Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-04
SPIRITED HOUSE DEBATE
OVER 3. G. A. REBATE BILL
Continued from Page One.)

hy john Bryncs of Lewiston. one of
thu. officers Of the Maine Federation
OF Labor. Mr.. Brynes stated that Mas
sachusctts and other states had secr
the wisdom of giving their children
shorter hours of work as thereby the
children grow up to be better men and
women. Men who have spent their lives
in the cotton mills in this and Othe,
states, said Mr., Brynrs, will be heard
before the committee this afternoon
Tines" men have not had tn" expert
encc before the committees of the Leg
islatures but they are honest and they
know how it is for the women and
children to toll In the mills from 6
O'Clock in the morning until o'clock
at night. These are the kind of meE
who are here to give their reasons
why this kind OF legislation should be
enacted.
The first speaker was Joscrh Carlin
the secretary of the Textile Workers
Union of brunswick. He said that he
would not speak for n 5S-hour law if
he did not think that the women and
children of the state wanted or de-
served il. Working people are looking
for this and asking for it. knowing that
it is necessary. The manufacturers of
Maine have not kept up the wage
schedule of Massachusetts cities. like
New Bedford and Fall River for The
past three years The wages In MassH-
chusctts cities arc l. per cent. higher
than they were three years ago. while
the increase in Maine has not been
over 5 per cent. There are hundre Dis
and hundreds of women in the state OF
Maine who are obliged to get up 1T }
O'Clock in the morning and work all
day long in u cotton mill.
Chairman Looncv of the committee
asked Mir Carln how many states
now have the 5S-hour law.
Mr.. Carlin replied that every state
in the Union has Il 5S-hour law, With
the exception of Maine
Thi. remark of Mr.. Carlin brought
Elmer T.. Page, tn" agent of the York
mills of S2co to his feet who said
that Mr.. Carlin was mistaken and
that in the South it was Il s6-Eour
week in the cotton mills.
81 beg your pardon" replied Mr..
Cal lin. Il meant tn" New England
States"
Are we going to let the manufac-
turers take the blood out of the state
continued Mr.. Carlin. so that W" shall
only have lett a handful OF bones? Are
we to continue this condition of things
when we see the 5S-hcur law in the
states adjoining to u.s. No one can
help see the injustice on the part of
the manufacturers of Maine We hope
III.
unanimously for the passage Of this
law"
Miss Eva l.. Shorcv of Hridgton, who
was employed as ~ special agent by
the Stata bureau OF Industrial and La
Dor Statistics. told of the instances
Which She found in her work Of the
women ard children laborinG in tn"
mills.
Charles Cohurn said that he had
worked in the York mills at Saro for
81 wears He believed that the women
aad children OF Maine should have as
short working hours as the women
and children in New Hampshire.
Ms ella Jordan Mason of Biddc-
ford. Il former president OF the Maine
Federation of Wonen's Clubs. said
that from her childhood she had lived
i'm the manufacturing city oi Biddo-
ford and she could vouch for the hard
sims that the women in the mills in
that city endure. M woman should
he allowed to even stand on her feet
for q houcs in week, even if they
are not obliged to 90 their own house
work.
THE women Of today" said Mrs.
Mason. "a"e the mothers of tomorrow
and many Of them are also the mothers
of today If we want children mentally
equipped to take the places of the mel