The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-19

~o " : support.
The interstate liquor bill, passed a
the end of the Taft administratfo
over the presidents veto, receives
support the temperance wome
Of the country who were well repre-
scented at different committee meet
ings held for it's consideration, an
eNerted their influence upon TIL
members OF both the house and tn,
senate to secure it's passage. While
the passage of a bill referring only te
conditions in the District of Colum.
bia ordinarily has only a local inter.
est, a large number of women from
all parts of the country hav been
working actively for the passage OF
an eight-hour law for working wom-
en- in the District of Columbia since
a similar bill now is before a number
of state legislatures and the example
of the district will be considered
strong moral
A large proportion of the laws de-
sired by women deal with the condi-
tons of working women and children.
The minimum wage law is one that is
desired in every state and so far has
been secured only by the women of
Massachusetts, who have been work.
ing valiantly for it for years. At the
opening of the present session of the
legislature of Washington. one of the
women members introduced a bill pro-
viding that the minimum wage to be
paid to women in that state should
not fall beloW a dollar n a quarter
q lay. Women also are e~ndeavoring
to secure the passage of laws in the
different states which will limit the
hours of labor either per day or per
week. 1t is usually felt that the week.
ly limitation allows a greater liberty
than the daily. There are business
emergencies in some industries, espe-
cially laundries, where it seems neces-
sary to keep the women at work more
than eight hours, or in some instances,
more than nine hours a day, which
can readily be met by permitting the
limitation to extend to 81 hours per
week, which is the time limit desired
by most women.
The efforts made for improved laws
affecting women and children who
work, in most cases, have not been
ny liz iWOI htIS themselves.
but rather by their more fortunate
sisters who see their needs and have
w to aid them. The efforts of Mrs.
Evans in Boston, n Mrs.
Frederick Nathan, Mrs. Josephine
Shaw Lowell and Miss Anne Morgan
of New York, had much to do with
securing the passage of the minimum
wage bill n other legislation, such
as providing seats for women en-
ployed in stores and limiting the hours
of their work.
In most cases, all legislative meas
ures secured by women are the effect
CT continued campaigns of education.
AS recently as 1895. the judges of the
courts of Illinois held that the consti-
tuition of the United States forbade
restriction Upon the working hours
Of Women In 1909, after continuous
and the appearance of in
Vulnerable committees of women be-
1ore legislative bodies, the supreme
court OF that state was induced to see
that, even under the same constitu-
ton, it is legal to limit the working
hours OF women to 10 hours a day.
StolC, "ollltH are WORKING
20 abolish child labor and to secure
compulsory education laws, as well as
the DETER enforcement of those al
in existence. In a numbe of
the consideration of a pension
for mothers with children has received
the strong support of the ome 1t
was defeated in New York last wear,
the women of several organiza-
ions are working together and indi-
Vlcual1y to bring it forward again. It
IS hoped that by the avoidance of the
which were objected to last
year the bill desired can be passed bv
present legislature. The women
argue That FOR economic reasons it is
better to provide a pension which will
enable a widowed mother to keen her
with her than to break up
the family by placing the children in
institutions. In many instances, the
proper enforcement of the existing
enid labor and compulsory education
demand that the mother receive
= weekly allowance equivalent to the
of a child if taken from
before the legal age limit. In
'H'' SoiiloiHld, minnesota ana Ienn-
sylVanla public commissions for the
consideration of the provisions of
pension bills are now under
considerations.
AT a great national gathering of
women, a man took note of the fact
-hat while the meeting included many
women s~uffragists interested in po-
meal issues, the subjects brought
onward as indicative of their imme-
'ale interest We're not the tariff,
'uohc n and Interstate commerce,
'ut matters relating to education, the
welfare Of women and children, the
Nhlte save traffic, and the affairs of
ne holn"' especially pure food and
ne increased cost of living.
nus does not imply that women's
interests i'll legislative matters will be
or confined solely 10 the ad-
'antase of their own sex. There is
10 effort for improved law in any
tate regarding conservation, forest
Ntehslon or pnDlic Improvement OF
ny kin which has not been indorsed
y the publc"sp'rited Women il not
originated nv them. The