The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-07
THEFIFTY.FIV HOUR LAW
1t Became Operative Yesterday
Suits to Test Ii.
Special to the Jersey eItv Ne,us.

NEWARK, July Z. 1S92.-The bill known
as the Fifty-Hye Hour law passed by the
last session of the Legislatu re went into
effect vest erday. 1t Is generally believed
by the legal profession tn at the law is un.
constitutional and is one of chose sumner
Gus bills passed without discussion by
legislators in order to appease the clamot
OF the labor parry, knowing that IL would
never become effective.
Assemblyman Leonard Kalisch when
asked about this law smiled aud said that
he had not considered it carefully, but
had voted for it, rs it seemed that the
labor party desired it passed. He had
left its consideration TO Governor Albeit,
who was a lawyer u would not sign II
if it wei not all right. Governor Albeit
must have thought The Legislature had
considered it. for he signed it.
Joseph A. Beecher. counsel to the Fac
tory inspector, said Tuesday that he in
tended bringing cases into court at once,
one on each class OF labor covered by the
bill, with the Intention OF having the
constitutionality of the law settled at
once. He had prepared all the papers in
each case, leaving blank the lame OF the
persons TO be proceeded against. Deputy
Inspector Callan had promised to give
him the names OF each person at once
and he would begin proceedings imme-
diately.
TEST CASES,
There are six separate cases TO be
cases, namely
1, Men working longer than the hours pre-
scribea in the first section.
2. Men working outside OF the hours prescribed
in the first section. ~
8, Employees working afternoon on Saturday.
4. Boys or girls under the age of eighteen
years, working outside of the schedule of h,urs
prescribed in the second section Of The law.
4 Woman working 10nQQr than the hQI1ra nrn-
scrlbed.
6 Women working outside Of the scheduled
hours.
Mr.. Beecher said 1t was very difficult to
say what work was not Included in the
terms factory, workshop or esi ablish-
goods whatever is carried on" One of the
test cases, he laughingly said, might be
brought against a proprietor of a news
paper tor working his men after noon on
Saturday. When he was asked whether
he believed tha the law WIS constitu-
tional. Mr.. Beecher replied that it was
not his province to say. He was on the
other side.
TEXT OF THE LAW.
The full law IS as foliows:-
i. Be it enacted by the Senate and General
Assembly Of the Stale OF New Jersey, That on
and after the sixth day of July, one thousand
eight hundred and ninety-two, ffty-ive hours
shall constitute a weeks work in any factory,
workshop or establishment where the manu-
facture of any goods whatever is carried on;
and that the periods of employment shall be
from seven o'clock in the forenoon until twelve
O'Clock noon, and from one O'Clock in the after
noou until six O'Clock In the evening Of every
working day except Saturday, upon which last
named day the period of employment shall be
from seven O'Clock In the forenoon until twelve
o'clock noon.A : ss0s "a
2.aAnd be It enacted. That person on under
the age of eighteen years, male or female, and
that no woman above that age. shah ibeiem-
ployed In any factory, WORKSHOP or 1~nanufa
turing establishment exceptsduring the peff6ds
Of employment hereinbefore rnstfiopsffE. PRO-
TO the hours OF employment shall not applY to
perishabie goods in fruit canning establish
ments or In any factory engaged in the manu-
facture of glass. &
8. And be it enacted, That the inspector of
factories shall nveStieat any reported violation
of the provisions OF this act and of the act to
which this Is O supplement, after 1t has BEEN
discovered by him or brought to his notice. and
may proceed against the violator or ~violators Id
the manner prescribed ny the act to which this
is q supplement.
4. And be 1t enacted, That any manufacturer
or other employ er who shall VIC ate any of the
provisions Of this act shall be haole to q penalty
Of one hundred dollars for each offsnce, to be
recovered in the same way ana for the same
purpose as prescribed in the act to which this is
a supplement.
S. And be it enacted, That all acts or parts of
acts inconsistent with the provisions Of this act
are hereby repealed
Approved March e3, 1899.