liability for the debts of her husband, she cannot sell, mortgage or otherwise hypothecate it without the consent of her husband. She can make contracts with regard to this separate property-always, however, such contracts require the consent of her husband. In conveying her separate estate she must make a separate acknowledgment, apart from her husband, as well as the joint agreement of conveyance. From the time of marriage the wife's property passes under the management and control of the husband and there is no relief provided her in the law against her husband's mismanagement or recourse against him for rents, revenues, etc., from her separate property while under his management. The earnings of the wife belong to her to do with as she pleases.

There are laws in Florida regulating the hours of labor for minors but none for the protection of women who labor. A child less than fifteen years of age may not be employed for more than sixty days by any person, firm, corporation, etc., without the consent of the parents. Under sixteen years of age minors are prohibited from working more than nine hours each day.

No person less than twenty-one years of age will be

permitted to work in a saloon. There are regulations which are intended to insure seats to women employees in stores and to protect minors under sixteen from working in any place dangerous to morals or life and limb.

There is no inheritance tax on property.

Among other grounds for divorce are desertion of one year, cruelty, habitual drunkenness, violent temper and relationship within the prohibited degree.

GEORGIA.

All property of the wife at the time of her marriage, and all property acquired by her during coverture, is her separate property and is not liable for the debts of the husband, but she cannot sell, mortgage or otherwise hypothecate such property without the consent of her husband. The domicile of the husband is deemed the legal domicile of the wife, no matter where she lives. The husband is deemed the head of the marital partnership and is liable for the support of the wife and children.

A female of the age of fourteen may contract a valid marriage with the consent of her parents, or at eighteen without parental consent. Among other grounds for divorce are desertion of three years, cruelty, fraud in obtaining marriage and relationship within the prohibited degree.

There is an inheritance tax on property passing to husband, wife, lineal descendant, brother, sister or daughterin-law of one per cent above $5,000. To all other persons five per cent.

The labor day is restricted to ten hours, or sixty hours in a week, and by specific rule bosses and managers or overseers in factories are forbidden to inflict corporal punishment on minors and no child under twelve shall be sold, apprenticed, given away or hired out for rope or wire walking, or as gymnast or acrobat or for any indecent exhibition

or practice. Minors under twelve are forbidden to work in any mill or factory.

Children under fourteen are forbidden to work at gainful occupations unless it be necessary for their own support or that of a widowed mother, aged or disabled father, and work at night is forbidden.

Seats are required to be furnished for women employed in mercantile establishments.

The guardianship of children is left entirely to the discretion of the courts.

There is no "age of consent" in Georgia but the rule which has obtained in the United States, in the absence of special Statute, that a child of less than ten years would not to be held to consent to her own defilement, has been followed. The penalty for rape is death.

ILLINOIS.

A married woman in Illinois may own in her own right real and personal property and she may manage, sell and convey the same; her earnings, and when invested, the rents, revenues and issues of such earnings, belong to her free from any control of her husband and she may sue and be sued in all matters relating to her own property or interest.

A married woman is not allowed to engage in business as a public merchant without the consent of her husband, unless her husband is insane, imprisoned or has deserted her, in which event she can be authorized to pursue her business without his consent.

The husband is chargeable with the maintenance of the conjugal home and the children, but if he has no means wherewith to meet the obligation and his wife has property she must meet the expense necessary for such maintenance as they are mutually and individually liable for the maintenance of the home and the education of their children.

A married woman may not enter a partnership without the consent of her husband and all of her contractural obliga

tions must be based on the knowledge and permission and consent of her husband unless he is insane, imprisoned or has deserted her.

Illinois passed the first Mother's Pension law in 1911 and under it jurisdiction is given to the Juvenile Courts of destitute mothers and when they are found best fitted to care for their children, the State will grant fifteen dollars a month for one child, if there be more than one child, then ten dollars a month for each additional child, the whole not to exceed sixty dollars a month to any one family. This relief applies only to children under fourteen years of age, except in cases where the child is ill or incapacitated from work, in which event the relief may be extended until the child has reached the age of sixteen years.

The surviving wife or husband has the same rights in the estate, being one-third of all lands owned. If there are no surviving children or near kindred the surviving wife or husband is the heir of the entire estate. If there are children and husband or wife die intestate, one-third of the estate in real property goes to the survivor and one-third of the personal property. If husband or wife leaves a will and no descendants he or she may take one-half of the real and personal estate.

Women are prohibited from working in any mechanical or mercantile establishment, factory, laundry, hotel, restaurant, telegraph office, express or transportation company, or in any public institution for more than ten hours a day. Minors are not allowed to work for more than eight hours a day. Minors between fourteen and sixteen must have school certificates if they work. Minors and females are prohibited from working in saloons, or in places dangerous morally or physically and minors are prohibited from distributing literature in which there occurs stories of lust and crime and criminal news.

Illinois has many laws for the protection of women and minors who work in factories, mercantile establishments or

other places where females and children are employed, as to sanitation, fire prevention, seats, time for meals, etc.

There is an inheritance tax on property passing to husband, wife, descendants, brother, sister, son-in-law, daughter-in-law of one per cent on amounts from $20,000 to $100,000, and above $100,000 two per cent.

A female of sixteen may contract a valid marriage with the consent of her parents and at eighteen without parental consent.

Among other grounds on which divorce will be granted are desertion of two years, habitual drunkenness of two years, and cruelty, and the law provides that the divorced party cannot re-marry within one year from the decree.

The age of consent is sixteen years and the penalty for rape is from one year to life.

Chicago has what is known as The Morals Court, where women are tried for violations of the law regulating moral conduct, and Mrs. John Francis Yawger, President of the New York City Federation of Women's Clubs, and one of the best known, ablest, and most progressive women in this country, when asked by the writer for an opinion about the fitness for women on the Bench said:

"I am glad to know of women striving for the position of Judge of the Domestic Relations or the Children's Court of New York. I spent a few weeks in Chicago several years ago and while there visited the several courts, amongst them being The Morals Court, and there I saw what a wonderful amount of good an assistant Judge of any of these courts could do, for the woman assistant judge of the Morals Court is doing a wonderful work. I truly hope for the day when we can see New York wake up to the necessity, for I do know the wonderful amount of good a woman as assistant judge can do."

The Woman's Protective Association of Chicago, of which Miss Nellie Carlin, public guardian of Cook County, is president, and which Miss Carlin and Miss Elizabeth L. Hoff