The Washington herald., 1914-02-26

EIGHT HOUR Law
DEAD Until july
No Money Available for In
spectors Under the
New Act.
EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE
Majority Of Stores. Hotels. and Other
Places Employing Women Already
Comply with Regulations.
EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE

What classes of women employee will
be effected by the eight-hour law still is
an absorbing question in Washington.
Just what places are embraced in the
terms manufacturing. mechanical or
mercantile establishments. hotels or res
taurants" eventually may have TO be
decided by the courts, although most
employers who discussed the matter wero
inclined to think the Language 20 plain
that there ought to be little occasion
for misonstruction.
What embarrasses the authorities more
than any other phase OF the matter az
present is that. although there is a law.
there is nobody TO enforce II. This sit
uation is the result OF the failure of Con-
gress to provide for salaries Of the three
inspectors who. under the law. are 10
be charged with the enforcement OF the
act. Unless three persons come forward
who are satisfactory to the Commis-
sioners. and who are willing 10 serve
without pay until some provision can be
made for that purpose, there will be no
attempt to enforce the law until after
July /, when the new fiscal year begins
and the new District appropriation be-
comes available.
Few Pi"nA AFFECTED.
Despite all that has been said and
written on the subject since the passage
Of the bill, the prevailing opinion is that
there ought to be very little change
among the women employees who come
within the scope of the law. Big depart
ment stores, hotels, the telephone COM
pany and some OF the large restaurants
already had put the eight-hour rule in
effect in anticipation OF the passage OF
the measure.
II any employer has reduced his force
their
the fact has not been reported. Only in
a few of the hotels have women been
working much more than eight hours a
day, and in these places the effects OF
the new law probably will be felt the
most.
II suppose We simply will have to hire
a few more maids.' said the manager OF
one hotel. "Our girls now average about
SIS a month in salary and about the same
sum in tips. As they all are over eighteen
there will be no difficulty as to working
them at night They will be worked in
day and night shifts, as in the past.
1t was reported that about ten girls will
be discharged from one big restaurant,
where about twice that number have been
employed, and men put in their places,
but this was ridiculed by Miss Tag,
secretary of the Consumers League,
whose officers were largely instrumental
in obtaining the passage Of the law.
May BE Cuts i'm Salaries.
The telephone girls in the exchange
are working only oigh; 'igEE-. and those
under eighteen yssrs are bc-Ga t.gn-- ur
the day shift. L. ruEt0Ewtt vita luN,
Private telephone opC '1-urs are rot bc-
Iieved to be in dsuECE % 1--gL iE wage
either StenogrsElags n ufbccs where
two -or-Jrrrvu-aaTe saei9ySsf snsy, it -
thought have TO sts,Gi q raffFasd wa &c
but this Is cons.1GECG lIII rSb1nir by
many. Implied exemption of stenOgraph-
crs employed in the offices Of Senators
and Representatives was criticised as un-
just, and may lead to remedial legisla-
tion 10 put them on the same footing
with others.
Commissioner Newman said he could
not see how provision could be made be-
fore July for enforcing the law. Never
theless, there seems to be disposition
ON all sides TO comply with the new
regulations. instead of trying to take
advantage of the failure of the lawmak-
ers to provide for immediate enforce
ment.