Evening journal., 1913-02-13
FAIR WAGES FOR A TEN.HOuR DAY.

TF there be a man in Delaware who would like to
have his sister his daughter work longer than
ten hours day to what may be regarded fair
living wage, let him stand forth that the people may
see what sort of a creature he is, The average man
regrets that his sister daughter is compelled to go
out and become wage-earner, When necessity COM
pes her to become such, he wishes for her good
wages, short hours and safe and comfortable sur
roundings when at work The man who does not wish
her those things is worthy Of being called
woman a girl who works ten hours for any
any woman and who does her work nteln-
gently and well, should receive therefor sud-
cient TO enable her to live in decency and comfort and
to lay something aside each week for her wedding
portion for a rainy day She should not be expected
to work twelve, fourteen sixteen hours a day
earn living wages. Nor should she be expected to
work overtime to do it, No should be permitted
by law to build up a fortune that has for its founda-
tlon the broken health and life Of the womanhood,
srlhood and childhood Of the State of Delaware There
has been too much of that Of thing aud it is time
for the Legislature to call a halt
There family fortunes this State built up on
overworked women and girls that should bring the
blush Of shame to their possessors and there are
garing instances in which such fortunes still be-
ing built up at the Of the womanhood girl
hood and childhood OF the commonwealth It is the
duty of the Legislature to enact a law that will in
sure to the and the girl workers of Delaware
a fair days pay for fair days work. We hear much
said about women and girls losing their Jobs If the
Ten-HOur bill becomes law Such talk as that comes
from Interested Instead Of the women and
girls who now at work losing their jobs they
will keep their jobs and the wages they now receive
and other and girls will obtain jobs that will
be opened by relieving the present women and
girl employees of the they are compelled
to do The simple truth OF the matter is that those
who now employ women and girls must have their
services. Suggestion that they will employ men to
take their places is sheer rubbish In the first place
they can not get the as cheapy as they can get
the women, and that is the prime consideration with
many employers in the second place they can not
got men who will work twelve fourteen or sixteen
hours day without paying them mems wages for ten
hours and time and half-time for the overwork and
in the third place. of the work that is done by
women and girls is not the sort that men would do
anyway.
The working and girls should not permit
themselves to be frightened by such senseIess talk
They are not employed because Of any spirit of char
ity on the part OF the employers. They are employed
because their services needed Most of them are
receiving that would be inadequate for ten-hour
day, to say nothing OF twevehour or foureen-hour
day Let the women and girls get out of their heads
that they the objects of charity Let them get il
into their heads that they earning every dollar they
get and something besides And beyond everything
else, let them remember that if their employers do
not need them they would not employ them and that
If men employees would suit better men would be enf
ployed for the jobs the and girls now hold
Above all other things let them hold firmly to the
theory that an employer them living wage for
a ten-hour day and that, when he is not paying IT,
he is not doing his duty should, be compelled to
do it in the name of common decency and humanity.