Evening journal., 1913-03-12
HOUSE PASSES TEN HOUR
LAW FOR WORKING WOMEN
Amendments Permit Work Until II O'Clock at Night
and That Twelve Hours Work May be Done
Only One Day a Week--KM Amendment
Permitting SO Hour Week in Lauudries

Special 70 Iht bN h4NiNN ~
DOVER, Del, March 12.-After two
amendments had been tackled on II
and third proposed amendment had
hoen defeated. the Mooney bill 10 limit
fo ten hours daily the employment or
women was passed by the House yes
terdav afternoon by a vote OF 20 TO
The amendments adopted on the
floor of the House permit OF women
working until eleven o'clock at night
instead of ten o'clock as the bill orig
inally contemplated, and also permit
of women being employed twelve
hours in one day each week. On all
other days the hours Of employment
are limited to ten, with fifty-fve hours
a week as the maximum. Il rs pro
vided that women employed between
the hours of II p. m. and z a. m.
shall not be employed more than
eight hours in any one day.
The amendment proposed on the
floor of the House and defeated deci-
sivelv would permit Of the employ
ment of women I'm laundries ffty-nine
hours a week twelve weeks OF the
year with either four eleyen-hour
davs or two twelve-hour days. This
amendment was offered by Represen-
fative Cooper at the instance Of
Henry r. Isaacs, legal representative
of Wilmington laundrymen, who
spoke in behalf Of the amendment
but It was overwhelmed.
Representative Mooney, who faith
cred the bill prepared by the Con-
sumers' League and who made
rommendable fight on the floor OF the
House for its enactment in original
form. announced in accepting two
Of the amendments that he had made
a canvass of the members and found
that the measure could not be passed
unless the amendment to permit OF
one twelve-hour day week should
be agreed to.
I'm ashamed TO admit that there
are members who favor twelve
hour day for women" Representative
Mooney asserted The bill now goes
10 the Senate for it's consideration,
and a determined effort will be made
TO get the bill as IL left the House
through the upper branch.
The ten-hour bill empowers the
Chancellor to appoint factory in
spector at $1,000 a year to enforce the
provisions OF the bill should IL be
enacted.
The House Immediately after pass
ing the ten-hour bill for women also
passed Representative Cooper's Child
Labor bill. which had been amended
as result of conferences between the
Child Labor Commission and the
directors of the Wilmington Chamber
OF Commerce, both sides compromis-
ing.
There was a general buzz Of excite
ment as Representative Mooney called
up the ten-hour women's employment
bill late in the afternoon, all the more
SO because OF rumors that attempts
wcre being made to trade of votes 70
the support of the DUPONT child nam
bin and the ten-hour bill. Speake
Holcomh ordered all but member
and newspaper representatives I
leave the floor and be seated
"This is the ten hour law that IN
Legislature has been receiving s
many letters about" said Mr.. Mooney
Excusing himself for a moment he lef
the House chamber and returned witt
a monster petition which he said con
tanned five thousand or more name
urging the enactment OF the bill. Th'
petitions we're backed against muslin
ITO my mind this is one OF the mos
important bills before this Legislature
this session." continued Mr. Mooney
you're not going to read IL. arr
you?" asked Speaker Holcomb, as Mr.
Mooney began TO unroll the big peti
tion spread out upon the floor
mo. just present it, replied Mr.
Mooney.
"A number OF people think tel
hours is too short for women to worl
in day" remarked Mr. Mooney
Every labor union has endorsed thi
bin and given its approval of IT," MI
Mooney still was trying to unroll tn
petitions when Speaker Holcom
designated Sergeant-at-arms Cole I
assist him Mr. Mooney then rea
the name OF practically every labo
union in Wilmington and the name
OF churches Of many denomination
that endorsed the bill.
f'The objection has been made ths
working people don't want this Law
hut disapprOve Of it," said Mr., Moone.
They disapprove of it to the exter
that FIVE hundred or more have signe
il, an female workers" Mr. Moone
also read the names of institution
physicians and referred 10 the ia,
that business men also had signed n
petition.
With this petition I'll just lea'
this bill TO the members continu,
Mr. Mooney Il can't understand no
men can come here and oppose an
law to limit the daily employment