d so that women's names should remain on the registration list
so long as they continued to reside and pay their taxes in the place
where they were registered. Even now, however, it requires constant
watchfulness on their part to have this done. In 1890 the poll tax as
a prerequisite for voting was abolished for men, and in 1892 for
women. Only a few weeks in each year were set apart when women might
register until 1898, when it was enacted that the time of registration
should be the same for both.

The School Suffrage includes only a vote for members of the school
board and not for supervisors, appropriations or any questions
connected with the public schools. Women are not authorized to attend
caucuses or have any voice in nominations of school officers. As they
were thus deprived of all voice in selecting candidates, an
association, Independent Women Voters, was formed in Boston in 1889 by
Mrs. Eliza Trask Hill, who served as president until 1896, when she
removed from the city, and Mrs. Sarah J. Boyden has filled the office
since then. This organization, which was entered at the registration
office as a political party, holds a caucus in each ward between
January 1 and April 1 every year and nominates candidates for the
School Board. Such nomination by 100 or more legal voters entitles
their names to be placed on the Australian ballot. Some of the
nominees of the Independent Women Voters are often accepted by the
regular parties, but even when this is refused they are sometimes
elected over the Republican or Democratic candidates.

Because of the conditions attached and the small privilege granted it
is remarkable that any considerable number of women should have voted
during these past years. When School Suffrage was first granted, in
1879, only 934 women voted, and for the first seven years the average
was only 940. Since then there has been a large increase of interest.
During the past seven years the number never has fallen below 5,000.
In 1898, 5,201 women voted; in 1899, 7,090; in 1900, 9,542; and this
year (1901) there were 15,545 names on the register and 11,620 voted.
The highest number was reached in 1888, when under special
circumstances 25,279 women were registered and 19,490 voted.

OFFICE HOLDING: Women have served as School Committee (trustees) since
1874. For some time previous to 1884 they could hold by appointment
the offices of overseers of the poor, trustees of public libraries,
school supervi