Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-12

III. tEIlTAl-NS pl AUGUSTA. MI.
Speaker. I move that We take up our
OF order the report of the Committee
on Labor. bill. AN Act relative to
the employment Of women and mi
nors.' House Document 32s.
The motion was agreed TO.
The SPEAKER pro TEN: The Char
now lays before the House. House
Document 32S, report of the Commit
tee on Labor on bill. AN Act reia-
tive 10 the employment of women and
! minors" and recognizes the gentleman
| from Augusta, Mr.. Perkins.
Mr.. PERKINS of Augusta: Mr.
Speaker, in regard to this bill. ] would
| like to say that all three parties in
their platforms have agreed to 81
hour bill. These amendments tina,
| have been attached to this bill are for
| a 56-hour bill. They are intended To
defeat the 54-hour bill. They have
come i'll here in the same way thai
they came in two years ago to defea:
the 54-hour Law. The telegraph an,
telephone companies have agreed TO
| this bill. The mercantile establish :
ments have agreed to satisfy in regar,,
to keeping open Saturday nights and
| during the Christmas holidays. The
only objection that we find anywhere
| is from the manufacturers. You will
all admit that niue hours day for
! minors. boys under sixteen years OF
age. and women. is long enough to
work in the factories of this State
where there is the rapidly revolving
machinery, and where the sanitary
conditions and other conditions are
not too good at the best. If there is
anything that We should do, II is to
| look after the health of our growing
boys and the working women of this
State. They have all agreed that this
bill shall be passed. and now Is the
time to pass it 1 do hope that these
amendments will be defeated and that
the bill will receive a passage. Other
states have adopted this bill like Colo
rado, nine hours for boys and eight
hours for women: Colorado, District
of Columbia, Florida. Illinois. Indiana,
Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan. Min
nesota Mississippi, Rhode Island,
Utah. New York and Texas. Let Maine
pass this bill in its original form.
Mr.. MCCARTHY of Lewiston: Mr..
Speaker. may l inquire just what the
question is before the House at this
time?
The SPEAKER pro TEN: The Ques-
ton is on the adoption or rejection
of Amendment A to House Document
2oS.
Mr.. MCCARTHY: Has there been any
discussion of Amendments B and c.?
The SPEAKER pro tenn: None
whatever.
Mr.. FAY of Dexter; Mr.. Speaker, I
| understand the question is now on the
adoption Of Amendment A?
The SPEAKER pro tenn: Yes, to
House Document 32s.
M. FAY: I request unanimous
| consent to withdraw House Amend
ment A to House Document 1928.
Unanimous consent was given.
+ Mr.. FAY: Mr.. Speaker, have an
other amendment which I wish to
offer and move the adoption Of. I
will say in explanation that there is
certainly difference Of opinion on
these bills. realize the fact that all
parties are pledged to the adoption
Of a 54-hour law. There have been
OlAieTeuCeS. anu am gong TO OIIer
this amendment to reconcile those diff
ferences. and I sincerely hope that it
will meet with the approval OF the
members of the House. and that all
can consistently vote for It. I nov
move that it be tabled for printing.
and specially assigned for next We'd
nesday.
Mr.. DESCOTEAUX Of Biddeford:
Mir. Speaker. l do not believe it is
fair to table that until next Wednes-
day. The time is getting short and
| we want to get out Of here this month
Now this bill was put in and referred
to the committee early in the session
believe the 18th Of January. The
committee advertised 1t thoroughly
and the hearing was put ahead a week
SO as to give all parties hearing. We
then went into executive session and
went over the bill deliberately section
by section and we reported q bill in
new draft. We waited another week
before putting in the report in the
event something should turn up. Now