Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-23


so very, very poor, and cannot even
afford to consider their health. This
is more true of factories, however,
than stores.
Larger Output Under New Law.
II have written testimony to the
effect that in some factories there is
greater output under nine and ten
hour laws than when the employees
were forced to work many hours
overtime.
THAT is because the employees, in
stead of being tagged out mornings,
go to their work with some degree
of freshness" added the little see-
retary with a smile, "but you want
to know mostly about the stores,
don't your
Big Stores Observe Law.
I'D like very much to know the
attitude of the store managers" said
I. Are they willing to accept the
law or has the department of labor
had TO see to its enforcement"
THE big stores have been splen-
did," was the enthusiastic answer.
They're doing more than the law in
sists upon, for it permits them TO
stay open until 10 o'clock for six days
before Christmas, and they've been
closing at Z. l like that spirit. Why,
one time 1 was in a store at closing
time and heard a floor walker tell a
girl not to make another sale, for
her ten hours were up. ] wanted to
walk up and congratulate him.
Small Stores Meaner.
Its in the smaller stores that we
find meanness,'' Miss Jaynes con-
tinued. They try to evade-we-ell,
not exactly evade--but to get round
the law by making the girls take an
hour and a half or. two hours a.
noon, and at night, when they work
late. This really interferes with the
idea. of the law, which, properly in
| terpreted, means ten consecutive
hours work day, think.
In the small stores there are no
rest rooms or places where the girls
can. relax. All the big stores have
them and they never think of impos-
ing on the girls It's so exasper-
atingi''
An enthusiast is Miss Jaynes. Ever
| since her college days at Bryn Mawr
this sort of work has claimed her in
terest.
Il could make you open your eyes
about factory work" she told me sol
emnly, "and one of these days I'm
going to. Do you realize that IS a
week is the least upon which a self
supporting woman can live without
sacrificing health or standards, and
that $6 is the least that she can ex-
ist on? Now we're striving for a
minimum wage law or board which
will at least insure the working wom-
en- of the State a living wage. You
know they have such board in
Massachusetts now.
But" Miss Jaynes measured each
word, we've got to have help, and
we're constantly thinking up ways to
gct it. One way is to try to double
our membership before the 9Th Of
January. Won't you ask everybody
you know to join?'
A Worthy Organization.
"Most everybody" I capitulated.
The Consumers League is a most
worthy organization, and surely de-
serves the cooperation of the public.
Its label on goods means that they
are made in factories where the State
factory law is obeyed; where the
premises are approved by the league;
where overtime is not worked, and
vhera children under l6 ire NOT ern-
ployed.
The more the league grows the more
1t will be able TO accomplish. As one
of its folders declares. it's sole rea-
son for existence is "the protection
of the working women"
And More power to IT." say we.