Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-03
WOMEN FIGHTING MONEY.

I'M NlSft ~
Every time All important reform meas
ure is put before a Legislative body, it
brings out protesting "business men, in
full force. We always, or nearly always,
find business mems associations, CONNER
cial organizations, boards of trade, cham
bers of II and similar institutions
we'll represented among the opposition
whenever it is proposed to eliminate the
liquor traffic, place restrictions on EN-
ployers for the benefit of employees, wipe
out or restrain commercial gambling,
stop gambling N horse races or other
wise interfere with established business
interests" Missourians have recently
had the truth of this statement brought
home to them by the unanimity with
which the commercial organizations of
the large cities of the state have protest
ed against the passage of a resolution by
the legislature to submit the prohibition
question to a vote Of the people in 1910.
Illinois has had like proof since the in
PRODUCTION Of bill TO limit woman EN-.
ployes' workdays to eight honrs. On
exactly the same issue, Tennessee not
long ago had a similar experience, Other
states can also offer corroborative testi.
mony.
Women WHO are leading the fight in
women behalf in Illinois have found
that their most. powerful opponent--and
one sufficiently powerful to cause them
some concern-is the Illinois Manufacture
ers' association. This organization, of
course, represents all the ri h manufac-
turing interests of the state. 1t opposes
an s hour workday for women, because
such a worktiay would increase factory
operating expenses. 1t offers the old ar
gument over again of the dollar against
the best interests of the people These
men, doubtless many Of them priding
themselves IN their public spirit, have
probably convinced themselves that it is
a particularly good thing for women to
work in factories and mills for from 10 to
Is hours a day. Undoubtedly they think
that the women in their employ owe
them a debt of gratitude for permitting
;, them to work at all. That they owe
their employees anything more than a
weekly wage, however, never occurs &c
them. When anyone tells them tina,
long %workdays ruin. human lives, they
scott, but when they declare that short
workdays ruin business, they expect the
world to sympa,hise with them. The
cry that is being raised in Illinois today
is the same cry that has been raised by
every business institution that has had tt
confront the S.hour question. The typo
graphical union WIS told some years age
that it would lie impossible for the pub
fishers to continue in business if thu
workday Of the publishing plant employ
es should be shortened. lut the work
day was shortened siiortenc,
and publishers are still publishing
Today, there are, probably few publish
ers who, if they spoke their convictions
would not confess that they get bette
service from men who work 8 hours
day or less than they ever obtained from
men who were required to work 9 and II
I, hours a day. Bnt when you argu
against long workdays you argue agaius
the profits and, in the majority of cases
nothing short Of force will win the day
The power to protect women and child
( rem wage earners rests with Il legislativ
. bodies. The issue is the public good O,
one hand and sel6shness Oh the other
. Woman's National Daily
u.