the sanitary conditions were bad.

Home industry in Finland (as well as in Sweden and Norway) has recently
shown a striking growth. It was on the point of succumbing to the cheap
factory products. In order to perpetuate the industry, schools for
housewives were established in connection with the public high schools in
the rural districts. In these schools were taught, in addition to domestic
science and agriculture, various domestic handicrafts that offered the
women a pleasant and useful activity during the long winters. Not being
carried on intensively, these handicrafts could never lead to exploitation
and overwork.

In 1864 the guardianship of men over unmarried women was abolished.
Married women are still under the guardianship of their husbands. Since
1889, the wife has been able to secure a separation of property by means
of a contract. She has control of her earnings when joint property holding
prevails. The unmarried women taxpayers and landowners have been voters in
municipal elections since 1865. In the rural districts they have also had
the right to hold local administrative offices. Just as in Sweden, they
have the right to participate in the election of ministers; and since 1891
and 1893 they have had active and passive suffrage in regard to school
boards and poor-law administration.

Taking advantage of the collapse of Russia in the Far East, Finland--in
May, 1906--established universal active and passive suffrage for all male
and female citizens over twenty-four years of age. She was the first
European country to take this step. On March 15, 1907, the Finnish women
exercised for the first time the right of suffrage in state elections.
Nineteen women were elected to the Parliament (comprising 200
representatives). The women belonged to all parties, but most of them were
adherents of the Old-Finnish party (having 6 representatives) and of the
Socialist party (having 9 representatives). Ten of the women
representatives were either married or were widows. They belonged quite as
much to the cultured, property-owning class as to the masses. This
Parliament was dissolved in April, 1908. In the new elections of July, 25
women were elected as representatives. Here again most of the elected
women belonged to the Old-Finnish party (with 6 representatives) and to
the Socialists (with 13 representatives). Nine of the women
representatives are married. Of the husbands of these women one is a
doctor, one a clergyman,