Evening journal., 1918-02-14
Tells YEARS WORK
UNDER 10-HOUR LAW
Miss Stevenson Says War
Has Called Women TO
Industries
GRADUALLY TAKING
THE PLACES OF MEN

der the ten-hOur employment law Tor
women, yesterday submitted her an
nual report TO the State Board Of
Health She referred 10 amendments
TO the law passed by the last Leglsla-
ture, and said
This amended law increased the
number of establishments affected by
36i or approximately a per cent ;
she number Of women affected in
creased SS7 or II per cent. The large
discrepancy in the increase in estab-
ishments and the increase in en-
ployes is due to the fact that the estab-
iishments included in the recent amend
ments employ women IN smaller groups
and singly instead Of the larger groups
Of the original law. This is especially
so In the case Of Offices, as opposed TO
factories.
"Of the new establishment before
mentioned, the places Of amusement,
dressmaking establishments and offices
have as a whole readiusted themselves
to the law satisfactorily. With the ho-
tells and restaurants the change has
been slower, due to the peculiar difil-
culties Of the business and the shifting
character Of much Of the help.
THE great industrial changes
wrought by the war have necessarily
come to our State. and there is an
element Of unrest and uncertainty
among many Of the women workers.
The changes here, however, have
been moderate when compared with
many Of our neighboring States. II
has been the policy Of the lnspec-
tor TO maintain the standa ds existing
before the declaration Of war. The in
crease IN the number Of women en-
ployed exclusive OF the increase due
to the new establishments Of the
amended law Is not appreciable
"There has been rather a movement |
Of female labor from one class Of work |
TO another, as figures for the mercan- |
tile establishments In Wilmington in
1916 and 1917 show In 1916 there were
500 mercantile establishments In VIII
mington employing women. In 1917
there were 394. 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.
Several establishments employing
over 1000 women last year have closed
down since our entrance into the war
and these women have gone elsewhere.
However, the demand is still greater
than the supply, especially for skilled
labor which tends TO keep wages up
and labor mobile The Inspector has
found few cases Of female workers /
coming from without the State.
women are gradually assuming |
mems places az the men have been |.
drafted or concentrated at the ship
building plants and machine shops. In
some instances they are receiving equal
pay for so-oalled equal work, but in the
majority Of cases the pay Is less, so
based by the employer, because their /
potential ability TO produce equal work |
Is less. In many cases the work now /
being done by women difie s little |
from the kind Of work to which they
are accustomed. There are exceptions,
however, where women are engaged in
work which was formerly done by men
only and where they are supplementlng
men in skilled labor, such as operating
circular saws, drill machines in boiler
shops, sharpening tools and clerical
work Of all kinds for the railroads.
Women have also taken boys places
as the boys have followed 10 more re-
trades at the shipbuildlns
plants, as for example, folding down
cloth in the bleaching watts Of cotton
mills.
Realizing that the war will make
greater demands on our women IN in
dustry. certain resolutions were passed
by the commission. with the hope Of
preventing unnecessary strain, illness or
accidents to our women during these
abnormal times. A letter was sent 20 I
our manufacturers urging the use OF .
light caps and bloomers or overalls In
cases where the women employees were
working near or at running machinery
and exposed belts. Another letter was
sent 70 the physicians Of the State ask
ing their cooperation by notifying the
Of any cases Of illness
among their women patients which they
consider due TO industrial conditions or
strain.
During the year from January, 1917,
10 January, 1918, there were ii9i es-
tablishments in the State employing
women which were subject 10 the ten
hour law. In these establishments ap-
proximately 1856 women were employed
2737 visits Of inspection were made and
27i violations were noted and corrected.
Few violations were noted among the
under the law for the
past four years. The most frequent
were due 10 negligence in
posting schedules, in changing hours
on schedule to correspond with change
10 employees hours; a misunderstand-
Ing covering the amended law which
limited the working days to six per q
week. Among the newly included es- [
iablishments, violations were natu- {
rally greater The most difncult situa- e
lion arising was the restaurants and (
hotels, due in many cases to Ignorance h
NJ fhn Low. hofh an A., ~...t al. .