Evening star., 1914-02-24
EIGHT H0URSADAy
FOR WOMEN IN D. c.
President Signs Bill, Recently
Passed by Congress, and
Ii Is Now Law.
PROVIDES 8 INSPECTORS
TO ENFORCE PROVISIONS
Commissioners Are to Appoint One
Man and Two Women at $1,000
Yearly Each.

President Wilson today signed the bill
limiting the hours of labor of women in
the District of Columbia to eight hours,
and it is effective at once.
The bill reached the White House
about six days ago and was referred to
Attorney General McReynolds. The sig
nature of the President was affixed with
In the ten-day limit allowed by law. that
limit meaning the time in which the
President shall hold the measure in the
executive offices and not from the time
if passes Congress and is signed by the
Speaker and Vice President.
The bill provides for three inspectors
to enforce the law, one man and two
women, and they are to be paid $3.50
a year each.
No Money for Salaries.
No appropriation has been made by
Congress for payment of these salaries
and the District Commissioners will
seek to have an item included in the
District bill. now before the Senate
committee on appropriations. Unles:
the money is specifically made availa-
BILE upon passage of the bill there wiz
be no money to pay inspectors before
July /. when the District appropriation
bill becomes operative.
The bill provides that nc female shall
he employed In any manufacturing. me-
chanica or mercantile establishment.
laundry hotel or restaurant. or telegraph
or telephone establishment or office. or
by any express or transportation COM
pany in the District more than eight
hours in any one day, or more than six
days or more than forty-eight hours IN
any one week
Under the new law no female under
eighteen years of age shall be employed,
and none shall begin work before the
hour of o'clock in the morning or con
tinue after the hour of 6 O'Clock in the
evening.
No female shall be employed for more
than six hours continuousl" at one time
in establishments where three or more
females are employed without an inter-
val of at least three-quartel's OF an hour,
except in cases where employment ends
not later than haif-past ! o'clock in the
afternoon.
Must Keep Time Books.
The new law provides. that where the
nature of the business makes It imprac-
ticable to fix the recess allowed for meals
at the same time for all females employed,
a Encouragement of such meal times
may be allowed.
Every employer is to keep time book
for every female employed in his estab-
lishment. stating the wages paid. the
number of hours worked by her on each
day of the week. the hours OF beginning
and stopping such work, and the hours
beginning and ending the recess for
meals. The book is to be open at all
times for the inspection of District Of
ficials charged with the execution Of the
act, who the law declares shall be three
inspectors appointed by the District Com
mfssioners. two of whom are to be
women. They are given the right to
enter any establishment where they may
think the law is being violated.
They are also required to enforce the
provisions of a previous act of Congress.
which requires that seats shall be pro-
vided for all female employees not active
y at work They are to make daily re
ports to the Commissioners. Violations
ot the new law are TO be punished for a
first offense by a fine of not less than
SO nor more than SO; for a second Of
Tense by a fine of not less than $50 nor
more than 500 and for third offense
by fine of not less than $50.
Means Boost in Prices.
Tina, Washingtonians will have to pay
more for having their shirts, collars, etc.
laundercd because Of the eight-hour law
was the declaration today of the man
laundries The eight-hour law. the laun-
dry men say. will necessitate the work
ing of two shifts in order TO get the
work out promptly.
At the Yale laundry Manager Thomp-
son said that tentative plans have been
discussed, but that it will he impossible
TO tea how the establishment will meet
the new conditions until these plans have
been tried out eXperimentaily. The new
law, in effect. means that the iaundries
must in five days do the work they have
up to this time being doing in six. said
Mr.. Thompson In any event, lie de-
clare, woman employees will not here
after be required to work more than eight
hours in any one day.
We don't know as Yet just what we
shall do ander the new law" was the
statement at the office of the rolman
laundry. but, of course, the law will
be obeyed."
Day and Night Shifts.
Manager Levy Of the Frazee-Potomac
laundry said that a day and a night
shift will be worked at the plant if
the help can be obtained. The new
law viii prove serious handicap to
the laundries. said Mr. Levy, but. of
course there's nothing to do but obey
the law The result will probably be
an Increase in prices Of laundry
Practically all the stores in Wash
ington employing more than one or
two, saleswomen are already on an
eight-hour basis. The department
stores have for some time been work
ing their sales forces practically eight
hours day, the clerks going 10 work
at $50 in the morning and quitting al
80 o'clock pm, with forty-ive min
utes OF for lunch. The only change
that will be required. il was stated to-
DAY by the general managers of sew
erai OF the large department stores
will be To add fifteen minutes 10 the
lunch hour. which will make the actual
working day Iust eight hours long
Even the holiday season will not il
was said interfere with this program
as il seems 10 be the definite belief of
the proprietors of the big stores tha,
the establi iShments will not again Ia,
kept open evenings. even during
Christmas week.