Arizona republican., 1913-03-08

of the women of the state as to this particoIar branch of the eight hour law.
 In connection with this bilI at the tim of the hearing before the labor committee were on, the statement was made ant given general circulation that the reason the bill was being advocated was none other than that more positions would be available for the men and many less for the wo- men because all things being even employers would sooner have male help than ,emale help
 Petitions from every quarter Of the state from the employed women have been received from the legislature protesting gainst the bill Last year similar h'l failed of passage. This year many predict the same fate for this bin.
 Globe. Arizona.
 February 27, 1913 Hon. J. F Hechtman,
 State Senator,
 Phoenix, Arizona.
 My dear Judge Hechtman:
 At the request of number of women who are employed in and in the vicinity of Globe and whose employment will come within the pur- view of the proposed Eight Hour Law for Women" I write to ask you to use your influence against the passage of such q measure.
 These women, who are Variously employed in hotels, mercantile es- tabhshments, etc, desire to protest most vigorously against the enact rnent of law which deprives them Of the right to work as many hours as they please, and so robs them of their ability to compete on an equal basis with men in earning their living. one of the women, who is now employed as a waitress. was driven out of California and good and paying position Tn one of the large hotels there. when the propri- etOr was forced 10 replace his women Waitresses and other women em- ployees with men, or submit to d financial loss, in order to comply with the California Eight Hour Law for Women.
 Doubtless many people are advo- eating and supporting this measure in the mistaken idea that il is one that will ultimately benefit women and prove q protection to them. without any investigation into the real purpose of the bill and the real hardships and detriment which have resulted to working women in those States where such a measure has been passed.
 Personally, I know some of the eff fleets and workings of the passage of such a law in California. I was in Los Angeles at the time the Eight | Hour Law was passed, and l know of | hundreds of women who were thrown out of employment entirely. I talked with dozens of girls employed in ! various restaurants in Los Angeles, whose hours had been cut down to 1 conform to the requirements of the | law, and invariably found that, na- ! turally their wages had been cut down accordingly, and their chances 1 for earning an honest living dimin .ished to that extent. They had no i complaint to make to their former | hours, were willing and anxious to | work longer hours and receive more pay or to work over time and re- | celve extra pay, as much of the time. except at rush hours, their work | was light and they were practically resting while receiving pay for the 1 longer hours. Neither could the em- 1 ployer be blamed for reducing the 1 pay, inasmuCh as he was forced to 1 put on entirely new shift, for | the few extra hours, and only by decreasing their pay could he meet | the additional expense. The hotels generally, however, not being able | to arrange hours satisfactory under the workings of the law. simply | discharged all women employees, and replaced them with men. Thus no one was benefitted the wage earner was injured, and yet the advocates of the law loudly clamoured that much needed reform had been instituted"
 The fact that this law is also applicable to many women holding positions in offices in hotels mer- cantile establishments etc. works a
 great injustice to hundreds of womer who by industry and ability have
 attained positions of responsibility l and profit. in such establishments Very many of them do not ordinarily |
 but there are times when the wOrl
 will require that they do so, and nc
 liability of arrest for permitting sucl employe to work more than tn
 specified time. He will simply do
 as employers have done in California
 replace such help with men. thus de |, priving the women of the reward
 of her industry and forcing her ou
 better paying office positions
 I frankly believe such measure
 although ignorantly and mistakenl S advocated by many well-meanin | people was originally instigated an
 framed, and, it's passage is bein !. sought, with the very purpose of fore
 ing women out of competition wit
 men and compelling employment C
 men in positions now held by Womel
 If a wholesale eight hour law is . be enforced against women. then similar measure, limiting the hour