Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-10
Maine Textile Workers e.
feet An Organization.
Officers Chosen and Other Bus.
mess Transacted Sunday.
Resolves Regarding Referendum,
Child Labor, 48.nour Law.

| OF the State was held in FOresterS' hall
| in Darby block sunday. commencing
in the morning and continuing through
out the day. for the purpose of ef-
fecting a permanent organization in
Maine. The meeting was Il large onA.
there being - delegates present ana
With one exception every hllll in the
| State was represented.
The day was Il busy one and large
amount of business was transacted. in
| cluded in which was the election of the
| following officers:
President-John RyrneS of Lewiston.
Secretary-Tl easurer-Joseph Carlin OF
| brunswick.
Board of Auditors-John Byrnes and
Samuel II. Booth of Lewiston and G. II.
CobuIn of Biddeford.
1t was also voted that the above
board of officers should constitute the
executive committee.
Resolutions were passed demanding
the initiative and referendum, and i'll
favor of letter and more efficient child
labor and truant laws AMI demanding
their faithful execution by honest Gffi-
Gals.
Tine question Of the 5S-hOur law was
| also taken up and the following resolu-
lion. Formulated by Messrs. Samuel II.
Booth. &. II. COburn and ]. w. Quinn,
was adopted:
Whereas, 1t is generally admitted by
thinking men, who have made Il study
Of economic and industrial and eco
nomc questions. that where hours of
labor are the least wages are the high
est and civilization has its standard adj
vanced, while where hours of labor are
the longest wages are the lowest ana
the greatest human misery is to be
found. Therefore. we should spare 10
effort to reduce the hours Of labor cf
the women and minors of our State,
that it may elevate them socially. NOR
ally. physically and mentally. There
fore he it
Resolved. That we. the Textile Work
crS of Maine do hereby ask and de-
manl that the Legislature of this State
pass q law making 80 hours per week
| the limit of labor for women and min
| orS in factories and shops.
Speeches in favor of the 5S-hour law
were made by many of the delegates
present, among them Mr.. Carlin of
| Brunswick. who advocated it strongly.
Mr.. Carl!n said in effect that he thought
| that it was time Maine had the law.
| Many other states had it. and the fact
| that Maine still had the G0-hour day act
| cd as a deterrent to other states rcdnc-
| ing tn" hours of labor. Continuing. he
| said that tho manufacturers of 9th, l.
| states wh,"r the law was in force were
not suffering thereby and in proof of his
statement c.t"G cities in Massachusetts
| where. ne said. NV mills are being quilt
| every year He further said that with I
shorter day tho Maine manufacturers
would have less difficulty in getting help.
| as those who come from places where
| the !S-hour law is III force and have to
| work 60 hours per week do not stay but
return TO the places from whence they
came.
Another point that he made was that
the old-fashionod machinery WAS being
replaced by that which was faster and
| more improved and which called for
| quicker work on the part of the operator
| and forced more of Il strain upon him.
| making him more tired at the close Of
| tie days work and deprivinE him of the
| desire to indulge i'm such recreation as he
| would otherwise enjoy. He also elaine,
| that shorter hours and the resulting in.
crease in the time to be devoted to RESI-
and recreation would render the opera
tive more fiji for duty and that thercb,
he would produce n better quality Of
| work.
A final adjournment Of the convention
was reached late in tn afternoon. an'
the next meeting will he held subject t.
call by the members of tho "xecutivt
committee.