El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-10
Complain At
Way 81 Hour
Lac Enforced
Merchants Who Worked
Employees That Long
Forced to Pay.

The constitutionaHty Of the "a hour
week and nine hour day law has
been questioned by judge Alfred J.
Harper. OF El Paso. and he said Fri
day he expected to ask the court Of
criminal appeals TO pass on the acts
validity in the event OF an adverse
decision in a case brought under that
law in which he IS attorney.
The case in point IS the result OF a
suit brought against Max Borschow.
proprietor Of the Texas store. on East
Overland street. on four counts.
Mr.. Borschow is one Of several
merchants in the city who, according
to complaints made 70 X n Roberts,
manager OF the chamber OF commerce
have been accused Of violating the
81 hour week, nine hour day law
in a manner which they describe as
very Objectionable.
Big Overtime Payments
According 70 the complaints, Mrs
Alma Bartlett, deputy state labor
commissioner has gone into prac-
tically every store in the city where
girls are employed and forced pay
ment 10 the girls BY the pr0prietOrs
Of overtime for periods as far back
as two years. In some instances.
merchants declare, this has amounted
20 as much as SIS TO one girl
More Than Nine Hours a Day
When u. 6rchants told Mrs Bartlett
they did not work the girls more than
81 hours week. she Is alleged 10
have said that il made no difference
Tor the reason that they worked the
girls more than nine hours on Satur-
day. Several OF the merchants in
terviewed say they worked their girls
sometimes as much as II hours on
Saturday when there was an unusual
NaaI
than nine hours on week days, be-
neving that il a 54-hour week was
observed the law was complied with
This they say they did not do after
they were advised by attorneys that
they must not work their girls more
than nine hours on any day.
BorsehOw's Case.
In the case OF Mr. BorschOW. he
said that after Mrs. Bartlett called
his girls together and talked to them.
she came 10 him and said 7 want
% see the color OF your eyes" Then.
ne SAYS, she made a demand that back
pay be given TO his girls. He said
that inasmuch as he never worked
his girls more than s. hours a week
and usually less, and inasmuch as ne
agreed 70 comply with every require
llent for conveuiences Of his en-
ployess he refused to pay the back
pay demanded and decided 10 fiEht
It out IN court
So Back Pay Demanded.
In the case OF Ben Leib, proprietor :
OF the International Furnishing COM 7
pany or South Fl Paso and East
Overland streets. a payment 81 bacl- I
pay was made, ne AYERS. 1Ir. Leib
says Mexican woman who worked 3
Tor hin lost her home in a storm and
he had IL rebuilt for her at a cost OF
10, Wnlch she was TO repay when I
she could me woman was frecueut-
ly off on account OF headaches. and I
was or once for two weeks on ac-t
count OF the influenza. and received I
ner money every week just the same. I
ne says In her case, AIRS. Bartlett f
IS said 20 have demanded SIS back +
pay Alr- Leln says he told Mrs. Bart i
lett he did not think he ought 10 4
pay this in view OF the easy hours
the woman had vixen she only worked &
lata on saturdays. Later. he saws. hef
uid write The woman a check for the
amount 70 satisfy Mrs. Bartlett and
lu-l me employe agreed 70 return II
AFTER the employe got Il. he says. she
refused 70 return il. Finally she did
on condition that e be credited ~
the $40 she owed for her home. Then
MIS- Bartlett made a demand, so Mr..
! - .1,,s ss-ss, lnat ne give the woman
I receipt Tor payment in full on the
mouse This he did Then he saws
she quit him, not knowing that her
pay had just been raised $3.50
~ eek lhe very week she quit
some Refuse 20 Taize the Money.
Joaquin stolaroff. proprietor OF the
aoston store on East Overland street.
also was visited by Mrs Barflett. ~
says. and that Immediately on de-
nand ne nald TO the girls the sum
-equired Of him. Some OF the money
s az his store yet in the envelope
le put Il IN because the girls reused
hem
Big stores Pay, Say NOTHING.
me Bee Hive on East Overland
md the store OF Esteban Sambrsno
iy4 south Fl Paso street. are oths-
torres visited by Mrs. Bartlett. IL Is
aid Judge Harper said the LARGER
apartment stores simply paid what
VS. demanded OF them without arru-
nent as the best means Of avoid7rr-
rouple, although Few Of them vve~s
more thau technically guilty II that
. tney paid their contract price. ala
lot work their employees to exceed
ne - hours weekly and the girls
we're satisfied.
Queslionnaires have been sent ont
" ar Roberts, OF the chamber Of ia
oinmerce. asking each merchant win
complaint to make state his Csc
2 oeIail so that some INTELLIGENT rem
sseIilatlon may be made Of the NAT