The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-10-21

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to another state when any effort is
made to secure more protective leg !
islation and will be easier of enforce
ment.
Labor Legislation Affecting Woman.
Chapter II. -r:-
All enlightend states are awakened
to the fact that wage earning women
need special legislation for their pro-
lection. Practically one half Of the
working women in the United States
are young women under Is years of
age. The most thorough and careful
Investigations have proven that tie
new strains of modern industry, long
hours, night work, speeding, contin.
uous standing, unsanitary conditions
are causing irreparable injuries to
women. These injuries cannot but re-
act upon the race. Facts show that
there is an increase Of nervous dis
eases among our toling women, that
they are are more liable to infectious
diseases, less and less liable to resist
temptations to immortality and intem-
perance, that incapacity to work
comes earlier than to men, that they
are incapacitated for motherhood,
that their offspring is liable to be
puny or to be still born. s.. ..~o
AS a. result of this accumulation of
facts bearing upon this question GER
tain industries have already been pro-
hibited to women as mining in most
states, serving in bar rooms en-
ployment in buffing and polishing
metals, and in several states young
girls cannot be engaged as public
messengers; the length of the work
day has been regulated to some ex-
tent by law, several states as Illinois
and New York having through per-
sistent efforts secured ten hour
working day, while others as Oregon,
California and Utah have succeeded
In having it reduced to eight hours.
But much still needs to be done to-
wards shortening tile hours. This is
especially true of laundry work,
where the hours are long and ex-,
hausting. Girls often faint at this
work and it is no unusual thing for
them to be carried to the hospital
suffering from nervous collapse, or
because some serious operation is nee
essary.
Only five states prohibit employ
ment at night. In other states some
employments demand that women
shall work far into the night or all
night. -
There has been considerable legis-
lation for the protection of women
compelling more wholesome sur
roundings, more suitable and SAM
tary closet arrangements, lunch and
rest rooms. provisions for seats where
work requires continuous standing.
The injurious effects of employ
ments involving the use of poisons,
acids, gases, atmospheric extremes of
heat and cold and other dangerous
processes still require more thorough
investigation and better control. =.
Any condition under capitalism,
that wrecks human lives physically
the right to change. For that reason
it seems just as constitutional to es-
tablish by law minimum wage. for
the working women, as q minimum
working day. 1t is an uadisputed fact
that many Of the girls that turn into
the path that leads to worse than
death, are driven into it by their
exertmely low wages. Their strug-
gle for mere existence becomes SO
fierce, their outlook becomes SO. hope
less, that the allurements Of whatt.ia
their ignorance, seems more attrac-
tive, ensnare them to their ruin. There
should be no freedom of contract on
| the part Of employer or employe,
swfon human 1jfo and human virtue