New-York tribune., 1918-12-18
Auxiliary Republican Conn
mittee Announces Its
Platform in Washington
Child Labor Prohibited
Eight-Hour Day and Equal
Pay for Equal Work In
cIuded in Planks Adopted
Nc'o York Tribune
IBuShiaaufop Burcn..

WASHINGTON Bureua
WASHINGTON. Dec. IA platform
of reconstruction for women in indus
try was announced yesterday afternoon
at the first open session Of the Repub-
1ican Women's National Executive Com
mittee.
Mrs. Medll Mccormick, chairman OF
the committee, presided at the meet
ing, which was attended by the best
known Republican women in Washing
ton. among them Mrs. Alice Roosevelt
Longworth. Mrs. John Hays Hammond
and Miss Hannah ]. Patterson.
Platform Asks Reforms
The platform contains a thorough
going policy on women and children in
industry for the reconstruction period
and for years to come:
"a wage which will insure health,
education, leisure and recreation to the
citizenship of the United States.
"The abolition of child labor up to
sixteen years.
compulsory education up to sixteen
years.
Absolute prohibition of night work
for women.
"Eight-hour day for women.
Equal pay for equal work.
Social insurance covering these
three points: Health insurance, old age
pension and unemployment insurance
Equal opportunity fer men and
women in trade and technical training
"Immediate action by Congress to ap-
point commission to create Federal
work in case the ordinary industries do
not consume the production capacity OF
the people. Such work might include
putting the land into condition for
such of the soldiers and sailors as de-
sire to go to the land and work on the
Mississippi levees, in order that the
soldiers may go to the land under Fed
eral protection not subject to explcita-
ton of Individuals"
Speakers for the afternoon. besides
Mrs. Mccormick, were Mrs. Raymond
Robins, international president of the
Woman's Trade Union League and
member of the Republican woman's
committee. and Mrs. Arthur Ryerson,
of Chicago, who recently returned from
France, where she was engaged in work
for the American fund for French
wounded
"We cannot give out our programme" ="
said Mrs Robins, until the women Of
the country have spoken. This Repub~
lcan Women's National Executive
Committee is definitely asking the CO.
operation Of every thoughtful far-see-
ing Republican woman in the country
to help us work out programme for
social and industrial reconstruction.
at is needless here to say that we
find ourselves IN one Of the great
crises of our national life. How i'm
portant it is for women of the country
to act is proved by the decision taken
by the National War Labor Beard in
summarily dismissing $50 women con-
ductors of the Cleveland Street Rail
way at the request of men who even
went out on strike to secure their de-
mands.
Not Displacing Soldiers
GAS a result of the protest of the
organiczed working women of the
country the National War Labor Board
reopened the case last Friday.
"These women conductors in Cleve-
land were not displacing any returned
soldiers. The men who asked for their
dismissal were the men who had Sc
cured better paying work in the war
industries. One hundred and twenty
five Of the women are the wives or Sis
ters of soldiers and have dependents"
Last week the members Of the Ma
tional Women's Trade Union League
sent requests to the chairmen Of the
womens committees of the Republican
and Democratic parties. asking them to
help in the appeal Of the women in
Cleveland. The Democratic women
have not yet given out any reply in the
matter.
Mrs. Ryerson described her work in
France and interpreted the feeling
mat the French have for the United
States.