Denver labor bulletin., 1917-02-24
BY LAWRENCE TODD
Special Washington respondent The
Denver Labor BuIletIn.)

Denver Labor Buuetln.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2O.-Repre-
sentative Heating OF Colorado and
Senator Robinson of Arkansas intro
duced in Congress on Feb. II the ma
tional eight-hour bill for women,
drafted along the lines of the Keat-
ing Owen Child Labor Act 1t pro-
vides:
THAT no producer, manufacturer or
dealer shall ship or deliver for ship
ment in interstate or foreign COM
product of any mill. csnnery. work
shop, factory or manufacturing es-
tablishment, situated in the United
States, in which within thirty days
prior to the removal of such product
therefrom for any purpose females l6
years of age and over, hereinafter
referred to as females, have been en-
ployed or permitted to work more
than eight hours in any one day. or
more than six days in any one week"
Ii also provides that the authority
to inspect mills and plants and other
places of employment affected by the
law shall be vested in the United
States Department of Labor; that the
federal district attorney shall prose
cute violators of the law; that fines
of not over $500 shall be inflicted in
cases of first offense, and fines of not
over 81 900 and not less than 500, or
Imprisonment for not more than three
months, or both fine and imprison-
ment, shall be given persons convicted
of violating the act. Where an inno-
cent shipper of goods guaranteed to
comply with the law shall be caught
in violation of it, the person making
the false guaranty will be held liable.
The law is to take effect one year
from the date of its passage.
Heating Says Law Is Sound.
Representative Heating pointed out,
when he introduced the bill. that it
follows the lines Of bill which has
not yet been passed upon by the Su-
preme court, but whose constitution
ality is generally accepted. If Con-
gress can. for the sake of the chill
dren, forbid the shipment of goods
made where they are employed, he
argues that it can equally we'll for
bid the shipment of goods made where
women are employed long hours.
The health of women is as worthy
of safeguards as The health of chill
dren. And since ne eight-hour laws
in the states have been upheld. both by
the State and the United States Su-
preme court, he is confident that this
federal law which takes advantage of
the power of Congress to regulate in
terstate commerce will likewise be ap-
proved.
Break Up Long Hours.
But this is only first step. keat-
ing looks forward to other bills, es-
pecially a bill forbidding interstate
shipment of products. such as steel,
made in plants where men are em-
ployed more than eight hours day
in 24-hour industries. He hopes in
this way to break up the 12-hour shift
in the steel industry. and so to en-
courage the steel workers to organ
ize. That bill will come next on his
list, if the womcn's eight-hour bill
goes through Congress- at the coming
session.
Heating points out that every law
must "stand on its own bottom" in
court. The Supreme court may de-
eide that the eight-hour rule for
women is reasonable" use of the
power to regulate commerce. and that
the eight-hour rule for men in 24-hour
industries is not a reasonable eNer-
else of that power. However, the
public generally is able to make up
the mind of the court, if the public
shows sufficient interest in the issue.
Debate on Porto Ricar Bill.
After endless discussion the anti
labor provisions of the Porto Rican
Civil Government bill were stricken