The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-14
WONAN'S s WORKDAY
HAS STRENUOUS TIME
House and Senate Play Game of
See.Saw, and End Is
Not Yet.
Continued From Page Six.

Continued FROM rage SlAs
more than nine hours q day. but Allison
gelllnrly del8rcd that the ladies' had been
working in shifts Of eight hours and had
not Violated the provisions OF tho pro-
posed measure.
The roll was then called and the bill,
Us amended, was passed by the follow
Yeas-Allison. Colo, Bickmore Crapo
Dahlauist, Day, Eardley, Farnsworth.
Funk, Grow, Harshberger, Henric flol-
McRae, MecEs, Miller; Morris. Nebeker
Packard Richardson. Russell Sandcrson,
Smith. Spencer. Stack, Thornley,. Tobias,
WeIling. White, Wooley. Zicmer' MI
Nays-Anderson and Peterson-2.
Absent and not votIng--Ekman, Hayes,
Hines, Pope, Seely and Wootton-6.
View of Dry Goods Men.
Declaring that the fifty hour
clause Is class legislation and directed
pre- -emincntly at tho dry goods stores,
there is strong feeling against IL on the
part OF the merchants OF the city on mat
ground, II for no other reason. In addl-
ton to this declaration. the ulercfants
affected say there Is no necessity Tor any
such law and that the law is not being
asked for or supported by the very peo-
PIE whom II is supposed 10 benefit. AS
the bill has been amended wherein an
emergency clause practically cXempts al
classes except employees OF dry GOODS
stores. the merchants hold that discrnii-
The general conditions surrounding the
girls who work in the dry goods stores
OF the city are said TO be better than
many imagine and better than the con-
ditions of girls wording In some Of the
institutions exempted in tho bill az IL
now stands. Many Of the features that
legislative committees by committee OF
business men, seeking TO give exact in
formation on the proposition.
Conditions IN Stores.
Under present conditions in several Of
the largest department stores II Is said
the average regular working time of the
girls is fifty-threc hours week They
90 TO work at $50 and Quit at every
evening except Saturday, when they work
an extra two hours. On week days they
have an hour for lunch and on Saturdays
an hour for lunch and an hour for din
ner. rule in force In the retail stores,
II Is added. gives the girls the privilege
Of store shopping an hour each morn
Ing, during which time they may &c
from one department to another TO dc
buying for themselves In many cases
the superintendent gives The girls per-
mission TO use this hour as far as pos
This arrangement practically gives the
girls. IL is said. two hours free of the
actual working time Of each day in the
week, as the shopping hour on Satur-
days largely is inpra cticable.
Other Privileges.
1t also IS 2Sld ln9l IN most stores lnSl
the blu Will affect the girls have the
privilege OF being seated when not busy
stools and chairs being provided behind
the counters for that purpose. Stock
behind the counters in many cases dc
not have TO go 70 the stock rooms fol
so much as spool OF thread: These
and many other conveniences tighten the
work of the girls, the merchants say
in the hours they do work,
There Is no movement on the part ot
the salespeeple TO have this hill be-
come a law. is the contention OF the
waiting list OF applications In all the
stores for places TO work under the
present regulations OF the stores. going
to prove, the merchants say, the fact thai
the girls as q whole are satisfied with
their own condition. Inasmuch as the
bill applies to girls, the dry goods nler-
say II is discrimination. since there
are other stores carrying lines in direct
competition thar do nor employ girls and
for that reason may keep open as LONG
as their owners please.
Says Public Will Suffer.
III the bill becomes a law" said one
merchant" re viii have to employ extra
help to meet the requirements. as We
will not close earlier on Saturday nigh,
than we have been closing OF course we
will have to have inexperienced help &c
til In and this will be as much an in
stores. In case the measure passes the
public VIII suffer. ~ is the province OF
well directed department store to ac-
commodate the people and II the stores
were closed at o'clock on Saturday
nights In order TO comply with such a
law. instead OF hiring extra help ii would
again be the public that would suffer
as there are many people who simply
must do most of their buying Saturday
nights. Pay day comes on Saturday
The men are home on Saturday nights
and their wives take the weekly wage
and go shopping after supper. II is true
here. is IL is true In any other city,
and always Will be the condition. II
il wasn't Saturday night II would be
some other night In the week that the
people would expect this accommodation
on the part OF the stores.
Why They Keep Open.
ANY store kept open after s O'Clock
is at an added expense and 1t stands to
reason that no store would be open after
dark unless business justified # Store
keepers are no different from any other
class Of people. They expect to please
the people and at the same time make
money!
Another contention held TO firmly by
the merchants is that living wages are
paid. Where girls work any length Of
time overtime. say in prepa ring for a