the General Assembly of 1898 the E. R. A. finally obtained the
law making it mandatory to have at least one woman physician in each
State insane asylum, for which they had been petitioning ten years.
Representative W. C. G. Hobbs introduced the bill into the House,
where it passed by a vote of 77 ayes, 4 noes. Mr. Bronston supported
it in the Senate, where it received 26 ayes, one no. It was approved
by Governor Bradley March 15.

In the same year the benevolent associations of the women of
Louisville secured an act providing for police matrons in that city,
the only first-class one in the State, which was approved by the
Governor March 10.[287] The first police matron was appointed March 4,
before the law required it, at the request of women and through the
influence of Mayor Charles P. Weaver, Chief of Police Jacob H. Haager,
Jailer John R. Pflanz and Judge Reginald H. Thompson. By the action of
the State Board of Prison Commissioners this year, two women were
appointed as guards for the women's wards in the penitentiary, their
duties being such as usually pertain to a matron.

This year the Women's Club of Central Kentucky set on foot a movement
for a free library in Lexington. Senator Bronston secured a change in
the city charter to facilitate this object. The act provides that the
library shall be under the control of a board of five trustees and was
intentionally worded to make women eligible. Mayor Joseph Simrall
appointed two of the club women, Mrs. Mary D. Short and Mrs. Ida
Withers Harrison. This is the first free library established in
Kentucky.

Owing to the turbulent political conditions in the General Assembly of
1900, the State association did not send its usual committee to the
capital. However, a committee from the W. C. T. U. did go, and
succeeded in securing an appropriation to build the young women's
dormitory at the State College, receiving in this effort the
encouragement of the E. R. A., as agreed upon at their convention of
1899.

The history of the State association would not be complete without
recording its failures. In 1893 an effort to raise the "age of
protection" for girls from 12 to 18 was made a part of its work. It
was deemed expedient to place this in the hands of a special
committee, Mrs. Thomas L. Jones and Mrs. Sarah G. Humphreys consenting
to assume the arduous task. Mrs. Henry wrote a strong leaflet on the
"age of protection," and Mrs. Humphreys sent many articles to the
pre