United labor bulletin., 1913-03-13
EIGHT HOURS FOR
OKLAHOMA WOMEN

ma state feueratlOn Oh <dDOr, appeared
before the committee on labor and arbi-
tration of the Oklahoma legislature in
defense of the woman's eight hour BILL
The committee after listening to the
splendid address of Brother Zeigler de-
cided by unanimous vote to report the
bill favorably and recommended its
adoption, in spite of the opposition of
the Retail Merchants association and
the Laundrymen's association.
Owing to lack Of space we will have to
be content with 5ast giving few ex-
tracts of the argument presented. He
said in part:
The principal of an eight-hour day for
women is gaining in favor with all the
Legislators of our country.
Under the old natural rights political
theory, when government was consid-
cred a necessary evil-to be curbed and
restricted lest 1t infringe upon the rights
of the individual-such legislation was
considered unconstitutional; but demo-
cratic control of the government, the
more sensitive social conscience, keener
appreciation of the value of each indi-
vidual, have widened the scope of legis-
lative action so that it operates not only
to protect property but also to protect
and conserve human life. Laws for the
shorter workday are of this class.
Bad Effect of Long Hours on Health.
The fatigue which follows excessive
working hours becomes chronic and re-
suits in general deterioration of health.
While it may not result in immediate
disease, it undermines the whole system
by weakness and anaemia. Continuous
overexertion has proved even more dis
astrous to health than certain amount
of privation; and lack of work in indus
trial crises has entailed less injury to
health than long continued overwork.
The excessive length of working hours,
therefore, constitutes in itself a menace
to health.
The evil effect of overwork and con-
tinuous standing before as well as after
marriage is marked and disastrous upon
female function and childbirth.
Long hours of standing result in in
juries to the tissues of the legs and feet,
often persisting for year. occasioning
much pain and in some cases total dis
ability. Varicose veins and fiat-foot are
the most common injuries.
Serious injury to the eyes results also
from excessive working hours. The dan
ger of eye-strain from overlong hours
and close application is intensified by
the lack of proper and adequate lighting
of workrooms. Shorter working hours
not only relieves the strain upon the
eyes, but diminishes the necessary time
for working with artificial light.
Whenever the nature of a workers
employment or the position required by
the work makes particular demands up
on any organ of the body. that organ or
part of the body tends to become over
strained first.
Excessive length of hours intensifies
such over-use of particular organs or
parts of the body in the different trades.
and only the establishment of shorter
|,
overstrain.
Exhaustion from excessive working
hours not only lowers the general health
and vitality of overworked persons, but
renders them peculiarly susceptible to
general diseases. Since immunity from
disease is due chiefly to the organisms
powers of resistance. it follows that
overtaxed individuals. must succumb
more readily than those who are not
handicapped by overstrain and unre-
paired fatigue.
The need of protecting health by re-
stricting working hours is often sup
posed to be limited to children and young
girls. The greater liability of adults to
neurasthenia and nervous diseases (be-
ing highest between the ages of 20 and
As years. shows that, as regards these
diseases, adults are even more suscept-
ible than young girls. Excessive work
ing hours, therefore, which engender
over-fatigue and nervous exhaustion,
should be as carefully limited for ma
ture women as for the young.
The limitation of excessive working
hours for women is required for the pre-
servation of the race because debility
generated by over-fatigue is transmits
sible, and causes nervous weakness and
predisposition to nervous disease to
marked degree in the second generation.
Bad Effect of Fatigue Upon Morals.
The dangers attendant upon excessive
working hours are shown also by the
moral degeneration which results from
over-fatigue. Laxity of moral fibre fol-
lows physical debility. When the work
ing day is so long that no time is left
for minimum of leisure and recreation,
relief from the strain of work is often
sought in alcoholic stimulants. In ex-
treme cases the moral breakdown leads
to mental degeneracy and criminal acts.
Effect on Women's Wages.
Wherever the legal regulation of wom-
ems working hours has been long enough
established to show any effect on their
wages, statistical evidence tends to
show that wages are not decreased but
increased by the limitation of hours. In
some cases there may be temporary de-
crease for short time, before industry
adjusts itself to a change in hours, but
after a short period the gain in the
workers efficiency from shorter hours
and their consequent increase in output
completely balances the curtailment of
their working time. Women's wages are
universally higher in the industries sub
ject to legal limitation of hours than
they are in the unprotected trades.
Moreover, even when regulation has
resulted in slight temporary decrease
in the wages, the majority of workers
have willingly suffered the slight reduc-
ton in order to gain the increased health
and leisure consequent upon shorter
hours of labor.
Experience shows how the demands of
customers yield to the requirements OF
fixed working day. When customers
are obliged to place orders sufficiently
in advance to enable them to be filled
without necessitating overtime work,
hala MT