United labor bulletin., 1911-03-02

At this time, when there is pending in
the state legislature bills for an eight
hour day for women and child labor
bill, the report of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor on the working
hours of wage-earning women in Chi
cago, which touches on child labor, is
most opportune.
In the house there are two child labor
bills-by Representative Lafferty and
Leftwich That which bears the name
of Leftwich is the most desired by the
labor lobby at the Capitol because 1t de-
fines how the law may be made effective
This bill should be passed.
There are two womens eight-hour bills
one in the house by Mrs. Lafferty, and
the other a senate bill by Harvey E.
Garman. These bills are conceded to be
good bills, and 1t has been agreed that
they shall be combined under the name
of the Garman-Lafferty bill This bill
should be passed.
The laboring men of the state OF Colo
rado have their eyes on the legislature
and expect it to place these two bills on
the statute books of the state.
There are other bills that should be
passed-such as the Bellesfield eight
hour bill for men working in mines, mills
and smelters-but that bill is SO import
ant II should be dealt with singly-
bills above mentioned should become
laws. We have but to sight the report
of the bureau of labor to show the crying
need for these laws.
The article presents the results of an
Investigation by the bureau into working
hours of women in certain industries in
Chicago during the busy seasons of 1908
and 1909 before the recent 1Qhour law
was put into effect, and compares the
bod Of rp1, trllsa
with the number worked when business
is normal Fifty-seven establishments.
employing nearly $500 women, in seven
industries were studied. and 2,006 woman
employees furnished personal data OF the
total females employed in the seven in
dustries, Goa were under 16 years of age
The II paper-box-making establishments
Investigated employed 1868 of the chill
dren and the eight establishments en-
gagged in candy making employed l63 of
| the remainder. Howevsr.. IN Illinois no
child under 16 years of age may be le-
sally employed longer than hours a
day in any industry. The article treats
only of females G years of age and over.
In the eight candy factories inyesti-
gated ii was found that the siN-day week
was the rule in the season of normal ac-
tiyity. but during the rush" season in
some OF the establishments the employees
l
addition 70 working 13ik to II hours on
the other days Of the week. The dura-
tion OF the busy season is from TO 16
weeks. and many women are unable long
to withstand the fatigue of these hours
through that period. OF the 499 women
who reported. 9 worked 92ik hours dur
ing single week of the rush season and
1873 worked 70 to S5 hours. The prevail
ing system of payment is on piece-rate
basis. and this evidently explains in part
why any OF the employees are willing to
work such long hours.
There is steady demand throughout
| the year for the product of paper-boS
| factories, but the number of boxes
needed 10 supply the demand during the
shopping season Immediately preceding
| Christmas was sufficiently large TO cause
seven of the Chicago establishments TO
Increase considerably the working hours.
| The pressure usually begins about Sep
iemher / and continues until Christmas
day. One establishment reported having