The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-17
NEW WELFARELAW
COSTS WOMEN JOBS
B. R. T. Discharges 500 Guards
and Will Let 1900 More
Out Soon.
CONDUCTORETTE DOOMED
Company Says Traffic Exigen-
cies Make It Impossible
to Meet Act.

Five hundred women employed by the
B. r. T. In Brooklyn. many OF them as
conductorettes. were discharged yester-
day The B. r. T. finds II cannot retain
them and comply with the requirements
Of the new transportation law, which
seeks to better the working conditions
OF women
The transportation bill was signed by
Gov. Smith last Wednesday. 1t pro-
vides that women employees Of trans
portation corporations cannot work more
than nine consecutive hours day. nifty
four hours each week. or elk days each
week. At least LOO women employed
by the B. r T are affected. They in
clude 500 guards on the B. r. T. subway
lines, generally referred 10 as con-
ductorettes, 100 conductorettes of sur
face lines and LOO ticket agents and
gate women. Those not already dis
charged will be released gradually. The
places or all will be taken by men.
The b. r. T. has employed feminine
ticket agents for years. Conductorettes.
however. were ushered In by war neces-
sity and they have served during two
winters Oficials of the b. r. T. de-
clared yesterday that the company re-
GREETED the action taken but found 1t
unavoidable. The women found the SIT
uation highly unsatisfactory.
1T 10 unjust" said Mrs. Charlotte
O'Dell and Mrs. Katie Schlott, volcing
! the opinion Of themselves and others
I'VE are caught between this new law
and the company. At best we cannot
get positions elsewhere at more than $12
week And how can women. espe-
cially those with families. live on that
sum with prices at their present high
levelr'
The view Of the B. r. T. was ex-
pressed by one OF its officials:
The reason for the discharge" he
said, lis that the r. r. T. has a twenty
four hour work day and a seven day
week. According to the law. II the
women are kept In their positions under
the new work rules there would have
to be determination between the women
and the men, a condition that would
create discomfort and injure the service.
There are men employees who by many
years Of service have earned the right
to seniority and preference OF the bet
ter runs. II the women were allowed
| a straight run during the day. they
would take the places Of these men
could work a six day week and a Nifty
four hour week between the hours OF
A. N. and 10 p. NJ, as provided by
| the law, they could not conform with the
| provision calling for a day OF nine con-
secutive hours. The exigencies OF city
| traffic absolutely necessitate swing
runs, that is. several hours work several
hours of and several hours work again.
THE law and not the company Is to
| blame II the people who made the law
! had come to us first they would have
seen that changes In schedule they call
for are impossible under existing con-
| ditions"
Miss Helen P. Mccormick. who Is an
Assistant District-Attorney OF Kings
| county, framed the bill in question. She
| said yesterday that the law did not re-
uuire the discharge OF women employees
The only question involved she said,
| was the readjustment OF the p. II. T
| schedule.
II could be done. she added. because
| Il had been done when provisions were
| made effective in relation to the employ
| ment OF women In factories. The COM
| from other motives IN discharging its
women
All subordinate officials Of the Inter
borough system to whom the inquiry as
to whether the 1000 and odd women en-
ployed on the lines will be dismissed. re-
ferred questioners to President Shonts
and General Manager Hedley. neither OF
whom was accessible. The women were
still at work last night at their Jobs OF
ticket chopping, ticket selling and eleva-
tor running. the only capacities In which
they had been employed. and none OF
them had heard that the blue envelope
was due.
Operation oficials said generally that
they could see no other course in sight
for tho Interborough than to dismiss the
women. They said they did not see how
the system could stand the expense o.
running three shifts OF women workers
as the new law would require. Many o,
the men in ticket selling and ticket chop.
ping jobs work as many as eighty -four
hours in a week. There was an impres.
sion around that an announcement or
the matter would be issued to-day from
the Interborough offices.