Evening journal., 1913-03-12


than ten hours daily. Il is a recOg-
nized fact that there have been viola
tions of the ten hour workday for
women in this State"
Representative Cooper announced
that he had an amendment to offer by
request" Il struck out the hours 10
p m. and inserted II p. m as the time
to which women could work at night
II understand this will be agreed to-"
said Or. Cooper. Mr. Mooney said he
thought the amendment all right
Speaker Holcomb and Representatives
Arthurs and Swan voted against IL, all
the other members for it.
Representative Cooper said he had
another amendment to offer by re-
quest Il added to one OF the sec
tions: Provided that any said female
shall be permitted to work twelve
hours in one day a week, provided
the hours of employment in a week
shall not exceed ffty-fve hours"
This amendment appears all
wrong" exclaimed Representative
Mooney. "Some members think twelve
hours day is all right for women.
I'm one who thinks IL is all wrong.
can't see any justice in t."
Dr. Cooper said he had been in
formed that the Consumers League
had agreed to the amendment After
Mr.. Mooney had conferred with Miss
Margaret II Shearman and Charles
r. Curley. counsel for the Consum-
ems League. he stated
Il have taken a canvass OF this
House and find we can't get this bill
through unless we agree to this
amendment. ! think the bill with this
amendment will be little better than
nothing It's a sad fact that we can't
get a bill through without an amend
men for a twelve hour day for wom-
en-"
Speaker Holcomb at this iuncture
caused surprise by announcing, The
chair has a right toe explain his vote
! prior to- voting. / propose to vote
no on this amendment and no on
the bill If It Is amended. The chair
cannot reconcile himself to a twelve
hour working day for women"
Mr. Mooney said he was sorry to
hear the Speaker say he would vote
against the bill, as he would like 20
1 see It passed
Every man must vote according to
his own conscience" remarked the
Speaker. How do we know it can
not be passed in its original form?'
I'VE can easily find out" replied Mr.
Mooney. Let all who are opposed tC
the amendment vote II down The
members of the House only are yot
ing on this bill, not outsiders. and W,
, we're sent here by our constituent
r TO vote. I would like . hear fron
8 some OF the opponents OF the bill
o Why If this measure should be pu
TO a referendum throughout the Stat
e there would be nothing to il and
D would pass overwhelmingly"
Representatives Cooper and Barnar,
[ said they expected TO vote against tn
amendment. Representative Pool sal,
he understood the amendment was of
fered to meet the objections OF rura
members. The amendment was car
ried by a vote of 23 to II, those vot
ing against IL being Representative.
Arthurs, Cooper, Barnard Swan, ray
lor Cummins, Lattomus. Layton
Mooney, Pool and Speaker Holcomb
IL seem to be singled out as thu
goat to present amendments. an,
present this with that understanding
said DR.. Cooper as he offered anothe
amendment 10 permit laundries Il
employ women fifty-nine hours a weel
, Tor twelve weeks a year. either b.
working four days of eleven hour
! each a week or two days Of twelv
hours each a week, but in no even
: TO exceed fifty-nine hours in any on
\ week. DR.. Cooper said the amend
, ment had not been agreed to by tn
/ original trainers OF the bill but ha
r been handed TO him by the repre-
5 sentative Of an important industry 1
: Wilmington.
Henry r. lsaacs. as counsel for th
I laundry interests Of Wilmington. wa
given the privilege Of the floor an
;, spoke In behalf Of the measure. II
4 said the amendment proposed wa
4 necessary for the laundries TO me,
= the demands OF their business durin
| holiday weeks and in some instance
y during the week following the hol
q days. He said that with the loss of
holiday the work would pile up so tn,
- il could not be handled IN the usut
]
\, y out promptly many patrons woul
y, send their apparel to laundries
I, 'sixty-hour Maryland and twelye-hot
day Pennsylvania Mr.. Isaacs ais
= explained that while the amendmel
would exempt laundries from postir
the card Of working hours. it wou
require them 70 make report OF n
n extra hour days 20 the inspector al
pointed under the law
~ After listening 10 my friend. vi
comes from my district. and I dor
70 think he represents sentiment ther
I am constrained % disagree vii
him, said Representative Mooney. r
10 added that In the hearing 10 the Tau
d, dry interests &c was found that the
Oh are twelve weeks in the year c0ntai
im Ing holidays, and that the laundri
se do not observe six Of them
les In a Democratic House pledged
De progressive legislation / am asham
..no Of these amendments" exclaimed N
ar Mooney. ! don't think the laundri
RI have been exactly square. We a
ne travelling along with progressive le
he islation as we always have. su
as pose well get there some day"
Representative King was the on
Of member 10 vote for the laund
By amendments. thirty other membt
r. voting against Il.
ch The bill then as amended by ps
ed hitting working until eleven O'clo
M at night, and permitting one twel,
iIe hour day a week, was passed by {
ID. House by vote Of % yeas 10 ma
az. as follows.