Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-06
Local Merchants Given Hear
ing on Peters Bill.
AN INJUSTICE TO WOMEN
Measure Would Do More Harm Thai
Good. It Is Argued.
NEED PAY FOR EXTRA TIME
Wages and Working Conditions in
Capital Declared Better Than IN
Other Cities.


Other Cities.
Women Who are wage earners VIII 10
displaced by men Wherever possible
should Congress lcgislate to couiiuo their
labors to eight hours a day. WITH prohi-
hilton of all overtime; many wonlsn en-
ployes barred from overtime labol. viii
find themselves unable to maxi, Up for
the time and wages lost in dull seasons
OF their trades or vocations, aud denied
the right TO make a living Wac"; many
occupations, because Of peculiar condi-
tions, il denied exemption from tho
workings Of such a Law, would lind them
selves unable to do business and their
present patronage diverted To ot,ci cities
These were arguments against tn.
Peters bill. proposing such leeisiation,
presented by a delegation representing
the Retail Merchants Association a.
Washington at the hearing before the
House committee on labor TO-DAY. Reso-
1utions Of the association and of thc
Chamber of Commerce opposing the
legislation were put I'm the record.
Members of the Retail Merchants AS
sociation. OF the Chamber Of Com
merce. of the Board OF Trade and two
woman employees of Washingto on mer-
cndntS Iii tHe tdiiofiuS tTasc WSAO
heard.
Would Defeat Its Object.
That the bill, if made law. would not
only defeat its object, the protection OF
woman workers. but would also defeat
the endeavors of employers To promote
favorable conditions surrounding employ
ment, was an assertion made hy Harry
King of Kings Palace. III phils athrophy
is the purpose of the measure. lac con-
tended that he himself. as one giving
employment to many people, was some
thing of public benefactor.
Representative Frank Buchanan OF
Illinois. member of the committee.
took exception to MIR. Kings view OF
T, himself as a philanthropis'. based
merely on the fact that he IL an en-
ployer and pays wages earned. fJo
| commented that the wage-earners wcro
| the producers OF wealth, and that Mr..
King paid them no rpore than q fair
wage for their labor.
| Mr.. King. by an apparent assumption
| that the committee is sponsor ;or the
proposed legislation, excited the resent
uent of Representative ". l. Hensley
| of Missouri. MIR. Hepsley denna ed that
| Mr.. King explain whether he considered
| that the committee has already made up
| its mind and is not open to conviction.
Mr. King declared that he had no such
purpose. He was advised by the member
Of the committee to be more choice in his
| language.
Optional With Employees.
| r. p. Andrews. as acting president OF
the Retail Merchants Association, con-
Quoted the presentation of the opposi-
| ton to the bill. George E Hebhard. rep
resenting the merchant tailors of Wash
ington on the board OF governors of the
Retail Merchants Association, was the
| first spokesman.
Most of the work done in the tailoring
line. he explained is piece work. and the
employees get their pay accordtngly.
Work hours generally must conform
| to peculiar conditions, although the en-
ployes are largely their own masters in
the matter of choosing to work or not
| to work overtime. The seasons in the
perienced workers hard to get
Mr.. Hebbard denied that the practice
Of arranging piece price wsth the
| foremen of the shops. who made their
| own wage arrangements with the work
| erS, in any Way resembled tie sweat
shop system. He declared there is no
sweat shop in Washington. as proved by
| adequate investigation.
He was unable to state what vas the
physical strain entailed on women by
lovertime labor. or whether Iong hours OF
| work are destructive OF feminine health
and yigOr. He preferred TO have his
| this topic, as one on which they were
better qualified to express opinion.
Pay Is Higher Here.
Pay is better in Washington ;han any
where else in the United States. be said.
! Conditions of labor here also. Mr. Heb
bard asserted, are better than anywhers
else Dressmakers-not many Of them
cara earn as much as so or So week.
Girls receive SO for labor that only
few wears ago was considered TO be ade-
auately compensated at 50 a week. There
is no trade agreement on prices to con-
sumer. he said.
Mrs. X. c. Woodruff. employed in 4
| tailoring establishment for the past fif-
| teen years. testified that her reg llar days
| labor was nine hours. In the slack sea
son she found work to do some times only
| for three or four days In the week She
relied upon overtime pay in the b.isy sea-
son to carry her over the seasons OF
dearth.
Overtime work. she said. was paid for
at the rate of - cents an hour. 4 slight
advance OH the normal day rate.
Employees of tailoring shops, she testi-
| fled have expressed no opposition to the
eigllt-hour day in her hear ring. She
thought they would be pleased with her
idea In the next breath. however, under
Questioning. she admitted that there was
| not a living wage, under present CORE
tions without overtime pay.
The women do the lighter work in her
shop, she said, leaving to the higher paid
men the heavier tasks OF ironing and
running the sewing machines This is
the rule in Washington, Mr. Hebh0rd in
terpose6
Mrs. Woodruff admitted feeling tired
sometimes after a long days work and
OF disliking to get up in the morn
ing. She said. however, that In her
long service only once had she lost
time. a half day, for indisposlton.
Evades Question Of Age.
what age were You when you start
cd to work." asked Representative
Buchanan. There was q laugh. and
the witness smilingly answered that
she went to work fifteen years ago
and hoped that would be adequate in
formation on this point
Mrs. LEVITT vestmaker for Mr.. Heb-
bard. testified that she Is paid by the
piece and employs three women and
four men, paid by time. In summer.
when men do not wear vests sac said.
there is little work to do. She cannot
EMPLOY extra help to meet the busy sea-
son for there is no such fioai IIs, labor
available. AS she knows the t:sde of
vest making and not that of trons-sr maxi
ing, sha cannot apply the energies OF her
force TO trouser making when there are