Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-25
Eight Hours for Women
BY Frederic ]. Haskin

/ stt'ahys hfa hoiff ~ lab bftH f<Attf va
qIished by unsympathetic assefnblymel
who were greatly assisted in their task !
| the eloquent opposition Of the champion
: Of equal opportunity Now the same bil
having been patiently reintroduced
soon In come up for consideration, an
consequently each feminist faction
once more preparing for brisk fight.
Those who are backing this Legislation
represent some Of the most pOwcrft
womens organizations of the State, IN
Guiding the New York Wonens Trad
Union League, the Consumer League
the New York State League Of Womel
Voters, the Young Wonens Christian
Association, and the New York League o
Women Workers. They believe that tb'
eight-hour day is essential TO the health
and the efficiency of the woman worker
and they have announced that they vii
keep on taking old members of the legis
lattire out and putting new ones IN unit
| they get it, For what else should womer
use the ballot, they ask you, if not 20 OBJ
tain beneficial legislation for their sex?
The members of the Equal Opportunity
League, on the other hand, among whom
| arc some well-known professional women,
| assert that the purpose OF the ballot rs ~
/ remove rather than 10 increase restric-
| every industrial channel open 10 men
| should be open to women, that if a man is
willing TO work II hours at his Job, then a
woman, il she is 20 compete for that Job,
| must be able TO work ~ hours at NJ too.
| They are bitterly resentful Of any so-called
welfare legislation which they assert rs
merely current popular pastime Of So
ciety women
Women do not need protection from
the State" declared a member Of the
league, in addressing n meeting of work
ing women the.o her day, hut merely the
opportunity TO compete with men on an
equal basis. Laws protecting women work
ers place intolerable restrictions upon
them, and end by throwing them out Of
work Firms cannot be expected TO en-
ploy women 20 work for only eight hours
when they can get men 70 work Tor nIne or
ten, and thus women are unJustlhably
hanpered in their competition for lobe
When this statement WAS submitted to
the Womens Trade Union League, here,
which contains very few society women, II
produced q tolerant smile. 1t was the
same kind Of smile that used 70 travel
around the various suffrage headquarters
after particularly clumsy onslaught Of
the ants.
Since 1913" said Miss Rose Schneid-
errnan. president of the league, New
York has had a statute limiting the work
ing day Of women employed m certain
industries To nine hours, yet the enact
nent Of this law several years ago when
there was no such limitation placed upon
them, did not result m the laying OF OF
large numbers Of women. On the CON
trary, the figures show that there are now
about 300 600 more women IN these IN
dustrles than there were then.
Miss Schneidermap, who Is one of orr
greatest authorities on women IN IN
dustry, went on 70 say that, as a matter Of
fact, the competition between men and
women for Jobs, on which the League Of
Equal Opportunity places 80 great an
actually does not exist. During
the war, she says, there was much talk
the equal efficiency OF the
woman worker, but this was because the
labor shortage was so great that many
employers were compelled 70 accept
IN the place of-out IN the
absence of men. Under normal condItIons,
experience mas shown that when an EN-
ployer can take MS choice of a man or
worker at the same wage, he takes
q man. Miss Schnelderman does not
applaud this state of affairs. She thinks It
most regrettable, but none the less true
STEP Up IN INDUSTRY.
The labor shortage resulting from the |
war, she says, enabled women TO take /
step upward in industry. II was not step I
gained III open competition with men, but !
lne made possible because men had gwen /
I'D certain places for Others carrying high +
r pay Women were taken on ~ street /
ar conductors. because the men who had +
ormerly manned the street cars found bet
er Jobs or joined the army. but as soon rs
hey applied for reinstatement ON the
,ars. the women were fired.
THE eight hour bill We are trying TO get
through affects only women employed IN
actories and mercantile establishments,
Hiss Schneldernan concluded, and not
women, who seem to constl-
ute the majority of the membership of
he Equal Opportunity League, and who
re exhibiting an amazing ignorance not
nly of the legislation itself, out OF the
ondItionS of women IN industry.
The advocates of the eight-hour day
eclare that the strain of the speed and
he monotony of piece work demand
horter hours The constant concentration
{ the mind upon one process Is deadening,
hey say When the laborer worked by
and she could relax at times; now she
aust work while the machine works.
human muscle and nerve cannot com
etc with steel unless il has time TO re-
operate.
Ii is further pointed out that the modern
rganzation of industry divides labor
lore and more into repetitions OF single
rocesses, so that 13 people are now en-
loyed In the making of one corset, 81
eople In the making of one shirt; 27 on
ne vest; and 80 people in the making of
ne shoe. One girl makes one buttonhole
very three-fourths of a minute. One girl
lpe 720 pieces of chocolate every hour. |
ne girl packs 100 pounds of candy every
ay. One girl pastes 1000 paper boxes
Fery day.
The speed of machinery IS constantly
eng increased by modern inventive i
,nius Every improvement In the ma Il
line must be matched with greater speed
g up OF the worker In mills where 4
omen formerly tended two looms. they
Nv are expected TO tend II or 10. In
nnerics, women are expected TO cap from Il
to so cans every minute. Girls IN the II
wing trades sit for long hours IN room II
airing with machinery, watching a ma II
inc that carries II needles, or one that H
Is 1000 stitches minute. When work H
carried on at such speed long hours re- III
1t in nervous disability, cumulative II
tigue, disease and accidents. III
HEALTH AND LONG HOURS III