The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-05
WORKING GIRLS
 WAGES ARE LOW
Representative Dunn of Wi|Ii- mantle Makes Serious
 Charge in House
Proposed Inquiry Into Hours of Labor and Conditions of Elm ployment in Big Mercantile Establishments

Hartford, April 5.-In the Senate the following resolution which was yesterday Senator Spellacy offered passed without dissenting voice: Section 1. That a committee, con- sisting of one senator, to be appoint ed by the president pro tenpore Of ! the senate, and four representatives, to be appointed by the speaker of the | House, be and hereby is raised to in vestigate the hours of labor and the terms and conditions of employment of the employees of the manufactur- ing departments connected with any mercantile establishment conducted by any person, firm or corporation Section 2. Said committee shall have power to compel by subpoenas, the attendance of witnesses and pro- duction of evidence pertaining to the subject of its investigation, and shall have all other powers necessary to the performance of the duties here by imposed.
 Senator Spellacy said the average weekly wages of the employees re- ferred to is from $2.5o to $5 a week. and they work in the rush season as many as thirteen hours a day. The
 committee on labor has no power of subpoena. The girls could not afford to come before the committee. They could not afford to lose the time. Senator Barnum said he was heart | fly in accord with the resolution. The resolution was passed unani- nously and sent to the House under suspension of the rules.
 MT. Dunn of Willimantic moved suspension of the rules and the pas sage of the resolution.
 Mr. Hall of Wilmington said the resolution was brought in order to give prestige to a social and labor movement now on foot in Hartford. It deals with the strike of the gar ment workers in Hartford. He is in ter the living conditions of these ] working girls -who now hardly re- ceive enough wages for food to say nothing about clothes. But this Is new business. It has never been be- fore committee and both sides have not had a chance to be heard. He did not wish to oppose the merits of the resolution, but the assembly | would be establishing dangerous precedent in acting on it at once. He favored sending it to the labor committee.
 Representative Sherman of West
 Hartford said the legislation would secure sane definite facts. 1t IS not ] taking sides. and in the interests Of a | needed reform the house should join with the senate in adopting 1t. Representative ,Meltzer of Bridge port said the argument of Represen- | tative Hall reminded him of the doc | tor who admitted to his patient that before prescribing for him he must go home and consult his books. l just resolution. Young girls and
 married women are working for from s350 a week to $500. Some of ! them are forced to sacrifice their vir-
 tue to keep body and soul together. | They work till o'clock on Saturday | nights.
 MT. Tingier, the Democratic leader ! said it is admitted that conditions ex- ist which call for legislation. There can be nothing more important for this legislature than to alleviate these conditions. What difference does it
 make, so far as time is concerned to
 refer it to a special committee, or to
 the labor committee. He favored its | passage. Mr. German of Danbury said de- plorable conditions exist throughout 1 the state in establishments where wo- | men and children are employed, not
 alone in Hartford, but throughout the
 whole state.
 | Representative Whiton of New
 London opposed passage under sus-
 fly in sympathy with it. The mat
 ter is clearly within the province of 1 the labor committee. He moved it
 be tabled for amendment that would
 allow it to be sent to the labor com 1 mittee.
 The motion to table was declared l to be lost after standing vote, by
 90 to 7S.
 Representative Murphy of Danbury
 said no committee could conduct the
 investigation any better than the la-
 bor committee. It could subpoena
 witnesses and do a thorough job.
 MT. Thoms of Waterbury said he 1 would oppose any amendment. The labor committee has it's hands full
 He trusted the resolution would pass
 without any further debate and nov
 ed the previous question.
 At the request of MT. Chandler l Chairman of the committee on la- bor), Mir. Thoms withdrew the mo- ton. MT. Chandler said there is nc question that existing evils call for ar
 ed to by the committee on labor
 which has important matters. He didn't want the house to dodge the responsibility by reference to the
 committee on labor. His position
 was that he would favor the legisla- an acute local condition in this city
 Labor matters should be dealt with sanely and conservatively and not ir the heat of passion.
 | MT. Candee of Easton objected tC
 too many special committees which
 would be meeting in different parts l of the state.
 | A yea and nay vote was called for The vote was on the suspension of the
 rules which require a two-thirds vote There was an unusually large percen.
 tage of members, who escaped votins
 either by leaving their seats or re.
 maining silent. The vote: Whole number voting 1SO Necessary for passage ..12O Those voting yea .....127 T Those voting nay ...... 53
 Amendment Offered. I MT. Whiton offered an amendment } which struck out the limitation tc
 the manufacturing side of the mer.
 cantile establishments. It broadeneG it's scope.
 MT. Ensign of Simsbury moved ad journment to Wednesday at 11:15 claiming that the members needed
 time to consider more fully. "A ris ing vote was necessary to stablist
 that the motion was lost by a vott of 89 to 49.
 Mr. Hall of Wilmington said the res
 oiution does not investigate the con dition of the girl who stands on he, feet behind the counter all day. Tn. resolution does not go far enough. I
 is introduced for specific purpos, at specific time. He believed tha1 the champions of labor are makin.
 mistake not to allow it to go or
 the table at this time.
 MT. Belcher of New London raiset