Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-15
Hours of Labor for Con-
ductors and Motormen

The act introduced pN Rep. Edgar
f. Rounds of Portland relative to the
hours of labor of conductors and mo-
tormen, is a reminder OF the act pre-
scented by Senator Flaherty Of Port
land in January, 1915 in the Senate
and which was Familiarity known as the
Nine in IL car mems" bin and which
died between the House and Senate
after much debate in both bodies and
after conferences had been held and
amendments offered.
Mr. Rounds bill provides that no
street railway company and no per-
son. firm, corporation or other employ
cr operating "a street railway shall re-
quire any conductor or motorman to
work more than nine hours in any day
and if any such conductor or motor
man shall work nine hours or less in
any day such work shall be performed
within IL consecutive hours.
The substance Of Mr.. Flaherty's bill
was /, The hours of employment
for conductors and motormen on
street railways are hereby regulated
and fixed at hours or less for any
single days work ,, In performing
any single days work under the pro-
vision of Section /. no conductor or
motorman on any street railway shall
be allowed or permitted or asked to
perform work for nine hours in
stretches or relays covering a period
of over eleven consecutive hours. but
such nine hours or less shall in no
case extend over IL consecutive hours
Section provided: The conductors
and motormen of each city and town
of the State are hereby given charter
rights for an organization for social,
fraternal and benevolent purposes
This bin was referred to the COM
mttee on Labor and after a hearing,
during which there was some opposi-
ton on the part of certain street rail
way companies. the bill was returned
Ought to pass and after it's several
readings was passed to be engrossed.
In the House Representative Ward
w Wescott of Blue Hill offered an
amendment 10 the effect that
shall not apply to electric Railway
companies employing less than so mo-
torlnen and conductors" etc, and he
defended the amendment by saying
this would be q hardship for the small
er electric roads which employed I'M
der that number Of men lie was a
member OF the committee on Labor on
the part of the House The bill was
then sent to the Senate for concurred
action and there Senator Martin L.
Durgin of Piscataquis bitterly opposed
t,n hill IN, tfnA aJo o.r1c
ton, aimed at three electric companies
Of the 10 in the state.
In the meantime the Senate had
passed an amendment acceptable to
Senator Flaherty which exempted the
counties Of Aroostook and Somerset
from the bill. Senator Durgin in q
long speech in the Senate denounced
the bill on the grounds that it dis
eliminated between the large and the
small electric car companies. He
spoke at length upon class legisla-
ton" read the law relative to 1t and
the Senate en.icrsed his views and re-
ferred the whole matter to a joint
committee Of conference with the
House.
Senator Durgin was named chairman
of the committee on the part of the
Senate and Representative Wescott on
the part of the House. The conference
was of some length and finally near
adjournment, the committee reported
to the House they We're unable to
agree" and the bill died between the
two houses.
The bill was modified, re-made and
generally cut to pieces before it was
returned to the Senate but with all the
modification. etc, it did not get by.
Mr.. Rounds bill while similar to the
Flaherty bill is drawn in somewhat diff
ferent language. 1t is now being printed
and will come before the committee on
Labor at an early date for hearing.