The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-23
But he didn't believe that such would be

Dut nc ut>lTtu 10 ftuttfn the pituBtS
made to his constituency when he
was elected and hence desired TO place
himself on record. lie said that the mass
OF working people desired the passage of
the bill. There had been only
slight remonstrance to the bill,
and only one person appeared In
opposition before the committee and he
was hired attorney. The reduction OF
the hours OF labor would not be accom-
panied by a reduction of wages. Such
was not the case when the 10 hour law was
enacted, and the wage earners performed
equally as much work.
Mr.. johnson said that he wanted to
place himself on record as being in favor
of the bill. He knew about the condition
OF things in the cotton and woolen mills
and he believed that the law was needed in
the manufacturing establishments more
than in any Of the others. II was not
so much TO the honor of labor as to the
amount of labor that the bill should apply
for he did not believe that it was right
for children who were IL or IA years
of age to be compelled TO do the
work OF men. They should be at
school instead of being cooped up in the
mill. The bill did not go far enough, but
sufficient to the day was the good thereof.
Representative Cottrell OF Newport rose
to the defense OF the bill in the interest OF
capital and labor and the necessity OF the
dependence between the employer
and employed. He pronounced the bill to
be mild, wise and reasonable.
Representative Mccarthy wisely re-
Trained from discussing the measure as
one OF the majority, but he respectfully
requested the minority to say something.
IL they don't speak, they ought to give
some reason for it.
Representative O'sullivan of Cumber-
land put himself on record as favorable to
the bill, representing a constituency vi
tally interested In the measure. He
spoke from personal experience
He thought that the bill didn't go far
enough, for it should be made applicable
to adults. At.the same time it was just
and reasonable measure, and should be
enacted. "We should leave posterity,"
said he, sin better condition than we
found it when we came here"
Mr.. Honey then sprang to his feet and
turning to the minority side of the House
he begged and implored them to
speak upon the question. He said
that he hoped that they would
not act as they had done at the time Of
the debate on the Governors message.
Such conduct was unjust, IT was un-
gentlemanly, and the restrictions OF
parliamentary language only prevented
him from telling them just what
he thought OF such actions.
He said that there were members
Of the Masonic fraternity in the minority
and he called upon them to remember
their oath by which they had pledged
themselves tinn ,hnt an;, to support the regnlao
equal parts of s hours each. He
then proceeded to reply to possible OBJ
jections and said that it was the duty of
the House to pass this important piece of
legislation even IL the Senate and the
Governor had broken their constitutional
oaths and might do so again.
DIR. Garvin, the father OF the bill, said
he should introduce a resolution at the
close OF the debate fixing the time for
taking the vote on the measure on
Tuesday next at II o'clock. Speaker Owen
desired to speak on the bill, and
the postponement OF the vote was taken
in Difference to him. The speaker then
gave a formidable array of statistics from
New England states of increased mill
equipment and value Of production under
the 10-hour system.
Representative III. +. jerks OF Paw
tucket said he had been looking over the
bill, and he wanted to know IL a healthy,
robust woman desired to work more than
81 hours per week, would she be prevented
from doing so?
DIR. Garvin said that women would be
prevented from working overtime, and
that is what he desired.
Representative Allen of East Greenwich
proceeded to poke fun at the Democracy
for presenting bill which they were dis
satisfied with. There was ample law on the
statue books for the protection of minors,
being employed under the
age OF II. He suggested an amendment
substituting six hours per day and SO
hours per week for and "a wherever they
occur in the bill. He charged the
majority with inconsistency.
Representatives Mccarthy, Mulholland
and Garvin proceeded to criticise his
amendment as calculated TO injure the
bill and defeat its enactment.
The amendment was rel scted on the
roll-call by vote OF 20 ayes to 81 nays-a
strict party vote.
Representative Wilson replied to some
of the remarks of the gentlemen from
Newport and Cumberland. lie said that
any claim that wages would not be redu-
ced by the reduction OF the hours of labor,
was nonsensical. He directed
shot at Col. Honey for his warm eulogy
of DR.. Garvin who had read
lot OF statistics showing that manufac-
turies had fiourished under the protective
tariff. Under his amendment men
could make such contracts as they
saw fit as TO the hours OF labor.
He questioned the constitutionality of
the bill, and said he was not afraid to 90
home to his constituency after having
placed himself on record as opposed to the
bill, the operative will have 60 stand the in
creased cost. and that is the consumer. He
inquired OF DR.. Garvin why he didn't put
the word "person In the bill so as to
make il applicable to adults He charged
the Deidocracy with being afraid to insert
this i'm the hill as they doubtless do not
desire to interfere with the right OF man
ufacturers to make contracts.
He wanted the majority of the
House to put itself on record in thus at
tempting to fix the hours of labor and
prevent contract for a longer time, and
not hide behind the petticoats Of women
and children. He introduced his amend
ment substituting "persons" i'm place OF
"women and minors in the different
sections and il was seconded by Repre-
sentative Allen.
There was further discussion partici-
pated in by Representatives Garvin, Honey
and Wilson, and the amendment was re-
jected on party vote. Boss Honey accused
the minority OF unfsirness TO the majority
in not alternating in the debate rather
than delaying their arguments TO a late
hour.
The Garvin resolution fixing the time