Evening journal., 1913-01-27

THE rEN HOUR LAW FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.
~ ECENT regard for the comfort and webeng Of
IL Delaware women and girls who unfor-
tunate as be compelled 20 go out in the world and
earn their own living and ordinary soliciiude for the
most vital interests OF posterity in far those
women and girls subsequently may figure as wives
and mothers should mpol every thoughtful and fair
minded Delawarean give hearty support 70 the Ten
Hour Law Committee in It's efforts TO have the Logs-
leiure pass, at its present session, bin fixing as
maximum ten-hour working day for such women
and girls
We have said before and we repeat It now that
If an eight-hour day be long enough for men in Fed
ora state and municipal employ; if an eight-hour
day be long enough for engaged i'm carrying out
Federal state and municipal contracts; it an eight
hour day be long enough for employed in various
lines OF commercial and industrial actyiy If q ten
hour day he long enough TO suit tens OF thousands Of
employers of mon engaged I'm commercial and indus
trial pursuits and If hundreds of thousands, yes mil
lions. Of men thus employed contend that suoh day
IS from hour to two hours too long, then ten
hour working day is long enough for any woman or
girl in this any other State in the Union
We contend that this is true apart from any con-
Faera0on of the maternal side Of the question. and
that when the maternal feature is taken into account.
It is douhly true with respect all such and
girls It is the height Of cruelty to out for any
wage-earning girl day which is made mp
Of working. eating and sleeping hours and in which
the elements Of social diversion and heathful relax
sum ID
working day inevitably viii be visited upon thousands
OF children as yet unborn that cruelty intensified
and made an the more repugnant to the public sense
Of right and Justice
It is absurd for employers Of women and girls to
advance the plea that such employees do not want a
tcnhour day and that they rather would work twelve
or fourteen hours day than have their evenings Off
spend them at home out with congenial friends
No such plea viii be entertained by any sensible per-
son. because 10 Is not based upon reason. COM
hmm nof No vonfur Tho SOW
that thv gin who says she is opposed to
enhour day and that she rather would work In the
evening than have the time Off, is actuaed by one Of
fonr reasons
she is afraid to her true views lest she lose
She receives such miserable weekly wage that sb,
afford to stop when she has done a fair days
work;
She has been overworked and cut off SO long from
social pleasures and opportunities that she has become
misanthrope or
She has lost all hope Of lettering her condition an,
gone stark crazy the question Of hours Of labor
We have hestancy in expressing the opinion tina
nine-tentha those who say they rather would have
long working day than short actuated b.
fear or penury rather than by misanthropy or men
tai distemper. Nor do think that any man or wo
man who deserves the will disagree with L
when assert that the employer of a woman or gin
who grinds Of her the best that she possesses men
tally and physically. and who fails TO pay to her fai
days wage for fair days work, she may live
comfort, contentment and honor, commits Grim
against society for which he answer in time
come
Woman has suffered and still suffers. much at II
hand Of but the enemy she has cart
IS he who would enrich himself upon her faithful an
intelligent labor and then deny her workin
conditions and fair wage for work faithfully pc
formed. Such a strikes at her honesty her r
spectabilty and her honor and also stands betwes
her and her ability to take her proper place in q
world wife and a mother He brings her
cheerless present and hopeless future, and the el
he does lives after him in the newer generation tn
is impoverished IN BRAIN blood and Drawn as a resu
OF his commercial rapacty Industrial heartlessnes
It viii be the height OF folly for any employer
women and girls endeavor to convince the Legisl
ture that those and girls rather would wor
week IN and week out twelve fourteen hours d
than ten hours TO advance such a proposition won
be 10 insult the intelligence and common sense Of
Senator a Representative Remonstrances again
the enactment Of such a beneficial law and purporti
to express the untrammeled and honest opinion
wage-earning women and girls viii be taken th
true value IN the halls OF legislation. They will be
letter and spirit, contrary 10 human-nature and co
nonsense They will ring true The fear
ercion that underes them Will obtrude itself, no M
ter how skilfully such remonstrances may be drawn
VINO would hide it. abuuruiaiity
working woman girl asking the Legislature
FUSE to shorten her day or labor and TO give her
evenings for social and ether diversions Will be