New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-25
Overzealous Preparation


preparation for war TO the proposal to
overwork women and children in factories,
but the gulf separating these two things
seems to have been successfully bridged by
Senator Elon r. Brown in two Of four
emergency bills which he has just intro
duced. These bills bear unmistakable CYL
dence Of an effort to use war emotions to
cover methods which would be intolerable
in peace, and it is inconceivable that the
poopIe of the State Of New York will con-
sent to overwork women and children in
canning factories and similar establish
mcnts lust because the United States Is
at war with Germany.
It is not desirable that two Of the four
emergency bills" sponsored by Senator
Brown he passed, even as Monday nights
amendments have left them. The bill to
which greatest objection must be made
permits the Industrial Commission to sus-
pend any or all provisions of the labor
law during the war and for two months
thereafter so far as concerns work on
munitions or war supplies, agricultural
products or "work or employment con-
Dccted either directly or indirectly with
the prosecution of the war or with prep
arations therefor or for the relief of
public necessity occasioned by the war"
The commission is TO make rules and reg
ulations governing such work and classify
ing such industries, and these shall take
effect without review. They may be sus-
pended or modified, however, by the Gov
ernor. acting on the request Of the Council
Of National Defence, or by duly author
lied Federal official The intent of this
measure is doubtless good, but its provi-
sions are not. The procedure is hind-side
before. The Council of National Defence
has recommended the delegation Of power
to state officials to suspend for definite and
limited periods the operations Of laws
limiting hours Of labor and the like. But
it has also urged that such suspension in
no case be for a period longer than the
duration Of the war. And it has recon-
mended that such suspension be made only
on the request Of the Federal authorities
quite a different thing from the scheme
Of the Brown bill.
Senator Browns second bill would per
NIT the employment Of school children Of
twelve years Of age upward at farm work.
Their employment Is intended TO be safe
guarded by a provision that il is to be
under "rules and regulations to be adopted
by the Commissioner Of Education" That
might be enough to prevent the taking Of
children Of tender years into canneries, a
possibility advanced against the bill by its
critics Nevertheless, the age limit set for
such employment is too low. Boys and
girls twelve years old cannot be used 10
much advantage at farm toll. They could
be subjected 10 great dangers. physical
and moral. At the least, the bill should
be amended so it would include only those
aged fourteen years or more, and the safe
guards around their employment should
be strict.
New York States labor laws have been
gained by long years Of struggle to enact
& code which would protect the health,
working ability and morals Of labor They
safeguard women and children from OK
ploitation by ignorant or greedy employ
ers. They conserve the states working
power. At time when all that working
power must be devoted wisely and effec-
lively TO the country's defence, it should
be unthinkable that any legislation might
lie passed which would waste it, break it
down, misuse il.
Early in the war Great Britain's zeal
for production led her into permitting I'M
limited hours Of labor the elimination of
the day Of rest and the kindred evils
which would follow the adoption Of the
Brown emergency bills" The result was
a hampering Of industry, due 10 frequent
absences Of workers, illness, slackening Of
output due to overwork Thereupon the
government restored limitations on work,
ing hours and the weekly day o: rest, per