The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-22
NEW LAW DRIVES 81
WOMEN FROM B. R. 7.
Receiver Garrison Expresses
Hope That All viii Resign
From Service.
WORKING HOURS REDUCED
Seven Hour Lunchless Shifts
for Ticket Agents Who
Quit at 10 P. NJ.

Lindley NJ Garrison. receiver of the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, noti-
ned Lewis Nixon. Public Service Com
missioner. yesterday that the B. r T.
Ia not discharsins It's women employees
because Of the Lockwood Canfieid law
limiting their hours of labor. II Is re-
ducing the hours for all the women,
except the ticket agents, until some are
getting three and others Ave hours work
day. and the women are resigning of
TIER own volition. OF the 1880 women
employees ffty-two have quit since the
changed work schedules were put into
eject None has been discharged.
MRS Garrison's statement was issued,
ne said, to show that the law Is being
complied with. and to refute the charges
that women were being dismissed. What
ne thinks of the law IL an entirely DIFF
terent matter. The actual operation of
the roads does not permit putting The
women on the ffty-four hour weekly
schedule, hs said. except in the case
OF ticket agents. and these have been
put on seven hour shifts to avoid night
work. All the women on night shifts
were put out Of work automatically, he
said. They are crowdlns the day sched-
ule 90 heavily that those who do get
work can be employed only for a few
hours.
Disrupts Seniority Rule.
II Is Mr.. Garrison's hope that all the
women will resign. "A little consid-
Grafton will lead to the conclusion" he
SAID, that 1t is impracticable in the
operation Of a street railway business
to comply with the act and retain the
women In their present employment,
shifting them, not in accordance with
any rules Of seniority. but in q way to
Discriminate against the men and In
favor OF the women, which would quick
ly cause VI to lose all Of the experienced
and long service employees Of the COM
pany.
I'VE could not, as the law requires,
work the women during the daytime
the consecutive hours required by the
law. We have endeavored in every DOS
Dible way TO retain all women employees
that IL Is possible to retain and still
comply with the law. On the elevated
Hires and subways the law affected the
following number of employees: Guards,
szo car cleaners. So; ticket agents,
LOIS; porters. IS totailins. 1.442.
women
we have not discharged any, but we are
only able to afford these women the
number OF working hours Of from three
TO nve hours length at the hourly rate
for such labor. az against an average of
nine hours. with the hourly rate which
they have heretofore enjoyed. OF these
S26 women guards 50 do not care TO
work the shorter hours and have re-
signed. None has been discharged.
Eventually II seems to mo they will all
resign. because the number Of hours we
can give them win not, at the hourly
rate. ahord them sufficient enumeration
to make it worth their while to stay.
Might Shifts Abolished.
"of the 1925 women ticket agents
$50 work night shifts. The law auto
matically threw these women out Of
| their positions. The effect OF this is TO
| load the extra list and place these $50
women In q position where the en-
ployees will have to take work the
wages for which are not attractive
enough TO make II likely that they wiz
continue In the employment
"As to the ticket agents. the company
has arranged TO comply with the law,
| making two seven hour shifts between
the hours OF 8 A. NJ. ana 10 p. NJ. as
provided by the law, eliminating the
lunch hour. The legal department, after
conference with John Mitchell Of the In
dustrial Labor Board, advised that these
agents can work without the hour for
their lunch for the present at least, and
until after the Industrial Labor Board
has further investigated the situation
! and made some ruling.
TN respect Of the surface cars, when
the law became effective we had eighty
- "
and up to date two Of them have re-
| signed. one because she could make
more money by going back to nursing
than by remaining with the company,
and another said she could make more
money by remaining at home than by
working at reduced hours.
Expects More Resisnation..
I'VE are endeavorins to give the
women conductors at least one-half a
day. or i've hours work and more up To
nine hours, provided we can SO utilize
them without discriminating against the
male employees. As work under these
conditions Is uncertain and not only de-
prives the women OF the privilege of
picking then own runs In accordance
with their seniority. but also reduces
their earning power, It 10 assumed that
most of them will not wish to continue
their employment, but will resign.
you will see from the above state
ment that Of the 1880 women employees
in the elevated. subway and surface
lines when the law went into effect, we
have discharged none on account Of the
law. Fifty have resigned from the ele-
waited and subway and two from the sur
face lines. You will also see that we are
endeavoring In every possible way to
retain the services OF all the women that
We can. and still comply with the law.
| or course to the extent that the law