Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-25

New Yosf, Feb. 33.-An interest
ing feminist feud has again burst
into activity In New York It u
between the women voters who are
striving for the eiSht-hour day for
workers Of their SEA In New York
and the Women's Equal Opportun-
ity league, which declares that II
doesn't want il
Twice, the question Of eight-hcar
day has invaded the state legisia-
ture at Albany, and twice It mss
been easily vanquished by u1sym-
pathetic assemblymen, who were
greatly assisted in their task by the
eloquent opposition Of the champ
ions Of equal opportunity. Now
the same bill. having been patiently
reintroduced, Is soon to come up
for consideration. and consequently
each feminist faction is once more
preparing for 4 brisk fight.
Those who are backing this legts-
lation represent some Of the most
powerful women's organizations OF
the state, including the New York
Women's Trade Union league, the
Consumers league, the New York
State League OF Women Voters, the
Young Women Christian assOcia-
ton, and the New York League OF
Women Workers. They believe that
the eight hour day is essential to
! the health and the efficiency OF the
woman worker. and they have an
nounced that they will keep on TAX
| ing old members Of the legislature
out and putting new ones In unit
they get it. For what else should
| women use the ballot. they ASK
you, II not to obtain beneficial leg
islation for their sex?
The members of the Equal OPP
portunity league, on the other hand
among whom are some we'll known
professional women, assert that thu
purpose of the ballot is to remove
rather than to increase restriction
upon women. They believe tina
every industrial channel open t.
men should be open to women. tina
If man is willing to work II hour
lat his job, then woman, II she Il
to compete for that job, must b.
able to work IL hours at it toe
They are bitterly resentful Of an,
so-called welfare legislation, whicl
they assert is merely a curren
popular pastime of society women.
women do not need protection
from the state" declared a mem
Der Of the league, in addressing
meeting of working women tn
other day, but merely the oppor
|tunity to compete with men on a
equal basis. Laws protecting WON
en- workers place intolerable re
, strictions upon them, and end b
throwing them out Of work. Firm
cannot be expected to employ WON
en- to work for only eight hour
when they can get men to work TO
nine or ten, and thus women ar
unjustifiably hampered in thel
competition for jobs"
When this statement was sui
mitted to the Womens Trade Unto
league here, which contains yer
few society women, it produced
: tolerant smile. 1t was the sam
kind of smile that used to travt
around the various suffrage heat
, quarters after particularly clums
onslaught of the ants.
, "Since 1913" said Miss Res
lSchne:derman, president OF Ii
league, New York has had
statute limiting the working day
women employed in certain indus
tries to nine hours; yet the enac
Iment of this law several years ag
l when there was no such limitatio
placed upon them. did not result
the laying off Of large numbers
women. On the contrary, the fiji
lures show that there are now abo'
200, 900 more women in these indu
: tries than there were then"
Miss Schneiderman, who is one
our greatest authorities On wome
in industry. went on to say that,
!, a matter of fact, the competition b.
! tween men and women for jobs, c
g which the League of Equal Oppo
Itunity places SO great an emphasi
actually does not exist. During Il
WAR, she says, there was much ia
lconcerning the equal efficiency
1.-THE woman worker, but this was b
cause the labor shortage was
great that many employers we
& compelled to accept women-not
= the place of-but in the absence
: men. Under normal conditions, e
perience has shown that when {
employer can take his choice of
man or woman worker at the san
Il wage, he takes man. Mi
Schneiderman does not applaud tn
}. state of affairs. She thinks it mo
regrettable, but none the less tru
e Thu labor shortage resultil
II from the war, she says, enabl
o women to take a step upward
It industry. 1t was not step gain
q in open competition with men, b
d one made possible because men h
j. given up certain places for othe
$. carrying higher pay. Women we
taken on as street car conductor