Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-25
urDneznAY --THB ROCK ISLAND ARGUS-FEBRUARY ~ 1910
Frederic Haskin's Letter
EIGHT HOURS FOR WOMEN

EOIA VvO1v1SAN
women employed n factories ana
mercantile establishments, Miss
Sehneiderman concluded. and NOT
professional women, who seem 70
constitute the majority Of the MEM
bership Of the Equal Opportunity
league. and who are exhibiting An
amazing Ignorance not only OF tne
legislation itself, but OF the condi-
tons OF women In industry.
The advocates OF the etght-hour
day declare that the strain OF the
spesd and the monotony OF piece
work demaned shorter hours. The
constant concentratiod>Uf the mind
upon one process Ia deadening, they
say. When the laborer worked by
hand she could relax at times; now
she must work while the machine
works. Human muscle and nerve
cannot compete with steel unless II
hes time to recuperate.
It is further pointed out that the
modern organization Of industry
divides labor more and more into
| repetitions Of single processes, so
/ that Is people are now employed In
the making Of one corset, Il peo-
ple in the making Of one shirt; "
on one vest; and so people in the
making of one shoe. One girl makes
one buttonhole every three-fourths
of a minute. One girl dips 720
pieces of chocolate every hour. One
girl packs 100 pounds OF candy
every day. One girl pastes LOU
paper boxes every day.
The speed of machinery is con-
stantly being increased by modern
inventive genius. Every improve
ment in the machine must De
matched with greater speeding up
of the worker. In mills where
women formerly tended two looms
they now are expected to tend IL
or is, In canneries, women are ex-
. [pected to cap from 81 to 80 cans
, every minute. Girls in the sewing
trades sit for long hours in a room
, roaring with machinery. watching q
!. machine that carries IL needless CT
) one that set 1000 stitches a min
, ute. When work is carried on a.
, such speed, long hours result IN
nervous disability, cumulative Ia
: tigue, disease and accidents.
"When the health of women mas
been injured by long hours. not only
is the working efficiency Of the com
/ munity impaired, but the deterlora
: ton is handed down to succeeding
! generations" according to a wei
known authority on economics. In
: FAINT mortality rises, while the chill
!, dren of married working women
: who survive, are injured by newt
: able neglect. The overvork Q
Y future mothers thus directly at
3 tacks the welfare Of the nation.
: The Equal Opportunity ieagu'
s seems to fear. however. that II tn
r eight-hour day is obtained for won
e en- in factories and stores. that
r will somehow be forced upon then
lunawares. Newspaper women are
= trifle wary of it for fear it may We
q be extended SO as to cut on thel
y night shifts; women lawyers ga,
a that with such reform Legislation
9 gaining Roadway. they may at an,
i time be interrupted In the prepare
: ton of their briefs, and women doc
tors say that II the law is ever ex
tended to cover them, they vii
e naturally have to quit the medica
e profession and learn to make but
a tonholes and shirts. The most re
Il cent agitation against the eight
j. hour day, moreover, has come fror
: the hotel women's contingent OF tn
D league, which claims that hundred
n OF women will be released by tn
n hotels as soon as the eight hour d.
II begins.
~ "While am willing to conced
It that the Albany welfare bills sho'
3 a lovely spirit on the part OF sc
ciety ladies' and other gentle souls.
II said a hotel woman the other da,
n 1.-The eight-hour law. If enacted, wi
IS undoubtedly end in throwing man
: women out of work. Women hott
n workers are employed mostly 3
= tasks that must be attended beyon
s, 10 O'Clock at night. If there is an
e interference in the present shift
X women will be fired and men pl
u in their places.
= Women in hotel industry wor
10 in shifts of one day II hours an
e one day six hours. with one day
n week off. On one day they 60
of work at 7 o'clock in the mornin
+ work until noon, and then are o
n until 6 O'Clock. At 6 o'clock the
a go on duty again and work unit
lie midnight. This is their long da
IS They are satisfied with it. they sa
IS The eight-hour law would mea
st that a great many women would |
e. thrown out Of work-and that, at
e time when all employers are pr,
"a testing that they cannot get enoue
In labor"
I'd Since the hotel women WORKER
ut are not affected by the hill. az
Id since even if they were, the har
RS ship would not fall so much ON Il
re women who lost their jobs as {
s, their employers who cannot z
ly enough labor" the advocates of Il
er eight-hour day feel that their O
On ponents are either ignorant OF Il
On nature Of the Liquidation, or are VI
fully misguided. Altogether, Il
= feud among the feminists is We
~ bewildering.