The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-22
COURT sUsTA|Ns
T[N-HOURsTATUTE
Highest Tribunal Dismisses
Petition of Danville Knit
ting Mills.
FINES IMPOSED HELD
TO BE PROPERLY LEVIED
Sentence of Police Court Against
the Manufacturing Company
Sustained. Fruitless Fight
to Amend Law.

Ten hours work constitutes a days
labor in Virginia
Although this point has been con-
tested for many months by the Dan
vile Knitting Mills. the Supreme
Court of Appeals has decided the mat
ter. and 1t is not anticipated that
Commissioner OF Labor Doherty will
experience any further difficulty in
enforcing the law.
Although the labor laws were pass
ed in 1890. they were not enforced
rtgidly until 1905, when all mills
and factory owners we're warned that
ten hours work was all that could
be exacted Of a man. woman or child.
although certain exceptions were
made for men. The latter are allow
ed to work overtime, or double shift
fer double compensation, -ift-the-
cases of women and children. thous-
ands of whom are employed In the
knitting and cotton mills, and tpbac-
co and shoe factories and other ppen-
ufacturing plants in the State. more
than ten hours work is prohibited
BY law.
Proceed Against Mill Owners.
On September "a, Is0a, Commits
sioner of Labor Dohersy swore out
a warrant for the officials OF the
Danviiie Knitting Mills, alleging two
violations of the labor laws. consist
Ing of working a woman and a child
ten and a half hours. The mill own
ers stubborniy resisted the case. They
pleaded not guilty to the charge OF
violating the law, and In their re-
ply declared that while they required
ten and a half hours work on Ave
days week. they deducted the Ave
added half hours from Saturdays
work. and made the labors on that
day two hours and q half shorter.
After a long-drawn-out fight the Po-
lice Court OF Danvilie imposed fine
OF $3.50 In each of the two cases.
making the total fines IS. the mini
mum penalty under the law. The
company appealed u the Corpora
ton Court. which sustained the Po-
lice Court.
A petition for an appeal was filed
with the Supreme Court of Appeals
OF the State last December. The Pc
tition was dismissed by the court
Monday afternoon. and the case
stands finally adjudicated against the
Danville Knitting Mills and In favor
of the -ten-hour labor law as II Is
written on the law books.
Wanted Special Law Passed
The dismissal OF the knitting mills
petition for appeal recalled TO Com
missioner of Labor pohertyss mind
the Edmonsou bin. which was intro
dueed in the Senate by the Halifax
solon. looking toward the lssalasa--
ton OF a work day of ten and a half
hours 1t 10 understood that this bin
VAS introduced AT the instgation of
the Danvillc Knitting Mills, which
sought u legaIize an act for which
II had already been punished by the
Police Court.
Commissioner 81 La bor pefserty and
hundreds of women from all oyer the
State fought the bin hard. 1t pro-
vided that In instances where the wo-
men and children employed tsa- mills
or factories wished to work ten and
q half hours a day they might be al
lowed TO do so, provided they were
not worked more than 60 hours q
week and were given hah holiday on
Saturday. The opposition To the Ed
monson bill was 80 strong that the
measure amending the labor laws was
never reported from the committee
to which It was referred
Tho Ten-Hour Law.
The section OF the law which the
Edmonson bill sought to amend toll
lows:
Sec. 3657b To regulate The
hours OF labor in factories where
females and children under four
teen years of age are employed as
operatives.
No female and no child under
fourteen years OF age shall work
as an operative in any factory or
In any manufacturing establish
nient In this State mere than ten
hours In any one das of twenty
four hours. All contracts made
tfE ,A sYoa Ia n hss ami n Ant
OF any female. or of any child
under fourteen years of age, as
an operative in any factory or
manufacturing establishment 10
work more than ten hours In any
one day of twenty-four hours are
and shall be void.
ANY person having the author
ity to contract for the employ
ment OF persons az operatives In
any factory or manufacturing es-
tablishment. who shall engage or
contract with any female or any
child under fourteen years OF age
to work as an operative in such
factory or manufacturing estab-
liehment during more than TEN
hours in any one day OF twenty
four hours, shall be guilty of
nisdemeanor. and be fined not
less than five nor more than TWEEN
ty dollars"
Although advocates OF the Edmon-
xon amendment to the law repeatedly
asserted that the women and chill
drcn were heartily In favor Of work-
ing ten and a half hours a day. 10
40 to have half holiday on Saturday,
Il was noticed that no representative
Of the working people appeared to
champion the measure. On the other
hand. the labor representatives In the
Senate and House vigorously opposed
Il.