Evening journal., 1913-02-15
Not a singIe valid Objection.

From the Wilmington Sunday Star.
Objection has been made TO the pro-
posed law limiting the hours Of labor
for women in this State, on the
ground that it will seriously interfere
with the operations Of mercantile es-
adjustments employing a large num-
Der Of women, and whose period of
continuous opening is necessarily in
excess Of ten hours. The answer to
this objection is that there are many
establishments Of the kind referred to
which have no difficulty in meeting
the exactions Of the law and at the
same time taking ample care of their
trade. In all business houses there are
dull periods every day when the whole
force is not needed. During these
periods many clerks stand around or
sit around doing nothing, but they are
on duty, and often the wear upon
their nervous and physical energies is
even greater than during the periods
of greatest activity. During slack
periods they cannot properly rest, for
Sitting round doing nothing" is one
of the hardest jobs ever given to any
one not confirmed drone; and to
stand round doing nothing is even
harder. If a proportion Of the clerks
were given leave of absence during
the dull hours of the day their SER
vices would be available at a time
when otherwise their employment
would be in violation Of the ten hour
law.
Many merchants in other States
have tried the plan Of adjusting their
clerical force to the needs Of theii
trade and to the requirements Of the
law without injuring the one or doing
violence to the other, and there does
not seem to be any valid reason why
"A like success should not attend the
ten hour proposition in Delaware. Il
gives promise of so many advantages
over present conditions that no obiec
ton should be made to giving it fail
trial Experience may develop th'
need for amendments, but that is tru,
of any law, and this one should not b.
made an exception in that respect.
Every merchant with whom we hav
talked on the. subject admits the nee'
% for affording protection from over
work to women engaged in CONNER
cial and industrial pursuits; and al
that is now needed, it seems, to as
- sure success to the movement is 70
every employer to contribute his shar
J Of effort to that end. 1t will take sir
cere and concerted action to fully az
complish the desired result, and n
: person should be willing To- assum
, the position of selfshly contributin
e ever so little TO obstructing move
o ment that is becoming well-nigh un
versal, and which has for its obje'
the preservation of the health an
Il the promotion of the vitality and viri
" ity of the whole race. Indeed, whe
IS the matter is viewed in its prop,
light, opposition to 2 ten hour law f'
j. working women has not even the poo
y, argument Of selfshness in its favoi
Il for such a law, we believe, would
E, helpful to everybody, while to Co
l- tinue the present conditions would
hurtful TO everybody, and to no OF
y more than to the employer. 1t is ther
,r fore a false selfshness, due to shoI
ri sightedness, that prompts the arg
d. ments against it.
of It must be borne i'm mind that d
Is nestle service is not included in q
provisions of the bill; also that nurs
!, and walters in cafes and hotels, al
i- the help in canneries are eXclud
rs from the operation Of the law; ais
Pc that in every case where its restr
s. tions are applicable an earnest effo
" has been made TO adjust the law to {
,s real needs of business in as liberal
re manner as possible. To those W
Is imagine that the bill, should it
e. come a law, would revolutionize a