of women, the powerful Relief Society, the Young
Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association and the Federated Clubs leading
in all good movements. Results in the enactment of welfare laws for
women and children have been very gratifying. The women's committees
of the various organizations meet at the State Capitol during the
legislative sessions and go over very carefully every bill in which
they are interested. If after investigation a bill meets with their
approval it is endorsed and every effort is made to secure its
passage. From 1911 to 1917 the women's legislative committee secured
copies of laws already in successful operation in other States and
framed bills to meet their own needs. These were always submitted to
two young lawyers, Dan B. Shields and Carl Badger, who corrected any
flaws which might jeopardize their constitutionality. Among the women
who comprise these committees are Mrs. Cohen, chairman, Miss Sarah
McLelland of the Relief Society; Mrs. Adella W. Eardley and Mrs. Julia
Brixen of the Y. L. M. I. A.; Mrs. Richards and Mrs. Hayward of the
Suffrage Council; Mrs. C. M. McMahon, president, Mrs. Peter A.
Simpkin, Mrs. A. V. Taylor and Mrs. Seldon I. Clawson, members of the
Federation of Women's Clubs.

In many Legislatures since statehood there have been women members and
their work has been along expected lines. In 1896, the year Utah was
admitted to the Union, Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon was elected to the
State Senate, the first woman in the United States to receive that
honor. Several women were elected to the Lower House then and others
in the years following. Needed reform measures were secured by Mrs.
Mary G. Coulter, who sat in the Lower House and was made chairman of
the Judiciary Committee in 1903. There was a long interim when no
women were sent to the Legislature but in 1913 four were elected, Mrs.
Annie Wells Cannon, Dr. Skolfield, Mrs. Elizabeth Ellerbeck Reid and
Mrs. Annie H. King. They were instrumental in securing the Mothers'
Pension Law and the Minimum Wage Law and through Mrs. Cannon the
bureau of emigration labor was provided with a woman deputy to look
after the women and children workers. Utah already had an equal
guardianship law but largely through the efforts of Mrs. Cannon it was
improved and is now regarded as a model and has been copied by other
States. She is a representative daughter of Mrs. Wells.

In 1915 Mrs. Elizabeth A. Hayward and Mrs. Lily C. Wolstenholme were
elected