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THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
has its fullest and most characteristic expression. But love is spiritual, not sexual. M. E. ROBINSON, "Marriage as an Economic Institution," in International Journal of Ethics, January, 1903. T. J. R.
Home Economics in Colleges and Universities. The following statement was unanimously adopted as the sentiment of the Lake Placid Conference on Home Economics :
" The Lake Placid Conference on Home Economics considers that the time has come when subjects related to the home and its interests should have larger recogni- tion in our colleges and universities.
" Recognizing the fact that there is a strong and steadily increasing demand for knowledge of these subjects, believing that their educational possibilities are not infe- rior to those of other subjects now in the curriculum, and that instruction in these branches promotes in a high degree individual and social efficiency, we earnestly request that the heads of our higher institutions will consider the advisability of intro- ducing such work.
"This may be done either by the establishment of new departments or by the extension of courses already offered.
" History, sociology, and economics deal with fundamental problems of the family and the home. Biology, chemistry, and physics have important applications in the household. This has been already recognized to some extent by leading universities, and their curriculums include such courses as 'the family,' 'the citizen or householder,' 'the evolution of the house,' 'sanitary chemistry," 'food and nutrition,' 'bacteriology,' besides work in sanitation, physiology, and hygiene.
" The members of this conference believe that an extension of such work where it is already established, and its introduction in other institutions, would contribute to the solution of some of the most important social problems of today.",!
Submitted by committee on Courses of Study in Colleges.
Can Married Women Exercise the Local Franchise? In view of the dif- ference of opinion regarding this question, the government sent out circulars request- ing answers to the following questions : (i) Can married women, in accordance with the established law, under certain assumptions be regarded as having the right to exercise the local franchise ? (2) Can the established legislation concerning the hus- band's primacy be regarded as an insuperable obstacle to the enjoyment of the politi- cal franchise by married women ? The outcome of the inquiry brought out two points : first, that the wife, in spite of the limitations put upon her by her position as wife, is still a responsible party ; and, second, that the present mode of taxation, according to which husband and wife are taxed as a unit in the husband's name, would seem to debar married women from the exercise of the franchise, which requires a property qualification. On the other hand, it has been suggested that nothing prevents a separate taxation of husband and wife upon the basis of a legal division of the property. On the question of the exercise of the political franchise, the laws of the land recognize only the male franchise. Inasmuch as women are thus excluded, no question about the possession of the franchise can arise. However, so far as primacy in the ability to assume responsibility is concerned, there is from our point of view nothing to hinder her from exercising the political as well as the local franchise. E. KALLENBERG, in Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift, January, 1903.
A. D. S.
