Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-08


as yet unimportant.
California has also peculiar clause In
its constitution. respecting the rights of
women. providing that mo person on ac-
entering upon or pursuing any lawful vo-
cation or procession"
A woman was arrested in San Francisco
and fined for keeping a dance hall, action
being taken under
Dance Hall Keeper city ordinance
r,. IT, a.. which prohibited
keeping a dance hall or saloon. She de-
Tended herself on the ground that under
the constitution Of the state she had the
same right to engage in that business as
q man. She Won her case, and since
then the San Francisco ordinance has
been sustained only by the power of
the court to refuse license for q dance
hall or saloon to any unsuitable persons.
the court holding woman to be an un-
suitable person to hold such a license.
During the past year much new pro-
tective legislation for woman workers
has been enacted. Utah has passed
Illinois law in it's provisions. except
ing that the time limit for woman
workers is nine instead of ten hours.
The state of Washington has passed
an eight-hour law for women, except
ing, however. work in harvesting.
able fruit or fish. which are the chief
industries in that state. A law in
Wisconsin went into effect last July.
restricting the employment Of women
more than ten hours a day or fifty
five hours a week. In Virginia a bill
IN
two hours a week In loose-leaf to-
bacco establishments, from October to
February, was lost since the ten-hour-
a-day labor laws prevail in that state.
Tennessee and Michigan have passed
laws permitting a married woman to
ing another payment il her wages are
given to her husband Or to any other
unauthorized person.
In Massachusetts, active work for
labor legislation for women has been
done by the women's organizations Of
and Industrial Union Of Boston and the
State Federation of Womens Clubs
are publishing the results of an ex-
haustive research regarding all con-
ditions affecting working women and
children. The governor of the state
was authorized to appoint an unsal-
aried commission to study the Ques-
ton Of wages for women and minors
and to report upon the feasibility of
fixing a minimum wage scale in every
industry. An appropriation of $4,000
was made for this commission, which
will make its report this month
From a sociological standpoint, the
most important legislative act for
work. IN g
Europe Has Plan women is
Of Pensioning Women. husett.
law which went into effect January /,
1912. prohibiting the employment
of women in mechanical, manufac-
turing or mercantile establishments
within two weeks before or four weeks
after childbirth. While this provision
has been made in several European
countries. 1t had been deemed unneces-
sary in this country until investiga-
ton made by philanthropic women re-
vealed certain almost unbelievable oc-
currences. This law Is felt to be incom-
plete, however, until some provision
has been made for recompensing these
women for the time lost.
In Italy woman may not return to
work until four weeks after childbirth,
and q national fund has been provid-
ed to pension her for this period at
the rate Of one-half her earnings. In
Germany the law prohibits woman's
return to work during the four weeks
after confinement and during the two
weeks following. without a physicians
certificate The German laws are based
upon the principle of preserving the
health of women in their characters as
the wives and mothers of the future
generations, 50 that their wage earn
ing shall not exclude a measure of
consideration for their home and fam.