North Dakota.-Married women may contract, control, ana dispose of their property in as full a manner as if sole.

Ohio.-A married woman has full power of control and disposition of her separate property, and may enter into any valid contract whatsoever. She may convey her realty without the joinder of her husband, but if her husband do not join, he is not barred of his estate therein.

Oklahoma.-Married women have all the property rights of unmarried ones. They may contract by themselves and sue and be sued as unmarried women; but they must be joined by the husband in the conveyance, mortgage, or contract, other than lease for 1 year, of the homestead, but not as to other property.

Oregon.-Excepting the right to vote or hold office (other than school director), a married woman has the same civil rights and privileges which are enjoyed by her husband. Expenses of maintaining and educating the family are chargeable to husband and wife, jointly or separately.

Pennsylvania.—A married woman may retain all her property, whether acquired before or after marriage, as her separate estate, and may contract as fully as if unmarried, except that she may not become accommodation indorser, guarantor, or surety for another, nor mortgage nor convey her real estate, unless the husband join in such mortgage or conveyance. She may sue and be sued with the same effect as an unmarried person, but she may not sue her husband except in a proceeding for divorce or in a proceeding to protect or recover her separate property whensoever he may have deserted or separated himself from her without sufficient cause, or may have neglected or refused to support her; nor may he sue her except in a proceeding for divorce or in a proceeding to protect or recover his separate property whensoever she may have deserted him or separated herself from him without sufficient cause.

Rhode Island.-A married woman's property is not liable for her husband's debts. She may contract the same as if single, and with the same rights and liabilities. Her property is liable to attachment for her own debts and liabilities. She may mortgage her real estate, the husband joining in the mortgage to convey his interest as tenant by the curtesy.

South Carolina.—A married woman has all the rights and privileges as to the control and disposition of her property, entering into contracts, and the like, to which an unmarried woman, or a man, is entitled. All property held by her before marriage or afterwards acquired is her separate estate.

South Dakota.-A married woman may hold her property as her separate estate, and may convey it without the consent of the husband. She may sue and be sued as if unmarried. Either husband or wife may enter into any transaction with the other, or with any other person, respecting property, subject, in transmission between themselves, to the general rules which control the actions of persons occupying confidential relations with each other; and husband and wife may hold real or personal property together as joint tenants or tenants in common.

Tennessee.-The wife may have a separate estate, consisting of real or personal property, coming to her by gift, devise, or inheritance, and this is not subject to her husband's debt. All the personalty of the wife reduced to husband's possession becomes his property. The general contracts of a married woman are void, but she may bind her separate property by contracting with reference to it only in the manner designated in the instrument under which she received it. Rents of the wife's separate real estate are exempt from her husband's debts. The husband must join in all her conveyances of real estate.

Texas. The property which the wife brings into the marriage, or acquires afterwards by gift, devise, or descent, shall be her separate estate, which is not liable for her contracts, except for expenses incurred for its benefit, or for necessaries for herself and children. She may not contract as a partner in business nor embark her separate property in trade. During the marriage, the husband has the sole management of his wife's separate property. The husband must join in the conveyance of the wife's realty.

Utah.-A husband acquires no interest in nor control of his wife's property. She may dispose of her property and enter into any valid contract as if unmarried.

Vermont.-All the wife's property is her separate estate except that received by gift from her husband. A married woman may, upon petition to and license from the court of chancery, convey her real estate without her husband joining in the deed. If she carry on a business in her own name, she may sue and be sued.

Virginia.-A married woman has power to control and dispose of her separate estate as if unmarried. She may engage in trade (but not as a partner with her husband) for her separate use and benefit, and may contract, and sue and be sued, in respect to such trade as if unmarried. The husband should join in conveyances of the wife's real estate.

Washington.-All property acquired before marriage, and that acquired afterwards by gift, devise, or descent, and the rents, issues, and profits thereof, are the wife's separate property. The wife may

manage, control, devise, encumber, and convey her separate property as if unmarried. When a married woman is a party to an action, her husband must be joined with her, except when the action concerns her separate property, or her right or claim to the homestead property, or when the action is between herself and her husband, or when she is living separate and apart from her husband; in all of which instances she may sue alone. If the husband and the wife be sued together, she may defend her own right, and, if he neglect to defend, she may defend for his right also.

West Virginia.-All property of the wife is separate except that received by or through her husband. She may make any contract with reference to her separate estate. When living apart from her husband, she may, in her own name, carry on business, and the stock and the property used in such trade, and the profits and the earnings thereof, are her sole property. Unless living apart from her husband, she may not sell nor convey her real estate, unless her husband join in the deed or other writing. She may sue and be sued without joining her husband, where the suit concerns her own estate, where the suit is between herself and her husband, or where she lives apart from her husband.

Wisconsin.-A married woman may hold her property as her separate estate and may contract generally as other adults, and may engage in business. She is not liable on surety contracts for another without the use of words expressly to charge her separate estate with the payment of the debt. A conveyance by the wife does not require the husband's joinder.

Wyoming.-Married women have the same rights to hold property and contract generally as other adults. She has all the rights of an elector and may hold office and vote as other electors. She may not, however, be appointed administrator.

PROVINCES OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA British Columbia.-A married woman may buy and sell real and personal property, sue and be sued, as if sole, and may carry on any business separate from her husband.

Manitoba.-Married women retain all property owned by them at the date of the marriage, or subsequently acquired for their own separate use, free from the debts or the control of their husbands. They are not entitled to their earnings during coverture unless a protection order be obtained from the court. A married woman may contract generally as if sole. Her separate estate is not liable for the necessaries of the family unless specially charged to her. She may convey or mortgage her real estate without the concurrence of her husband.

New Brunswick.-A married woman may deal with her separate property, and may sue and be sued, or make contracts, as if unmarried.

Nova Scotia.-By the act of 1898 a married woman may hold separate estate and do business in her own name as if unmarried.

Ontario.-A married woman may contract as if sole, and may control and dispose of her separate property; except that the husband must join in the conveyance of the real estate, unless the court order otherwise in case the husband be a lunatic or living apart from her.

Quebec.-On marriage, the parties may depart from the general laws of the province governing their property, as regards rights created by entering into the marriage contract, but they may not do so after marriage. If no marriage contract were entered into, the law of the country which at the time was the domicil of the husband governs. Otherwise, the separate property of the wife consists only of the immovables belonging to her before marriage, or acquired afterwards by succession or other equivalent title. A woman who is separated as to property from her husband may be sued for debts contracted by her, but the husband should also be summoned in the cause. She may become a public trader with the authorization of the husband, and bind her separate property, as well as the community property, for the debts thus incurred.

MECHANICS' LIENS

Alabama.-Mechanics, individuals, or corporations are entitled to liens for work performed or material furnished under any contract with the owner or proprietor, or his agent. The original contractor, when required, shall furnish a complete list of the laborers and other employes, and any contractor who then does not furnish such list shall forfeit his right to such lien. In case of the employes of the contractor and persons furnishing material to him, the lien shall extend only to the amount of any unpaid balance due the contractor by the owner or proprietor; but there must be a notice to the owner or proprietor, in writing, as to the materials and prices, and, if the owner do not object thereto, the material man shall have a lien whether the amount exceed such unpaid balance or not. The lien must be filed by the contractor within 6 months, and by every day laborer within 30 days, and by every other person within 4 months, after the indebtedness has accrued, after giving 10 days' notice to the owner or proprietor, or his agent, before filing such lien. All actions for the enforcement of the lien shall be brought within 6 months after filing the same.

Arizona.-All persons who may labor or furnish materials in the construction or repairing of any building, superstructure, canal, dam, mine, or other improvement, shall have a lien thereon. Within 90 days after the completion of such labor or the furnishing of materials, the contract must be filed in the office of the county recorder where the property is situated. If the contract be verbal, a duplicate copy of the bill of particulars should be made under oath, one delivered to the recorder and filed for record, and the other furnished the party owing the debt. Suit to foreclose such liens must be commenced within 6 months after filing the same.

Arkansas.-To secure a mechanic's lien, an account allowing all just credits must be filed by the claimant with the clerk of the circuit court of the county in which the building or other improvements are situated, within 90 days after all things shall have been furnished. The account must be sworn to.

California.-The parties entitled to a lien are mechanics, material men, artisans, architects, and laborers performing labor upon or furnishing material to be used in the construction, alteration, or repair of any building, wharf, bridge, flume, railroad, or other structure. The liens rank and must be satisfied in the following order: Laborers, material men, subcontractors, contractors. Whenever the contract