Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-14
EN-HOUR LAW AID
TO WOMEN WORKERS
Consumers League Hears What
Has Been Done by Inspector
Watching its Operation.


undrr the ten-hours-oi- -labor-law for women
told the executive committee of the
Consumers League Yesterday what the
measure has done for woman workers in
The state during the past year The
message was delivered IN the shape OF
an annual report and saId.
The amendments To the tcri-hour law
submitted "a Nou in the fourth annual
r,uort Wru passed at our 1917 legislature
With the exception az the proposed clause
eliminating he one l1-hour day and the
clause changing from between / o'clock
n M and : ~ clock "a. IN. to between 10
o'clock y m aud : clock a. m The
clause more than >lN DAYS IN any one
week was modified Ia more than six
iaNs IN any one calendar week
Tins amended law increased the
numhrr ui establishments affected by
Wl or approximately ~ per cent, the
uumhrr ul women affected increased SS7
lr I prr cent The large discrepancy
IN the increase an establishments and the
urrrase IN cmploYcs H. due To the fact
that the establishments included in the
rrecnt amcndmcnts employ women in
smaller groups AMI sincly instead of the
trrcr groups ot ~iginal law This
5 cslEuollN 50 tn asc of offices, as
,pp,~rd to factor
81 the new establishments before
= rnuonci the places OF amusement,
.ife>~uaklnc establishments and offices
have aS whole rcadjusted themselves
- the law satisfactorily With the
hotels and restaurants The change has
,ccn slower, due ~ the peculiar difficulties
oi the business aud the shifting character
ot much oi the help
~ rHr I~pU~rR,fe
Thr great industrial changes wrought
bN the War have necessarily come 20 our
state and there Is an element ot unrcSt
lud uncertainty among many ot the
women worker The changes herr, how
evcr have been moderate when compared
with many oi ON nrlghborng states.
u has hs.n the policy nt the inspector
a. maIntalu the standards cNIstIng before
the ,lrclaritiun ui war The increase
n the number 81 women cnployCd cxclu-
stNc 81 the increase due 10 the new
Establishments oi the amended law Is
us apprrcnllc
rhvu has hccu rather movement
~ frnlalc labor from onr class of work
~ another. ~ hgurc> for thr mercantile
establishments m Wilmington IN 1916
.nd lql1 show IN 1916 there were
i9a mercantile establishments IN VII
nurtou employing women In 1917
hrrr wcrr sol. In the most part the
change was IN the small stores, where
business Was not sufficient 10 compete
With the shops and railroads IN salaries
" omen are gradually assuming mems
places as the men have been drafted or
concentrated at the shipbuilding plants
and machine shops. In some instances
They are receiving equal pay for so-callcd
equal work, hut Ia the majority OF cases
hc pay Is less 80 based by the employer
because thcIr potential ability To produce
rgual work Is less. In many cases the
work now being done by women differs
uttl, from the kind " work 10 which
hey are accustomed There are cNCcp-
tnu> however, where women are engaged
d work which was formerly done by men
nlN and where they are supplementing
men ia skilled labor. such as operating
circular saws drill machlncsin boiler shops,
sharpening tools and clerical work Of all
sinds for tie railroads.
W omen have also taken boys places
+ the bows have followed more rcmuner-
tive trades at the shiphuilding plants,
far example folding down cloth IN the
bleaching watts OF cotton mills.
Realizing that the war Will make
freatCr demands on our women IN indus
". certain resolutions were passed by the
rnmmlssion with tho hope Of preventing
unnecessary strain, Illness or accidents to
,Ir women during these abnormal times.
\ letter was sent to our manufacturers
urging The use Of tight caps and boomers
~ overalls IN cases where the women
,mplovcs were working near or at running
machinery, and exposed belts. Another
letter was sent 10 the physicians Of the
state asking their cooperation by notify
lng the commission OF any cases of illness
among their women patients which they
consider due TO industrial conditions or
strain
During the year from January, 1917,
To January, 1918 there were | ,l94 estab-
hshmcnts IN the state employing women
hich were subject TO the ten-hour law.
In these establishments approximately
:. sS5 women were employed 2,737 visits
pi Inspection, were made and 27l violations
were noted and corrected.
DOWN THE STATE
Prom the table given with the report it
i shown that the places where fifty or
more women were employed during the
spring and summer of 1917 were: Dover,
s43 Granogue, 81; Laurel, l49; Lewes,
-. Lincoln City, ll2; Milford, $50;
Newark, 9S; New Castle, l20; Seaford,
l26; smyrna, 90; Wilmington, 7,l6S;
Norklyn. So; The number of establish
nponts IN which women work in the
places enumerated were; Dover. 40;
,raneoue, !; Laurel, 26; Lewes, Is;
Lincoln City, 4; Milford, 20; Newark,
%; New Castle, Is; Seaford. %; Smyrna,
-; Wilmington, 500; Yorklyn, 2.
Wilmington establishments employing
women N the summer OF 1917 we're:
Bakeries, II; lsundries, 9; manufacturing
20, mercantl 9, 1896; printing. %; telegraph