The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-14
NO WOMEN To WORK
IN LIQUOR HOUSES
BILL PROHIBITING SUCH EMPLOY
MENT PASSES AFTER
SHARP FIGHT.
POOR GIRL PLEA PUT
DELEGATES HoBsoN AND MoNTA-
CUE DECLARE GIRLS WOULD
BE THROWN INTO WORLD
BY PASSAGE.

eiAiiF ReiNh " Aite HpuHt AiOiI iiiS
senate last night The house had
added four amendments. The SEN
ate accepted two and rejected two.
One OF tho two amendments re-
jected was that permitting females
to engage in pastins labels on bot
ties, or in any other work in liquor
establishments. which work did not
bring them in personal contact with
Intoxicating liquors.
When the speaker laid the amend
ed bill before the house shortly after
the hour of meeting there was a slim
attendance. Mr.. Montague. of Rich
mond, expressed his Indignation that
the senate should have rejected the
amendment. which allowed women
to work in liquor establishments, and
insisted upon a conference commit
tee.
Mr.. Smith. of King and Queen Of
fered as substitute that the house
recede from It's amendments. There
were two or three speeches on the
question of the appointment OF the
conference committee Mr.. Montague
insisting with great vigor that the
house should stand by its amend
ments and should not agree for the
low poor girls to earn a living.
A Principle Involved.
Judge Martin Williams opposed the
appointment of the committee. He
showed very clearly that the amend
ment which had been put on the
bill by the house the day before,
had been put on by misapprehen-
sion, and that it should be stricken
from the bill. He declared that it
was not question of whether a few
girls in the city of Richmond should
paste labels on bottles, bat there was
a principle involved. On query as
to what harm could come when the
bill distinctly said that the women
could not be brought in personal COM
tact with liquor. he showed that a
fiimsy curtain or some other similar
partition could be construed as SUI
ficient to meet the prohibition OF the
bill concerning personal contact. He
appealed to the house to vote down
the motion for a conference commit
tee.
The motion was voted down, and
Mr.. Leedy. OF Page. made d motion
that the house recede from its
amendments to the bill This mo-
ton precipitated another debate. Mr..
Hobson, Of the city of Richmond.
in a bitter speech, said that the Issue
before the house was whether four
or five men should rule the general
assembly, or whether it should man
age it's own affairs. He declared he
would not be ruled by one man. and
that he would never vote 70 strike
out an amendment which would
throw one hundred and fifty work
ing girls out on the cold world to
seek positions at two and three dol
L.
Ing between twelve and fifteen doll
lars per week now. With intense
feeling he shouted that it was a ques-
ton % wet" and dry
Montague Becomes Hot.
While the vote was being taken A
number Of members came INFO the
house, and there were numerous in
terruptions, questions being asked
concerning the parliamentary status.
and the motion before the house. In
view Of this fact Judge Martin VIII
lians said in an undertone vote
Mo- Mr.. Montague. of Richmond,
sprang to his feet and cried:
~ rise to point Of order. The
der. He has called to the members
to vote mo" during the calling If
the roll"
The speaker raped for order. and
Mr.. Montague again wildly vocifer-
ated his charge. The speaker said:
What does the gentleman from the
city OF Richmond desire the speaker
to do? The speaker has called the
house to order" There was burst
Of laughter as the house realized the
futility of Mr.. Montague's insistence,
Mr.. Montague. then in hot
speech, declared that Judge Williams
rl,tp ha Hn1r n the
house against the conference report,
and had been going from desk to
desk asking the members to vote
against It, He became SO wrought
up that he demanded that Judge
Williams be required to take his seat.
whereupon Judge Williams getorted
that he would take his seat when
Delegate Hobson stopped running
around the house. urging members
to vote against receding from the
house amendments.
Delegate Hobson. in the meanw bile,
had left his seat and was moving rapid
iy from chair urging the members to
vote against receding. The speaker
rapped for order and commanded all
the gentlemen In the house to take
their own seats. but Mr.. Montague
went closer and closer to Judge VIII
iiams chair. screaming out against
Judge Williams expression OF oppo-
sition to the joker amendment which
had been so cleverly put on the bill
the day before.
shook Fist In Face.
Judge williams simply smiled and
Mr.. Montague continued to howl his
iisapproval, shaking his fist in Judge
Williams face, the speaker ordered
him TO take his seat which the gen.
tleman from Richmond city was finally
compelled to do.
When the roll call had been COM
pleted 1t was found that the house had
receded from Its amendments by vote
OF 81 to s. which was conclusive proof
that the "joker' of the day before had
not been understood The house OF
delegates thus showed it's independence
OF the threats and denunciations of
xsy~~xtu,.~xa rc u.hIrA r~~~N