Norwich bulletin., 1913-04-03

or get less pay. An increase III IleA- chinery to meet the lessened hours 1n- creases the cost of production. MT. Wells claimed that organized labor apparently in favoring the bill intend ed to eliminate women. He said that mercantile establishments stood in 3, different position. He quoted figures to show that a large percentage Of @ weeks cash sales are made on Sat urday evening. If women cannot work at night stores will have to close nights and the poor people who work days will have no opportunity for shopping.
 Gen. keeney's Vigorous Denuneation.
 Mr. Eagan representing the hotels, which he said were much like domes- tic circles in relation to help, asked that hotels be exempted from the bilf s provisions. General KSeney, a Somers manufactures, said that legislation like this is nothing less than damn abIe.'' He said it was designed to re- strict women from going out and earn ing their own living. Women who have a family to support because Of the death of the father and husband will be deprived of their means of getting a ; living. MT. Keeney told of conditions in his own mill He denied that hard up from a laborer at 75 cents 8 day. Look at me. I've worked 54 years in a mill.''
 MT. Holdsworth broke in to say:
 
 Kisses for the General.
 Tt isn't the work that kills people. said General Keeney, its their unsan- itary homes. Why, I recall young woman dying of consumption who when visited was in a room in which a half dozen men sat smoking and the air was so thick that it could be cut" MT. keeney was interrupted by questions from all sides and was hiss ed. Once Professor Fisher rose to ask about tuberculosis mortality among textile workers and General keeney the floor. The chair rapped to order those who persisted in hecl1ling> the general, saying that the opponents to the bill were being heard.
 Doesn't Know Anything About Union
 Some of those present took excep- tions to General Keeney's remarks about the homes of employees and the general said that, he did not mean all, but 8 great many. He said people live ten years longer in his mill than they do oftentlmes in their homes because people do not have sanitary homes. He did not recall a death from tubercu- losis in his factory in five years. He had never had labor trouble either.
 Never had your people organized?" remarked MT. Ho1dsworth.
 tI don't know anything about a, union." returned the general.
 Major UIIman Opposed.
 Major Ullman of New Haven, em- ploying 1.400 women, opposed the bill MT. Holdsworth wanted the majors name. Later on he asked MT. Ul1- man if the employees in his factory were organized. 'EYes," said the ma jor, 'tunderJthe head of our estab- lishment. We never hear 8 murmur about labor troubles. Our doors are always open to our employees. If they have a grievance they can tell it to us. If they want a bill like this we would favor it. The bill would drive out of our employ a very large nun Der. We don't keep women on their feet all day. If there was need of the bill I think our employees would tell us so.''
 Department Store Remonstrance.
 Your help are not organized are they2" asked MT. Holdsworth.
 They are organized under the head of the f1rm,'' said the major. If they wanted to organize union they would do so but from what I know they would want Colonel I. M. UllInan at the head of it and L. M. Ullman as secretary"
 MT. Cooper of The Rowland com pany spoke briefly against the bill in behalf of department stores. The hearing will be resumed tomorrow. M Merchants and manufacturers from all over the state were present