New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-07
MERCHANTS ON RECORD
FOR LABOR REFORMS
Mr.. BIoomingdale Says Dry
Goods Association Approves
Relief Measures.
DRUDGERY FOR CHILDREN
Woman Tells of Long Hours
Healy Assails Supreme
Court-Benzine In
toxicates Girls.

Speaking for the Retail Drygoods As
socation. +. W. Bloomingdale told the
State Factory Commission yesterday. at
its hearing in the County Courthouse.
that the members OF the organization.
comprising nearly all the drygoods firms
in New York and Brooklyn, approved
most Of the laws projected for labor re-
form. though they would cost employers
hundreds of thousands Of dollars.
Bill No. II, which provides for chairs
with backs for women in mercantile
establishments. is opposed, however, be-
cause It calls for an additional fire risk.
Alfred ]. Talley, speaking for the Con-
fectoners' Association of the State OF
New York, urged the commission to rec
ommend changes in the present fifty-four
hour law in favor of the candy makers.
During the rush season." at Christmas
and Easter. the candy men want an ex-
empton Of ten hours a week from the
ffty-four hour provision, for overtime for
sixty days before Christmas and sixty
days before Easter. Governor Dix, he
said. in signing the ffty-four hour law
suggested exemptions for the Gamers, the
candy men and the textile trade.
To Protect Women.
Miss Josephine Goldmark was called to
speak of measures for the protection of
women against night work, which has
been found TO be economically, physically
and socially harmful. 1t has been sug
gested that the present law be amended
10 provide that no woman be permitted
10 work in any factory before 6 o'clock
in the morning or after 10 o'clock at
night.
Miss Goldmark. who is secretary of the
National Consumers League, said that
while the bakeshop decision OF the Court
Of Appeals decided the unconstitutionality
of any law OF this nature, the Oregon"
decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States ought 10 make the present
Court OF Appeals realize that a measure
for protection of the health and morals
Of girls and women was constitutional.
Miss Elizabeth Watson, one of the COM
missions investigators. resuming the
stand, explained the padrone system. and
said that il had provided sub-contractors
and sub-sub-contractors, with the result
that the workers were so far removed
from supervision that children were kept
Children OF seven, nine and eleven years
often working until Il or II at night on
artificial flowers have been noticed by
Miss Maud f. Miner. secretary of the
New York Probation Association, in her
visits TO the homes Of delinquent girls in
the Bohemian and Italian quarters.
Calls Il Slavery.
ut is absolute slavery we are permitting
in the tenement houses, not personal lib
erty," she said.
A proposal TO arraign adults in the chill
dren's courts for violation Of the compul-
sorry school attendance law was defended
by Mrs. Martha L. Draper. who. while
member of the Board of Education. took
care tc say she did not speak for the en-
tire body.
Timothy Healy. president of the Sta
tionary Engineers and Firemen's Union
testified that there were thousands of men
IN this city who worked twelve and four
teen hours a day all through the year. He
also attacked the Standard Oil Company
for the management OF its factories in
Greenpoint, saying that men worked
there from ten TO fourteen hours day,
sometimes in the rain.
up to few months ago." he contin-
ued. they worked their men twenty-four
hours straight, let them off for ten hours
and made them come back for fourteen
hours more. The men dropped to sleep in
their novels and staggered back TO work"
Discussing the constitutionality Of a ten
hour law, Healy shouted impetuously:
Let US pass the law anyway. If the
Supreme Court throws it out, some day
We will throw them out"
DR.. Charles T. Graham Rogers, med
zeal inspector of the Department Of Labor.
told Of seeing a fifteen-year-old boy suf-
fering from typhoid pasting on labels in
work room with healthy persons. In
trades where benzine was used, he said,
young girls often became intoxicated sew
erel hours after they had been subject
cd TO the fumes.