Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 4.djvu/907

 vided this deduction shall only be made when said property amounts to $5,000, and the heirs be not descendants; although it may exceed this sum in the absence of the latter. Also from the property of the wife the fourth shall be deducted as the marital right of the husband, and upon the same conditions, should the husband without this aid remain poor." If there are no legitimate children surviving, the widow or widower shall be heir to all the acquired property of the marriage community.

By act of 1897, a mortgage not executed by the wife shall in no wise affect the homestead rights of the wife or family.

By act of 1899: "The signature or consent of the wife shall not be necessary or requisite in any conveyance, incumbrance or alienation of real property owned by the husband, whether such property became his before or during coverture; but the right to make such conveyance or create such incumbrance shall exist in the husband to the same extent as though he were unmarried."

The father is the legal guardian of the minor children.

The husband is not required by law to support the family.

In 1887 the "age of protection" for girls was raised from 10 to 14 years, with penalty of imprisonment not less than five nor more than twenty years.


 * Women have no form of suffrage.


 * In 1899 a bill passed for appropriations, etc., for the Deaf and Dumb Asylum recommended the appointment of two women on the Board of (five) Trustees. The appointments were duly made and confirmed.

Women serve as members of county school examining boards.

The new office of supervising teacher of the Government Indian Pueblo Schools has been filled by Miss Mary E. Dissett.

Women are special masters in court, notaries public, court and legislative stenographers in Spanish and English and census enumerators. In the last two administrations a woman has acted as private secretary to the Governor.

A. woman has been appointed commissioner for New Mexico to take testimony in Indian depredation claims.

At a Territorial Irrigation Convention, in 1900, one woman was a duly elected delegate, taking part in the discussions, etc.

All professions and occupations are open to