The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-27
LABOR STANDARD
BEING RESTORED
IN WAR NATIONS
Relaxing of Standards Fail
ed OF. the Purpose Expert
ence Has Shown.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 26-Labor stand
ards of the warning European conn
trles. which were relaxed at the be-
ginning of hostiHties when mobiliza
tioh maze necessary the recruiting of
women and children for work usually
performed by men. are being restored
IN most countries and strengthened
IN others. according to Information
compiled by the Children's Bureau of
the Department of Labor and made
public recently
Experience proved that the relax
ing OF standards failed of it's pur-
pose says the report Definite
steps were taken by the governments
TO restore the provisions Of the labor
law. because, they were found to be
essential not only to the conservation
OF the available workers, but to the
quantity and quality of their output"
increase in the number Of women
and children workers. according to
the report. has made more widespread
and serious the effects Of relaxing
EMPLOYMENT standards. IN France,
Germany and Italy there has been a
great increase of home work on gov
eminent contracts. with its custom
ary evils of long hours and low
has been more irregular than usual
because of the work children must
do at home and in the fields High
;; wages for boys in unskiIled occupa-
tons. thereby drawing them from
school. and an increase of young boys
in street trades were reported from
England.
The most general 1oosening of re-
strlct1ons on woman and child labor
was found to have been frightening
of hours of work. including night
work and Sunday work There has
also been a lowering of the age re.
ouirement for children entering in
dustrv and women and young per-
sons have BEEN employed in danger.
Gus. injurious or heavy work formerly
prohibited by law. such as in powder
plants and coal mines
THE point which stands out I'M
mistakably from the foreign expert
ence." the report continues. sis the
general realization that the labor
standards achieved in times of peace
are none too high to promote the eff
cheney Of work, the intensity of out
put and the general level of health
which are absolutely essenstia1 to the
nations welfare in war time.
Tn practically all countries some
movement for restoring standards is
reported: in ENGLAND. France and
Italv official action has been taken.
From these countries and others come
reports Of dissatisfaction Of the work.
ers and testimony of physicians con-
corning the effects of excessive hours.
1.-THE greater efficiency OF reason
able working day is mentioned fire.
quently."
4 England and France have gone even
further than the restoration of old
standards and are planning new SyS-
TENS of continuation schools and adj
ditional opportunities for industrial
education. Part-time school attend
ance of boys and girls now exempt
from COMPULSORY attendance laws will
be required. In England it is rec
commended that the schoo1-leaving age
be raised to IA years without excep-
lions and that all other young people
under IL be enrolled in part-time
classes. France PROPOSES to require
part-time attendance OF, girls under
lis and boys under 20. after they finish
the prescribed number OF years Of full
attendance.
| There has been no weakening of
labor laws affecting women and chill
dren in Canada or New Zealand. and
Manitoba has reduced the overtime
permitted to women and girls. The
report adds:
cit is hoped the report will call at
tention to the growing concern in the
warning countries for the welfare Oh
children and the earnest efforts now
being made in the midst OF war to i'm
prove their condition. and that it will
aid in showing not only the impor-
lance of maintaining here all the
present industrial protection afforded
to women and children. but Of carry
ling this protection forward. notwith-
standing war conditions"