New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-26
CANNING FACTORIES HIT
HARD IN COMING BILLS
Senator Wagner Outlines I'm.
bending Report of His In
vestigating Commission.
SINGLE LABOR HEAD URGED
Might Work for Women Pro.
bibited and Their Hours Of
Toll per Week To
Be Limited.

st..s Senator Robert F. Wagner, chair
l., q, the New York State Factory In
; isating Commission, reporting to the
~ Work Association for Labor Legsla-
,or,. which held a conference on the labor
Law and its enforcement In the Assembly
hail of the United Charities Building yes
,erday afternoon, intimated that the can
Ming interests Of the state would be hit
most heavily by the bills to he introduced
eoon in the Legislature. The commits
sion's report, to be issued in a few days.
mas the approval Of Governor Sulzer, II is
asserted.
Senator Wagner. who is chairman pro
Item Of the Senate, was not able to at
rcn6. lie sent report and Abram l.
Elkus, counsel for the commission, ap-
ipeared to discuss the thirty-two bills
drafted after year and a half of in
estgation. 1t part, in his report Sena-
TOR Wagner said
The courts have abandoned the free
dom Of contract theory and are uhsni,
l1uous in holding that the state mas VltdI
Interest in seeing that the worklli,S
women labor under conditions that VIII
mot impair their health and vitality as
wives ard mothers of tine race. The com
p,ission will recommend new bills limit
ing the hours of labor for women in the
canneries. prohibiting night work Oh
sproyiding seats for female employees.
The commission In its report, which VIII
be submitted within a few days, VIII
recommend to the Legislature tnat inc
ore ,ent wide open exception in favor OF
The canneries is unjstitable and that the
industry is one that could and should DC
regulated The commissions Dill VIII
lin i the hours OF labor Of women men, IN can;
of women in factories we regard as most
essential. The commission investigated
large Irvine plant In which regular night
shift of women was employed. Most OF
the night workers were married women,
who during the day were obliged to look
after their household duties.
Abram l. Elkus spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Tho report of the commission will rec
omnend continuing the commission with
Increased powers. The commission form
of reorganization is created 10 MAKE anu
enact rules and regulations ana coIuuc.
Investigations. etc, but the Commlssloncr
Of Labor, a single individual, is made the
executive head Of the department anu
upon him is placed the responsibility TOT
enforcing the laws and regulations. lneTe
can thus be no Sinking Of responsibility
nor division Of power which has existed
where a commission obtains. $50
In its report the committee Will recon-
mend to the Governor tnat tle Goln nppe;s,
of one woman. one representative OF
labor one representative OF employers
and one scientist TIE o0arG w,tS refer
ence 10 ali matters covered by the labor
Law.
Professor Samuel McCune Lindsay, of
Columbia University. president OF the
Labor Legislation Association. and chair
IN of the conference, also spoke at the
me- citing
Among those present were State Sena-
tors Thomas A. Cullen, John r, MUIR
laugh, Job F. Healy, William j. Hener-
man. Henry Salant, Abraham j. Palmer
James ]. Frawley. William r. Herrick,
number of Assemblymen. Judges l. - l.
Grain and Joseph F. Mulqueen. Of General
Sessions: Alderman II. II. Curran' VIII
lam H. Maxwell. Superintendent OF
Schools of the Department of Educatioh
Miss Grace G. Strachan, President Johr
II Finley Of the College OF the CITY o.
New York, the Rev. ]. ii. Holmes, pastor
Of the Church Of the Messiah. and the
Rev. Or. Percy S. Grant, rector OF TN
Church of the Ascension.
DR.. George NJ Price, an investigator
for the factory committee; Miss PauIh'
Goldmark, owen Lovejoy, of the Nations
Child Labor Committee; !. NJ. Rubino"
of the executive committee of the Laoo
legislative Association; Mornay Williams
chairman of the New York Child Labo
Committee; Professor Henry r. Seager
Frederick l.. Hoffman and Thomas !
Parkinson, Of Columbia University, al
epphasized the necessity for Legislation
ouch as the factory commission ha'
drafted.
The commission proposed 10 establish {
law forbidding the manufacture in ;
tenement house of any article of food
dolls or dolls clothing, or any articles O
children's or infants wearing apparel