Evening journal., 1911-05-05
COMMEND THE
GOVERNOR
Board Of Trade in Accord
With His Refusal to Sign
Woman Inspector Bill
SEVERAL MEMBERS
ENDORSE HIS ACTION

Members of the Board of Trade last
evening commended Governor S. 5.
Pennewill for not signing the bill TO
regulate the hours of employment Of
women. The members, irrespective
Of politics. spoke in behalf of the
Governors action. The opinion
seemed general that. neither local
manufacturers nor employees wanted
woman factory inspector with such
broad powers as the bill gave as to
ordering machinery out of service.
The question was brought up by
J. II. Mehaffey, who said he wished
to bring before the meeting "seri-
Gus question" He said it was the
unjust criticism Of Governor Penne-
will for refusing TO allow the Con
sumers' League bill to become a law.
He said il was a bad bill. and the kill
ing of IT. was benefit to local manu-
facturcrs. Mr. Mehaffey declared that
the Governor should not be beratcd
in the way he is because it was un-
just. He said the Governor realized
that the bill was not just one to the
manufacturing in terests of Delaware
Mr.. Mehaffey asked the members %
express themselves ON the subject
President Purdy said that the mem
bers in a previous meeting had as
sured Governor Pennewill that th0y
favored his action in looking unfavor-
ably upon the proposed law. Later
Mr.. Purdy expressed the opinion that
very few women knew one wheel of
machine from another. but at the
same time would be willing 10 ac-
cept the position of factory inspector
for the salary Of 500 per year.
Mr. Garretson said he thought that
the manufacturers were anxious to
take every safeguard for their female
help.
Mr.. England's View.
Howell S. England said that he felt
the adverse criticism in relation to
the refusal of Governor Pennewill TO
sign the bill providing for female
factory inspector had been very un-
fair, both to the Governor, who re-
fused to sign the bill. TO the Whining
! ton Board of Trade, and to the EN-
ployers Of female labor in this state
who urged him not 10 sign IL.
Mr.. England said that the Governor
had not refused 10 sign the bill until
he had looked personally over the
field and satisfied himself of the true
situation
The manufacturers and other em-
ployers of female labor in this city do
rIn nh 20
Of their plants. or regulation as TO
moral and sanitary conditions or pro-
lection from dangerous machinery.
they are not seeking to degrade
MAIN or kill the women whom they
employ, but on the other hand. they
hold themselves abreast with the em-
ployers of female labor in any other
state or community in wishing to pro-
vide for such employees every moral
and physical safeguard.
During the time that this bill was
under discussion. Mr.. England said
he had talked personally with many
employers Of female labor and felt
sure that he was now stating their
true attitude. They did. however
one and all object to this feature Of
the bill. which they considered an eX-
ceedingly dangerous one, and that
was the right to give 10 a woman
necessarily inexperienced in manu-
featuring, the right to placard a
machine as dangerous and arbitrarily
to stop its use. II was this feature
Of the bill that aroused their united
opposition and caused even our great-
est local philanthropist to refuse to
ask the Governor TO sign the meas
ure.
w. T. Budd said he thought that the
Governor realized that there were
more sentimentalists than practical
people back of the bill