New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-11
700 GIRLS SHOW
LAX LABOR LAW
Factory Workers at High
School Gathering Tell OF
Violations Ignored

There is a law on the statute books
that women shall not work more than
ffty-four hours a week in New YORK.
Seven hundred little working girls from
city factories giggled last night whch
they heard of it for the first time IL
was news to them. they said.
The girls had gone from sweatshops
and factories in all parts OF the CITY
to the Washington Irving High Schooi
10 represent $4,000 women workers IN
discussing violations of the labor law
and in working out some plan to get
officials TO enforce il. The meeting
was under the auspices of the Con-
sumers' League. but it was the young
factory workers who made the most I'M
pressive speeches. In MANY varieties
of English they made their ANONYMOUS
complaints. frightened that sit might
get back to the boss"
One of them, who belonged to the
dressmakers' trade, told of going 70
work at s o'clock in the morning, get
ting an hour off for dinner, and sew
ing till 8 o'clock the next morning,
during the busy season. others toiu
of seventy-seven-h weeks, of tickets
punched wrong to conceal the TACT. o.
improper sanitation, and easy goihg
inspectors.
Closing Time Ignored
What makes them come around al
4 o'clock in the afternoon TO see tnaD
the factories are closed at o" de-
manded an excited little Russ'fh
Jewess, with swapping black eyes.
"It's so that they can get through
and 20 play gawlf," drawled an Irish
girl in a suit with shiny seams, put
gay red hat.
~ ust to be afraid TO take chance
TO make a kick, but want 70 say rig?s
now that we work overtime 1000 girls
where work" another girl said. rush
ing to the front of the room. "Ihey
mark our tickets wrong, and then put
up a copy of the labor law, so that
well know what to say TO the lnspec-
tors when they ask us" .
Another girl told Of violation OF
the labor law which had been reported
and of how the employer in the case
had made the girl say that she was
relative and receiving no wages, so tnat
he might escape the penalties OF the
law.
conditions in the tobacco factories
arc rotteni" little black-eyed cigar
maker cried.
conditions in all the factories are
rotten" drawIed the little irish WORKER;
A pale-faced girl who looked as II
she hadn't had any lunch or dinner
tried to stem the current OF feeling
Overtime Pay Needed
"I'm for overtime" she said, de-
family. 1--WE gotta live, amt we? I'm
sorry, but we need it.
The girls all laughed again when
they learned that the labor law lnelud-
ed a clause TO the effect that there
sbould be a dressing room of sufficient
size and that there should be coucn
in it.
With the help of the women in chargc,
of the meeting, Miss Nellie SwartL' OF
the Consumers League; MISS Mary
Van Kleeck. Miss Florence Kelley and
Miss Leila Newcomb, the girls decideo
10 organize a central council, with TWO
representatives from each OF the WORK
inc Girls clubs and settlement houses
Before the council viii come all nc
counts Of violations of the labor la%
and suggestions for new legislation, IL
will try to see TO it that the labor Ia"
is enforced and that every woman III
the state has the protection OF the Ia"