Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-15
What a Reason!

Inc I1laef q the bill IN the New
YORK Legislature permitting women
and Children 30 work ~ hours week
and nights and SUNDAYS in the can
rerles, shouted 70 the enemies Of the
measure IN debate the other night:
"Eew YORK ta all right for woman "a
cit and zee one another smoke cigarettes
u your restaurants, oCt when you hear
Of some WOMEN working in z canning
factory Upstate yo1 cannot bear il for a
moment"
Very likely women 90 git and smoke
in some Of the New YORK restaurants,
but where's the connection between
that and working overtime in the can
neries2 Because some Of the rich or
the derni monde puff their cigarettes
in the lobster palaces, is that any rea-
son why the bars 10 the present re-
Etrictions Of the toll OF women and
children should be let cown?-Boston
Post.
Where is the Connection" you
ask. Perhaps it iE in the testimony
VI Clara 81. Mauntler. n1atron Of the
Chicago Girls Club. who appeared be-
fore the legislative committee On the
Mccormick eight-hour law. Here Is
report Of her testimony in the Chi
cago Evening Post:
She spoke IN opposition TO the pro-
posed law, and said that the evils as
cr!bed TO overwork on the part Of wo-
men were really due 10 ''overplay'-
and the excuses INDUCED in after
working hours.
"hard work never hurt girls"
she said. "1he trouble with our
girls is that they go out nights,
drink, earouse and injure their
health. I've worked fifteen and
sixteen hours day from the time
was IL years old till ! was 26.
And now at 20 I'm still able to
work and work hard. As to my
heslth?-Look at me.
This law ig a curse to the working
girl" she gaid in answer to question
from Attorney Dudley Taylor for the
associated employers. The man who
runs three shifts day will discharge
his girls and women and employ two
shifts Of men and boys who will work
servation in the states where they
have the eight-hour law, / found that
the women were thrown out Of en-
ploynent. In Colorado the men left
the farms, went into the city and took
the jobs OF the girls while the latter
worked in the fields. That's what this
law will do.
"cood, hard work does not inn
peril the health Of our girls.
Twelve hours a day 10 not too
much. It's going out nights,
drinking and carousins that ruins
them. They don't take care Of
their general health. know for
rve visited nearly every saloon,
cafe and cabaret in the city in my
Investigation.
Then question after question was
hurled at her by Miss Elizabeth Ma
loney for the Waitress Union and
Representatives Madison and Hicks.
She denied what the representatives
took to be facts and differed with sci
entists.
Scientists say that the more strain
put upon the girl the stronger is their
desire to have pleasure. Isn't that
true?"
NO, not from my observation" she
answered.
Sickness is due to neglect OF
health, but never, never to overwork.
Girls cannot carouse all night and
work all day and expect to keep their
health. I've worked as long as six
teen hours a day and I've never been
sick a day in my life" declared Miss
Mauntler.
OF course it is not interfering with
personal liberty" to make laws for
bidding people to work more than
eight hours a day II they want to. but
If they wish to go out and drink and
carouse and buy the poison Of the rum.
trust. to restrain them would be per-