Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-28
HOURS
CUT TO 80 PER
WEEK BY HOUSE
Tarver-T ippins Bill Passed by
Heavy Vote, Thursday, Cut
ting Six Hours From Weeks
Labor by Mill Hand

The Tarver-Tippins BILL providing that
no employees in cotton or wooden mills
shall be allowed to work longer. than
10 hours day, was passed Thursday
morning by the house by vote of 10
to 40
AS it is, such mill employees cannot
be employed for longer than Sc hours a
week, but if the mill owner chooses.
this time for labor can be concentrated
into less than week. The employees.
under present conditions. kept at work
for IL TO II hours a day for Ave days
and be given a half holiday on Satur-
day At most mills the employees do
work for more than IL hours for five
days in the week and get the Saturday
half holiday.
The bill that the house passed re-
duces the number of hours a week
from 66 to so, freeing the employees
from six hours of labor, and pervents
mill laborers from being worked for
longer than 10 hours on any day.
This bill applies not only to women
and children, but also to men.
OPPOSITION TO LIMIT.
4 Those who opposed 1T believed, for the
most part. that the hours mill hands
shall be required to labor should be re-
duced to 60 a week; but they thought
that the employees and owners should
he allowed to decide when this labor
shall be spent. and, If they choose, to
agree to II hours day of work during
a part of the week and holiday ON
saturday.
These opponents insisted that TIE
measure IS hurtful to the interests TO
4 the employees themselves, for the rea-
son that mill laborers would rather
work II or IL hours day for part
Of the week and get half holiday on
Saturday, than 10 work ten hours each
/ day, Saturday as well as The remainder
o. tile week. They were convinced that
IL mill owners are restricted from work
I ing their employees more than ten hours
a day the Saturday haIr holidays will
be discontinued.
The further objection was made that
IL is to the interest of employees to per-.
nit them in critical instances 10 work
overtime. Should there be sickness In
the family or some other misfortune,
such extra work would be the only
means an employee would have of meet
ing the increased expense he must bear.
BY supporters Of the measure 1T was
considered one of the most humane and,
sociologically. one of the most impor-
/ tant bills the house has ever passed.
EVIL CONDITIONS.
In speaking in its support. Mr.. Alex
ander, of DeKaIb, declared that II or
Fac hours : day In cotton or wooden
| factory means men and women degen-
crate physically and mentally and chill
dren who never have the opportunity of
development
mot only restrict their hours of la
lbor to ten hours a day" he insisted.
but give them also their half holiday
on Saturday"
Several amendments were offered TO
the bill, whicl purposed principally TO
allow mill owners to require their EN-.
ployes to work more than ten hours for
/ a part of 'he week, but not for more
than an aggregate of so hours during .ne
week EsFa
In order that an amendment with this
provision might be prepared an effort
was made TO have the bill tabled. This
motion was defeated by a vote of Sc to
%.
Mr. Alexander of DeKalb and Mr.. Tar
yer of Whitfield were the principal sup
porters of the bill. Mr.. Lovejoy of
Troup opposed II in the belief that it
is a measure that will njure the mill
employees. Mr.. Burwell of Hancock
wished to see the bill amended, but,
after the motion to table II had been
/ lost, he voted for its passage.
MR.. ALEXANDER'S SUPPORT.
In discussing the bill. Mr.. Alexander
said:
Ten hours a day is enough for any
one to work indoors, and a requirement
that the poor and the helpless, the wom-
en- and the children, shall work for a
longer time is monstrous and inhuman.
give the factory laborer his half
holiday on Saturday. but limit the hours
of hfs daily work to ten
This bill is in the interest of our
race. These cotton mills are new thing
in Georgia. and the effects of them are
beginning to be felt.
II tell you this measure aims at self
preservation. Gentlemen, II purposes to
help the poor. the woman. the child, to
prevent physical and mental deteriora-
ton of . class Of our people"
VOTE ON BILL.
Following is the vote on this measure
Ayes-Adams. Adkins. Anderson, of
Chatham; Anderson, of Floyd; Anderson,
of Gordon; lexander, Armand, Beck Bell,
| Booker, Bower, Brinson, Brown of For
syth; Bryan, Buchannon, Burney, Bur
well, Butts. Cabaniss, Calhoun. Clancy.
Christopher, Collins, of Grady; Collins,
of Mitchell: Collins, of Union; Cook,
| Cordell, Darsey Deese. DeFoor, of Clay
ton; before. of Bib; Dickey, Ellis,
of Newton; Frederick. Frohock. Gardner.
Darlington, Gastley. Cover. Creme. Har-
deman, Harper, Harrell, of Miller; Har-
rell, OF Stewart; Harris, Hayes, Hender-
son, Hines, Hires, Hixon. Hollis, copper,
opkins. Jackson, Of Munroe; James,
Johnson, Joiner. Jones, of Burke; Ken
drick, Kent, Kimbrough, Kirby. Lee,
i LeSeur. Longino, Lord. of Jackson; Lott,
MacIntyre, of Thomas. Mccarthy, Nc
Connell. Mckee. Massengale, Merritt,
Middleton. Miller, Mitchell MONTGOMERY,
of Jeff Davis, Mooty, Murphy, Nix, MIS-
l bet, Patten, Parker of Liberty, Parker
of Marion. Paulk of Ben Hill, Paulk of
Irwin, Peacock, Pickett. Pierce, Pope,
Ragsdale, Rawlins Reaves, Redwine,
Reese. Royal, Scott, Smith of Dooly,
Smith of Tattnall, Spence, Stephens,
Strickland, Stovall Stubs. Summerlin,
Taylor of Lawrence, Taylor of Ware,
Tarver, Thompson, Tippins of Appling,
Tippins of Tattnall, Tolbert, Turnipseed
Upshaw. Vinson. Waller, Waters, Watts.
White of Lawrence, White of Screven,
| Williams of Bullock. Wilson, York. YOU
mans.
Nays-Ashley, Ault, Baker, Blackshear.
Blassingame, Brannon, Bush, Chandler.
Converse. DuBose, of Wilkes, Ferguson.
/ n. q