Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-14
WOMEN WANT
10 HOUR DAY.
Much Opposition TO Bill
Before the Senate.

by Senator Edge, limiting the em-
ployment of women In stores, fac
tories, bakeries, laundries or ros-
~taurants more than ten hours a day
or eight hours q night. was tho sub
ject of q lively discussion at q pub
lie hearing yesterday afternoon be-
fore the Senate Committee on Cor
porations, OF which Mr. Edge is
chairman. The measure provides a.
penalty OF $25 TO $50 fne for the
first violation; and $50 to 800 fine
for the second violation. Notice Of
the hearing had been broadcasted
lover the state and many women
were present as well as representa-
tives OF merchants and manufac-
tuners.
Many speakers strongly favored
the passage OF the bill and General
Lewis 4. Bryant, State Commission
cr OF Labor, WAS n OF those who
urged the passage of legislation
which would give women proper
protection along this line. A NUM-
her of speakers opposed the bill In
Its present form although they did
mot arbitrarily oppose regulating
the hours of employment for wom-
ZEN. From the trend of the hearing
1t was evident that some legislation
would be enacted on this subject,
although it is likely that the bill
will be amended before 1t goes
through. Both parties have declar-
ed In favor OF the extension OF fac
tory laws and this will tend to bring
about the enactment at some legis-
Ilation. The hearing was not COM
pleted yesterday, and will be con-
ltinued next Monday afternoon at
Alb o'clock.
Consumers League Fayors 1t.
John j. Moment, of the New Jer-
sey Consumers League, conducted
the hearing for those favoring the
bill, and said there WIS nothing
strange or radical in the measure
for considerably more than half the
states and most of the civilized
countries have such q law already.
He insisted that to compel women
to work more than ten hours a day
was detrimental to their physical,
mental and smoral we'll being. He
introduced as the first speaker Rev.
G.. e. Hutchinson, representing the
Social Service Commission of the
Episcopal Diocese of Newark. He
said he ( represented $4,000 COM
municants and That the commission
was favorable to this bill. He claim
ed also that the Essex Trade Council
wanted the bill passed.
AssembIyman Pikaart offered
amendments to the bill which he
said would make it conform to the
mercantile standard already In the
child labor laws. These amend
~ nvt%o xrsnts11 1arrrff fS rynr3r
more than ten hours In stores on
holidays.
Miss Alice JaynBs, at East Or
ange, representing the Consumers |
League. claimed that many women |
were compelled to work long hours, |
Mrs Walter l.. Marvin spoke for the
State Federation OF Women's Clubs
and urged the passage OF the bill.
Labor Unions Approve.
John q. Fitzgerald, OF this city,
representing the Mercer County
Central Labor Union. said his or
ssnizasion ave ~unquaiined approx
al to the bill. Then he said: "No
can be offered by the manu-
facturerH to compensate for the
long hours during which many wo-
are compelled to labor"
Commissioners Bryant was the
next speaker, and he said he wished
to register his opinion In favor of
some reasonable regulation OF the
working hours OF women. This
state, he said, gave absolutely no
protection to working women above
the age OF sixteen years. He show
ed that Germany was further adj
vanced than New Jersey in protect
Ing women who labor, and he de-
.clared that this bill was a mild one
compared with the law of soma 9TH
err states.
Senator Edge asked General Hry-
ant If he favored this particular
bill. and the Commissioners replied
that the measure was good In the
main.
Mrs. /. H. yelling, OF this city.
representing the New Jersey Com
gress Of Mothers. and the Rev.
Hugh B. MacCauley, OF this city.
speaking for the I~nter-Crureh led
Grafton of New Jersey, beth favored
the bill. Mrs. George II. Perry. an
other speaker for tho Consumers
League. submitted what shs called
iindispufa5le proof OF the need OF
this law. The League had gsked
$50 physicians of the state their
.psnior as TO "a ether 1t vas fsri
mental to women 20 labor more than
ten hours. and they wers unanimous
In their replies that It was detri-
mental. OF the $50, al claimed
that long hours are q menace to the
health OF women. All of the women
speakers pleaded for the law In the
interest OF the motherhood OF the
state
Merchants Oppose.
Frederick Kline, representing
the Merchants Association of Jer-
lsey City, Was the first to oppose the
bill. He claimed the women in the
Jersey City stores were generally
satisfied with their present condi-
Ition. He said they work on an ave-
rage Of 8A hours a day, expect Sat-
lurdav and have b half holiday
weekly in summer. He took excep-
ton TO the statements OF the women
that long hours Of work was injuri-
'ops to health, aud his statement
thRt it WIS not work but worry that
killed women was greeted with
|grnans and Kisses from the friends
Iof the bill. He declared that Jer-
|sey City merchants would not OBJ
'iect TO . bill providing for so hours
% week bnt they aid ahi4et /. the