New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-01
Ending Labor Protection
Exploiting Women and Children
Under Guisc Of Patriotism

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Cir. DURING time Of national CRISIS "
nrobablv natural that many bills snou''
;,,rodrced into state legislatures ou' vi
eool;,o. If natriotism which are essen''a"y
,,nna,rio,;c in nature. An excellent illustra-
tion ~ this tyne OF hasty impulsive ieg's,"
ton is found in the bill introduced 'neo wv
New York State Senate by senator p'o""
which seeks to abolish outright all s'sVu'o''
,oetric.ions upon the working hours OF men,
women and children in the state during '"e
reriod that the war continues and LOT NV
more than two months thereafter inns o"''
together with the Johnson bill in the Assem-
hill Gf nassed), will deprive the wage earn
ers of the state of all effective pro'ect.'c 'ee
islation as far as hours arc concerned "''"
the last generation has succeeded IN deVe'oP'
ing and enacting into law.
II is not merely a question of hours OF laoor
that is at stake but it is the reactionary e.
feet of legislation Of this kind when runs
absolutely counter to the rational and pro-
pressive legislation for social efficiency when
has been confirmed through decisions OF the
United States Supreme Court and IN various
Supreme Courts in many states OF the Cn'o"'
The United States Supreme Court has recent
" upheld the Adamson law granting eight
hours for railway men, and has decided that
the Oregon ten hour law for men constitutes
reasonable legislation
The Brown and Johnson bills cannot be de-
Tended on the ground of military necessity
because no emergency has been claimed by
IL ord IL necessary,
Congress can at any time enact suitable war
measure TO cover such an emergency shouIu
it arise.
From the standpoint of ths health and well
fare of the civil population the passage Oh
these laws would be backward step. II would
seem reasonable that in promulgating regis
lation our legislators should take cognlzance
of the experience of the various belligerents
who have struggled with this problem during
the last two and a half years. The British
government at the beginning OF the war sus-
pended most of the laws limiting hours OF
labor and night work, but the resulting I'M
pairmcnt of health and output led to an IN
vestigation into the relations OF hours OF
work and industrial fatigue. AS result the
weeks day Of rest is being restored; the
oight-hour shift for women exists IN all gov
eminent owned munition works, and over
time has generally been restricted IN other
establishments. Excessively long hours OF
work with the severe strains of industry lead
10 illness and exhaustion, increase the pre-
disposition TO infectious and nervous diseases
and lower the health and vitality OF the COM
munity. In addition, it has been shown con-
clusivelv that overtime labor and Sunday en-
ployment lessen the efficiency of employees,
and a reduced output is the natural conse-
quence.
I'm wars such as this of the present day the
entire citizenry of a country is involved, ana
workers in the industrial establishments are
practically line Of defence as vital 10 the
welfare of the nation as the military forces
engaged in actual combat. The British Min
istry of Munitions, through the Health OF
Munitions Workers Committee, OF which Sir
George Newman, NJ. D., was chairman, has
pointed out in detail the injuries to health
resulting from the conditions such as the
passage of these two bills would bring about
Legislation of this character is thoughtless,
pernicious and lacking in wisdom.
Permit me TO quote in conclusion from the
British report above mentioned single SEN
tence: misguided efforts to stimulate work
crs to feverish activity in the supposed inter-
csts of the country are likely to be as dam
aging TO the desired result as the cheers OF
partisans would be if they encouraged long
distance runner to a futile sprint carly in
his race" It is time for the public to awake
TO realization of its responsibilities in pro-
tecting the women and children of the state
from the exploitation and physical abuse, par
ticulary as no patriotic need is served.
IRA S. VILE.
New York, April 2S, 1917.