The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-02
Especial to The Farmer)

Dor, many church organizations
Bishop Chauncey B. Brewster OF the
Episcopal diocese of Connecticut, the
Consumers league and other organ1-
| cations of social and humanitarian up
| lift appeared before the Committee on
| Labor yesterday to protest against the
! night working of women.
| While the hearing of the commit
tee was designed to consider four sep
arate bills relative to the hours OF
labor of women and minors, the great
er part of the time was devoted to
| the discussion of the working OF
women in munition plants. The rep
| resentatives of the manufacturers d1o
not attempt to defend the principle OF
night work for women, but protested
against hostile legislation under the
present stress of industry.
"But why are you working women
nights?" asked Representative Martin
German, of Danbury, q member Of
the committee.
'sTo make munitions" replied Ralph
O. Welles, counsel for the Manufacture
ers Association of the state.
.Tsn't it rather to make money!"
| asked German.
Later he asked Jarvis Williams, who
represented the U. M. c. Co. at the
hearing, if it wasn't true that the
munitions plants paid the, women at
work nights less than men.
Williams frankly admitted the truth
Of the assertion
Five women from the night shift
of the U. M. C.. Co., two of whom
spoke, giving the names of Peterson
and Meloy, appeared at, the hearing
| to insist that they preferred night to
day work, and protesting against any
change in the law.
Women are at work nights. even
now, under a construction of the law
| it's trainers did not intend. 1t had
| been supposed that night work in fac
! tories, by women, had been abolished,
but after a test case the law was in
| terpreted to allow women to work
| nights, and at the present time there
are women working in six industrial
esta blishments in the state,
OF the several bills considered,
there are four relative to the work
of women and minors, and Rep. Sher-
wood, author of one, offered sub
stitute for his bill the substitute call
ing for a nine hour day and SO hour
week minimum. Organized labor ia
vored the measure calling for an 8
hour day and 4S hour week.
The Consumers seague, through
Miss welles, advocated the SO hour
week with hour day, believing it
would work out into a. half holiday
idea, which the league believed would
be to the advantage of the workers.
Organized labor asked for the eight
hour day, six days week, in prefer
ence to the other suggestion The
question of hours Of employment in
mercantile establishments was quick
ly obscured in the interest aroused by
the night work Of women in munitions
plants.
Bishop Brewster spoke eloquently
for the women workers. @'The para
mount value of human 1ife," he de-
clared, lis a primary principle OF
democracy" He argued that the sub
lime function of motherhood will be
accomplished for the welfare of the
state only when the state properly
safeguards its mothers.
Rep. Samuel c.. Shaw spoke brief
~ on the proposed legislation. He
said the Gilbert & Bennett Mfg. Co.
Of Redding, employing 20 women at
night, had Informed him that in
event of their inability to give the
women night work, they would be
obliged to dispense with their ser
Vices. While he did not wish to be
considered hostile to humanitarian
measures, he said he believed the eff
forts of legislators should be devoted
not SO much to shortening hours as
to improving conditions of labor.
Attorney Hewes Of Pennington for
the Consumers league advocated the
9 hour day and SO hour week
DR.. Potter of Hartford, represent
ing united Congregational churches,
lauded the Cheney Bros, the u. M.
c. Co.. and the Warner Bros. Co. for
the improved condition in their
plants. He dep1ored the fact that of
the Az strikes in Connecticut during
1916, one-third were for Shorter
hours.
Julius Strem1au, speaking for the
Connecticut Federation of Labor,
pointed out that the improved meth
DDS of manufacture made it posi- ble
for workers to turn out now in eight
hours what hitherto they did in -
to IA hours. Ira Ornburn, state or
ganizer for the Federation, recalled
the strikes in Bridgeport. pointed out
the improved conditions especially in
the Warner Bros Co., and declared
the committee. pro1tting by the ex-
ample In the Warner Bros. Co. at
home, or the Ford plant in Detroit,
could readily realize the truth Of the
presidents declaration as to the eight
hour day becoming the universal
working day.
Veteran in the textile service, Tim
Ethey Bafnt =, whose children and
grandchildren work in the mills of
P1ainfie1d, reminded the committee
that when they are legis1ating for
women, they must remember that
most mothers have much to do at
home besides the work they do in the
mills,
Jasper NeLevy, representing the
Bridgeport Building Trades council.
declared the supreme interest of the
state and nation should be- the health
of it's women and aefli1dfen.
He reminded the legislators that two
years ago, when a similar hearing was
in progress, manufacturers argued
that tse women workers were salts
fled with their lot and three months
afterwafd 1900 women were On strike
for the eight hour day in Bridgeport
h Labor Commissioners Hyde reviewed
the history OF the labor legislation
Of the state and pointed out that
women are working nights, now I'M
der a construction or the law it's
trainers did not anticipate.
Mary Gould, president of the
Bridgeport Corset Workers Union;