The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-07-19
Hours of Labor In Manufactures.
A RECORD OF 1854.

ARECORD OF 1854.
A contest occurred in the Pennsyl
vania Legislature, at the session of 1856.
upon bill limiting labor in manufac
turing establishments. We recur al
this time to that contest for the reason
that our present candidate for Governor
was then member Of the State Senate
and took part in the proceedings upor
the bill.
! March 9th, 1851, on motion of Mr.
| Foulkrod the Senate proceeded to thu
consideration Of House bill, No. 80
The first and material section of tht
bill was as follows
"That no male or female operative
under the age of twenty-one years
shall under any contract be employed
in any cotton, woolen, silk, flax bag
ging or paper manufactures, in this
commonwealth, for longer period
than ten hours in any ono day, or sixty
hours in any one week."
The vote on taking up the bill was
yeas, IS; nays, 8; Mr.. Buckalew voting
in the Affirmative. (Senate Journal
5S9.) The bill passed committee of the
whole and was made the order of the
day for the following Tuesday.
March 2Sth, the consideration of the
bill was resumed, on second reading.
On motion of Mr.. Darlington to make
ten hours in any one day, read cleven
hours, and to make Sigty hours in any
one week read SirtyyFUe hours, the vote
was: yeas, II; nays, II, and it was re.
jected; Mr.. Buckalew voting in the
negative. (Senate Journal, G26.) Pend
ing the consideration of the bill, the
Senate adjourned.
March Goth the bill was again taken
up. An amendment moved by Mr..
Slifer to except certain counties from
the operation of the bill, was voted on
and lost, yeas, II nays, 10. An amend
ment was then added, on motion of Mr..
Hester, as proviso, to the first Sec
ton. 1t was carried by vote of % to
s, (Mr, Bucllalew absent and read as
follows:
"Pro vided, That minors above the
age of sixteen years may be employed
under contracts for period not exceed
ing eleven hours in sny one day with
the full and free consent of such minors
and their parents and guardians"
The bill was then postponed.
April 7, 1854. consideration of bill
resumed and after some unimportant
amendments it passed to a third reading
A motion was then made by Mr.. Ham
ilton that the Senate 60 into committee
of the whole to strike out Mr.. Hiester's
proviso as given above. This motion
was agreed to, yeas, II nays, II; Mr..
Buckalew voting in the affirmative.
The proviso was accordingly struck out.
A motion was then made to 60 again
into committee of the whole in order
to amend the bill by striking out the
words, "cotton, wool, silk, fax, bagging
or paper" and make it apply generally
to manufacturing establishments. This
motion was carried, IS to 13, and the
bill being reported from committee so
amended the report was agreed to, yeas,
II; nays IA; Mr.. Buckalew in both
cases voting in the affirmative.
The bill then passed the Senate finally
yeas, 27 nays, 4; Mr.. B. voting for it.
(,Senate Journal, IT'S, Legislative Union,
274.)
The House afterwards non-concurred
in the Senate amendments and COM
mittee of conference was appointed,
consisting on the part of the Senate of
Messrs. Kunkcl, Buckalcw, and Crabb.
May 8th, Mr.. Kunkel from the commit
tee of conference reported TO the Senate
that the committee had agreed to re-
commend that the House should recede
from their non concurrence in the SEN
ate amendments and agree to the bill
as amended. This report was adopted
by the Senate unanimously. (,Senotc
Journal, 1869; Legislative Union, 4O3. J
Thus this protracted controversy
came to an end, so far as the Senate was
concerned, in the triumph of q liberal
and general measure to prevent abuse
by over-work of persons of tender years
in the manufacturing establishments of
the State. But, we regret to say, that
the enemies of the measure succeeded
after all in defeating it in the House of
Representatives In that branch the
report of the committee of conference
failed of adoption after several votes
relating to it, the last of which, upon a
motion of postponement, stood SS to
33. We have, however, referred to this
record for the purpose stated in the
outset, and for the further purpose of
calling attention to this question of the
employment of boys and girls in man.
ufactories. 1t seems to us that we
ought to have statute to prevent their
being over-worked when they are una.
BILE to judge for themselves or subject
las they are in many cases. to indiscreot
or unfeeling control of others.