New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-15
LabOr'S Bit


4 The COunCl lNl ~" ''"''''i
,snt a lesson from the costly English
.r;ence. Il has published a request
" .ho state legislatures asking them
20 depart from the present stand
~ 70 state laws affecting labor with
a.. declaration from the council that
~ - denarturc is essential for the ei-
~ .;ro pgrsuit of national defence. And
=. Camel Of National Defence is not
~" ;,c 70 gear labor for a short, breath
snurt when there may be a long,
..sady pull ahead.
IN the whole history Of labor legis-
,,;on especial care has had to be taken
-. women and children. 1t has taken
~ Generation TO accomplish tifty-four-
s'.r week and a rest period at night
-, women Especially ruthless. there
~. seems the bin proposod last week
!. Ae.emblvmm Johnson. which dis
ards all these provisions and sets alb
.Irtelv no limit to hours during war
:me The Consumers League, which
IL, been fighting since 1887 for i'm
rrored conditions among women work
-, has sent a protest TO Governor
U.bi,man I'm which has been pointed out
.1o costlv mistake England made in
.Irovinr down the safeguards which
lone insured q healthy working pOpula-
.;on and 2 maximum output. The lat
70, without the former is inconceivable.
Fairly in the session Representative
l.brson introduced a bill which would
have annihilatod all the labor laws Of the
+,te But the Consumers League Of
tered such vigorous and persistent pro-
,,st that the bin was withdrawn. The
,,osert measure is more restricted and
,sces the relaxation of labor condl-
ions and hours of labor in the hands
n the State Industrial Commissions
Rgt il virtually abrogates the law and
rsts labor under autocratic control.
rreouires no pubHcityfor the decisions
# the commission. no public hearings
md no ascertainment as to whether
here is really q shortage of labor in the
Industry where exemptions from the
bbor laws are permitted.
Mrs Florence Kelley. General Secre-
.ay of the Consumers League, which
fighting the measure, said with refer
snce 10 labor laws in war time:
at is particularly important to main
ain labor laws now. and especially in
New York State What our Legislature
does is sure to- be copied by legislatures
throughout the country, and, as the
largest and most important industrial
commonwealth I'm the country, we must
cad in the conservation Of our indus
| trial resources.
"Since 1887 We have been building
up successive safeguards for the hte
and health oil our workers. They are
no! sentimental notions, but absolutely
essentia, protection. They are espe-
ially needed now. when there is to be
an indefinitely long strain upon the
yorkinp capacities of women in indus
ry The Johnson bill introduced last
week into the state Legislature goes
far beyond the rocommendati6ns OF the
Council for National Defence, and prac-
aany abrogates the minimum labor
protection which we have been able to
accomplish after thirty years. 1t we
destroy these safeguarding measures
now, ii will only be a short time before
We have the same loss of time and IN
crease of sickness which was the Eng
bh experience at the beginning OF the
var.
Shortage of labor cannot be offered
as an excuse for overWorking men ana
Women engaged i'm manufacturing gov
enment supplies. To the suggestion
made last week that the closing down OF
ne brewing business would release
gigantic amount Of foodStuffs for FOOD
Purposes, it might be added that the
Whole army of men engaged In that
olSlnesS at present might be turned
over TO more Immediately necessary
FADES. There are thousands OF men en-
Caged in tl., ,,,..,,,, r.,t,,,o and selling of