Denver labor bulletin., 1915-03-13
ONE-DAY RESTLAW
MAKING HEADWAY
Recent New York Decision Up
holds Its Legality
American Association for Laber LeGis-
lation Promoting Similar wefk in
Many States: Safeguards Health

The nationwide campaign for the en-
| forcement of one day rest in seven will
be greatly assisted by the favorable de-
cision recently handed down by the court
| of appeals in New York. As the high
est court of New York has thus upheld
| the constifutionality of the law, it is
thought improbable that it will be seri-
| ouely challenged in other states. Bills
| to limit the working week to six days
are to the front in Illinois, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio. Minnesota. New Hampshire,
New Jersey. California and Wisconsin
| and a number of other states.
In giving this decision the bench OF the
New York court of appeals was unani-
nous. The bench states that such law
is ''in the direction Of the betterment Of
public health and welfare, and, there
fore, that it is one which the state for
its protection and advantage may enact
and enforce" The decision also points
to the special need for Legislative pro-
lection of the worker in the confined
atmosphere OF factories and workshops.
The act primarily applies to factories
and mercantile establishments
Sunday Laws Are Inadequate.
The American Association for Labor
Legislation which initiated legislation
for one day of rest in seven points to
the new need of affording the worker
this protection owing to the inadequacy
of Sunday laws under modern conditions.
Many modern Industries are and must
be continuous in their operation. 'AIore
than Is per cent of the employees in the
iron and steel industry as n whole and
more than 30 per cent of the blast fur
mace workmen We're on a regular schcd-
ule of seven days u week, with long
turn of eighteen or twenty-four hours at
the change of shift" stated the United
States bureau of labor statistics, in its
report in August, 1912 This means that
nearly 10000 men, in this industry alone,
were condemned to toll week in, week
out, without respite
OF 10000 trade union members in the
state of New York one man in every
five was reported to the state depart
ment of labor in 1910 working regu-
larly seven days a week. In the same
year the bureau of labor in Minnesota
reported 9S, SOS men working seven days
each week. In Massachusetts joint
legislative committee in 1907 estimated
that 22l ,9S5 persons, or over Z per cent
of the population, were engaged in sew
en-day labor.
Not only must blast furnaces be
house service such as heating must be
uninterrupted. Thus while the old Sun
day laws are no longer practicab1s, the
physical and moral welfare of men and
women none the less demands the as
surance of day of rest.
Lengthens Life of Workers.
The harmful results of continuous EN-
ployment are recognized by casualty con-
- 70 f1r
insurance, and we knew he was working
seven days a week, we would refuse the
risk, unless such excessive work was
only temporary" is the declaration of
John NJ Pattison, president of the I'M
ion Central Life Insurance company. A
statement more significant of the@dan-
gers of seven day labor could hardly
be found. "a,
The law on model lines which has been
passed in Massachusetts as well as in
New York compeIs the employer to post
in factories and mercantile cstablish-
ments where Sunday work is undertaken
the rest days Of such workers as arc
employed on Sundays.
Since the enactment OF the law in New
York and Massachusetts not only have
number of manufacturers expressed
satisfaction with the law but representa-
tives of labor have said that the work
ers were much benefited by it. A labor
union in New York City states: Since
the bill is enacted in the state of New
York cighty-five of our members have
the benefit of it. Formerly the same
members had to work seven days week
and the best we had was one day off In
month. Furthermore, we maintained
the same wages for six days as we for
mcrly had for seven"