The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-24
THAT N|N-A0JR Bill.
Al| the SaIeswomen in the
Big Stores Oppose It.
|FHROTTLER OF w0MAN's AMBITION
She Must Resign Her Place to Man
Who VIII BE Permitted TO Hustle
All Day Without Watching the
Clock.

The Garvin committee having concluded
Its hearings on the meddlesome nine
bour-for-women-an -and-boys bill, that inter-
peting measure is now being wrcstled
With in the House of Representatives. So
|er a. the employees of manufacturing es-
Adjustments were affected of course there
Was no opposition, but Immediately it was
discovered that the bill would Iclose up
fhe big dry goods stores at 8 o'clock Sat-
|zEday evenings, and prevent the women
Ind boys therein from doing the work
which means progress and money to
<hcm, or that men might do, there was
natural hue and cry.
The consequence is, the following
betition was signed to the number Of
khree or four hundred and sent to the
while Hon. Henry w. Hayes
&b]y represented the employees at the hear
|ngs:
10 the Honorable the General Assembly OF the
state Of Rhode Island at its January session, 1894
The undersigned employees OF mercantile estab-
|ishments in the city OF Providence.
Especially but emphatiealiy protest against
HE enactment Of any law which will
byevent any employer and employee, or
Sny employer and the parent guardian OF any
>mployce in any mercantile establishment In th il
tate, from making such agreements relating TO said
Employment such persons may deem best for the ir
Respective interests And we especially protest
&<ainst, and humbly petition your honorable body
hot 20 enact that portion of the bill known as the
fEfnc Hour Law now pending before you, which
feiat,s to the employment Of women and minors
kinder 10 years of age in mercantile establish
ncnts
VIC believe that the proposed measure is sex leg
eIation in its worst form. II destroys OF .he
|ew opportunities for women TO enter into honora-
bIc competition with men; and that is subversvc
the best business interests, as IL limits the OPP
fortunity OF bright children TO obtain the thorough
business education which is essential TO success
IA business life.
| Not only are the big dry good stores af-
[ected, but every establishment of what
tyer nature comes under the proposed law
1.-The market, grocery, news stands, print
ing Offices, where many young women and
boys are now engaged in the lucrative
)rade Of type setting, the country store,
perhaps even the postmistress, the
women cashiers and bookkeepers
how 80 numerous In all sorts OF business
ablishments, the bundle boy, the
toungster who bustles the market team.
Xf the cash does not balance the young
.1dy bookkeeper must close up her books
HARP at 8 and 60 home, and she must not
bpon them az ain before o'clock the next
morning.
In the Big Stores.
OF course the big dry goods establish
|ncnts will be the principal sufferers by
<h1s ridiculous bill, and the employees will
&uffer not less than their employ
hrs. Indeed such measure
-. 81 - .rfx
u their employment and their places
|tould be taken by men whom the law
|Fould allow TO work. But I'm as great
broportion every smaller mercantile in
crest where girls are employed would
&n{Icr as well as the girls them
&clvcs. All this is so plain
HAT the large number OF ambitious
olcswomen In town readily signed the
nbove quoted petition.
The bill would not be so bad IL IL allow
"a an average of hours work q day i'm
<oad OF restricting the hours
- nine In any one day In the big dry
oods houses the employees 60 TO work at
IA the morning, have an hour for dinner
&nd 20 out at o at night. That makes
nsf nine hours work day. On Saturdays
1ud during the holiday week the work
nsts until 10 o'clock with from half or
hree quarters OF an hour to an hour for
upper, making n day OF ~ hours. BY
ncreasing tho length OF the "noon hour
Ime could be saved for Saturday
f8h view TO a 9-hour average, but the
~ Insists that no one days work shall
hid The employee more than nine hour.
r< even otherwise IL would be bad
ooeh bill. f
now these big dry goods houses have
~ 70 b. important ficIds for the busi-
~ woman. They arc run on the most
md u tyslcpp that exist ip trade Thare
magnificent field for ambition and
I|rccI recognition OF services well per-
1ncd. Women occupy positions rs de-
E1nont beads and buyers ct salaries