Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-21


on capital and per cent on purchases.
Like the other cooperative societies, the
women sell to members only and on cash
payments. So well have these women
succeeded with this first venture that they
have secured quarters in another section OF
the city. for a branch establishment.
Oth7r cooperative concerns have been
watching these women with Interest. and
are assisting them by buying in sugar,
coffee and spices and selling to the women
under cover.
Overworked Girls I'm Factories.
The Christmas season has begun for
thousands Of factory girls in New York
state. Many weeks before the holidays.
the factories work overtime" turning
out articles for the Christmas trade. lac
tory inspectors and others in touch with
shop conditions have long been alive TO
the fact that in these months there IL
open violation of the New York law and
wemen and young girls are kept working
thirteen and fourteen hours In a day.
But no such wholesale estimate OF the sit
uation has been got together as that en-
bodied IN q report OF an Investigation in
New York City, carried on under the Col
lege Settlements association, aided BY the
Association Of Neighborhood Workers, the
Consumers league the Women's Trade
Union league, working girls clubs and
other organizations OF a similar sort.
Some of the facts dug UP are little short
OF the sensational In their arraignm mt OF
industrial abuses, reports the Chicago Rec
ord Herald. For example, there Is the
theatrical dressmaker, who, last January,
kept girls at work from s In the morning
until ESQ the next morning, in her shop
just off Broadway. The investigator was
Miss Mary Van Kleeck OF the College Set.
tlement. Three cases from her report,
illustrative Of many others, are quoted.
Paper boxes are an important part OF
the Christmas trade. In a paper box fac
tory in New York City a girl operates the
cutting machine. TO keep ones hands clear
Of the stroke Of the knife requires constant
watchfulness, yet no protection Is pro-
vlded. The guard, which was invented to
prevent accidents, limits the output by one
half, and the girl would be discharged II
she used 1t. In rush seasons this girl
and all the others I'm the factory Uhey
number three or four hundred) work from
7;46 a. m. until at night, with a half
hour for lunch and no time for supper.
On Saturday they stop at 4:so in order that
the cheapest girls (who earn $3.50 a week.
may have time TO clean the machinery.
They frequently work on Sunday, making
total of more than seventy hours week.
To the question Would you be discharged
IL you refused to work overtime?' the an
swer was Yes
"A candy factory works from 7:15 a. m.
until 7:b p. m, with one-half hour for
dinner and no time for supper-twelve
hours in a day, FIVE days in the week. on
Saturday they work until 6:45-eleven hours
-seventy-one hours in the week
In cigar factory the women work
from a. m. until p. m, and on Satur-
day until y. m. The workers live in the
neighborhood. Promptly at ~ they rush
from the factory for dinner, returning 10
work after fifteen minutes or less. They
are piece workers, and they must lost no
time or their wages will be ve.y small.
Their working weeks in the season ore
oeding Christmas are nearly seventy hours
long"
While the factories are speeding up'' in
every departm, mt this autumn, and the
NIFTY factory inspectors are trying to watch
1900 factories in the state, the supreme
court OF New York in the appellate divis-
Ion IL about to decide whether New York
state has right TO restrict the hours OF
women's work in factories. Besides for
bidding a working week longer than sixty
hours, New York state prohibits the EN-.
ployment OF women between the hours OF
. o'clock at night and o'clock in the
morning.
The courts OF several states have given
decisions on this subject. Illinois decided
that such laws violate freedom OF contract.
but Massachusetts, Nebraska, Washington
ana Oregon and the supreme court Of the
United States have declared that freedom
or contract Ia not violated when the state
extends legal protection where (by reason
OF economic inequality the contract is not
free or where public health and public
morals demand legislative restriction.
Tn an article in the October issue OF
Charities and the Commons, Miss Van
Kleeck discusses the situation. She SAYS:
1T Is not true that factory women are
free to contract. When one side can saw
to the other. Work on these terms or lose
your job Work or starve,' the contract is
not free.
IF the public demands It, New York
state will frame wise laws for the protec-
ton OF women workers. The decision OF
the court will be the foundation. II ad-
verse. II will turn far back the progress of
Industrial betterment at the very season
of the year when legal protection is most
needed"