The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-07


who have appealed their case to the
supreme Court. and II Is understood
that these employers are interested in
securing change in the law for their
benefit.
The friends of child labor reform and
of the Improvement in the conditions
of working women might well have
asked for the amendment of the laws
AS to the age limit. for employment
In factories, most OF the States that
have made orphan and dependent chill
dren exceptions TO the general law have
children concerned and as making an
open door to the violation OF the Law.
Children under fourteen years OF age
are too young TO work In factories at
all, and those who are already handi-
capped BY poverty and orphanage ought
not 10 be oppressed by the laws OF
man to greater extent than their
more fortunate fellows. This plan does
not remedy anything, but only per-
petnatcs ignorance and poverty TO an-
other generation.
With regard to the hours of labor
for children. many States are already
New York, Ohio Illinois. Nebraska. Col
sorado. Oklahoma. Kansas. North Da-
ko;a and the District OF Columbia have
an eight-hour day for children under
sixteen. a bill for an eight hour day
for children has been introduced In the
Massachusetts Legislature. California.
Idaho, Delaware. Missouri and Michi-
gan have nine-hour day for children.
Twenty-Five States, including Virginia..
have tcn-hour day for children-for
children under eighteen In Massachu-
5setts, New Hampshire and Louisiana;
for children under sixteen in most OF
the others: for children under fourteen
In Arkansas. South Dakota and Eir-
glnia.
So 1t would not have been unreason-
able II the friends OF the children had
nc rad lpf tn cvrn N a AT oh
hour day for children under sixteen.
Some of the employers of these chill
drcn are asking for more than ten
hour day for children under fourteen.
that H.. for the poor little orphans and
the children OF dependent parcnts! IL
by any chance their proposal should
be enacted into law. Virginia would
stand with five cotton mill States in
ten hours a day in a factory by law.
The case is worse. II possible. when
IT comes to changing the law for work
ing women. Virginia now stands in
that have protected by law the women
who toll for daily bread, by limiting
the hours Of employment to ten day
asiaacn Ms Rhode islan mo LoniSiana
braska, Washington. oregon. Michigan.
Missouri, Oklahoma and New Jersey.
Some other States have laws not pro-
tecting them SO completely as yir-
ginla does. But there is a tremendous
Interest IN this problem also through
out theacountry. and we shall soon see
other States falling in line, while y1r-
GINA issbeinG asked to go backward.
the woman is not at home during the
hours Of daylight for good part Of
the year. TO add thirty minutes to
pretense Of giving. three hours less Of
work on Saturday is proposition that
is an insult to the chivalrous spirit Ut
the people of the Old Dominion.
IF these manufacturers are really so
lbcnevolently inclined towards their em-
5ployes as to wish them little holi-
day on Saturday. there is an easy way
to secure 1t for them. Among the
or children, or both. the most@of them
now make shorter working week
than one Of sixty hours. For example,,
Massachusetts gives to minors under
men. a. ten hour day and q fifty-siX-
hour week; mississippi. fifty eight
hour week. SIX days at ten hours
sasto wo ana be St sh 90 Bn these
a full weeks work Of sixty hours for
women or children. If the munufac-s
turers are sincere in desiring simply a.
accept as a substitute for their amend
iment one providing that the weeks
work shall consist OF not more than
8nfty-seven hours. while the working
3uhy IoH1ti tAS N " lOLl moro II IAN Ken
hours, and they will accomplish the
desired result. AZ &
AS a matter Of fact, the employees
ill8take the holiday anyway. The Gus
tories, and these arc not working over
ten hoursa day. and are not making
any complaint 10 the Legislature. The
ma any that want longer
cannot keep their help If they do not.
allow q little time off on Saturday.
Nor is Virginia unduly concerned With
are doing. Good men and women in
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