The Washington herald., 1913-02-05
PROTEST against
HGHT-HOUR
Retail Merchants, at Hearing,
Say Measure Works Hard
ship on Women.
MANY ON THE STAND
Both Sides to Question Presented at
Hearing Before District
Committee.

The assertion OF the Retail Merchants
Association that the passage of the La
Toilette bill for an eight-hour working
day for the women of the District would
work 4 hsrdship on the women as well
as on industrial interests. was supported
yesterday by a score OF women who ap-
pcared as witnesses before the Senate
District Committee. The burden of the
protests OF the workers was that the bill
would deprive them OF the privilege of
working overtime and thus would cut
down their incomes.
Several members of the Retail Mer-
chants Association also took the stand
and testified that in their years OF busi-
ness activity in the District they had
found that the girls and women were
generally satisfied with the working
hours now in force and desired no
change.
Mrs. Florence Kelley, of the National
Consumers League. protested, on the
contrary, that If such testimony had
been given by the women it came only
from those employed in the exceptional
shops of the District, and she begged the
committee for an investigation of the
conditions in the inferior establish
ments."
Two of the witnesses. Miss Lizzie and
Miss Clara Goings, who are employed
ed in furs and plumed hats, and told
Senator Gallinger that they were per-
rectly satisfied with the conditions under
which they were working. They said
that on some days they did rot have 10
work the full eight hours, while on same
others they worked over that time.
Miss Mildred Reynolds. who works in
Z woman's tailoring establishment, was
r witness. She said she wanted the priv
iege of working overtime when she
chose.
How would you like to be compelled
to work overtime, whether you wanted
20 or not" she was asked.
IT would like it until I got tired" she
answered. but, of course. 1 don't know
what it is to be compelled. Can't you
make an exception for those who wish
TO work overtime
Andrews Testifcs.
r. P. Andrews. acting president of the
Retail Merchants Association, presented
the views of the association on the mat
ter Of the proposed law and asked for
the privilege of the members appearing
before the committee in defense of their
ideas
Edward L. Brice. laundryman. in
dicated that he would not be opposed to
a law that limited the hours of work to
a certain number per week, provided
that these hours could be distributed Dy
the employer to suit the demands OF his
business.
Mr.. Brice made the point that should
the law go through in the District IL
would be a serious menace to Wash
ington industries in that Baltimore en-
ployers, being unfettered by any such
labor regulation. would be able to under
bid local business men on all manufac-
tured goods. He said the trade of the
CAPITAL soon would be switched to the
Maryland city.
He also argued that unless the propos-
ed law was made to apply to household
servants hospital nurses and the women
employed in other branches not touched
on in the bill, the effect of it would be
vicious.
Merchants Association has advanced
since the beginning of its fight against
the La Toilette bill.