Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-10-29
Farm Bureau
Hits Amendm't
Opposes Passage OF Bill To
Regulate Working Hours
OF Men

Among the constitutional amend
ments to be submitted to the voters of
the state next month is one dealing
with the fixing of working hours and
conditions for the people of the state
by the legislature. Concerning it. the
following statement has been issued by
the Michigan State Farm Bureau:
"On the ballot which will be submit
ted to the electorate of the state at the
November general election is proposal
for an amendment to the constitution
OF the state, which, if carried, would
give the state legislature authority to
limit mans ambition and inclination
to work for his advancement, even
though he may in no way be transgres-
sing on the civic rights of his fellows. T"
"This amendment provides for en-
powering the legislature to enact laws
relative to the hours and conditions un-
der which men, women, and children
may be employed. The amendment is
the insertion of the word men in this
clause which is standing in section %,
of article 5, of the governing code of
the state.,'
"On its face, 1t appears serenly
enough, but it should be carefully con-
sidered by every farmer in the state,
before he votes on it.
"There are radical elements in Mich
igan who would like to see in effect an
arbitrary law prohibiting men from
working longer than an eight-hour day.
There are others who declare six hours
should be the limit I"
"There is none of the 10000 farm
bureau members in Michigan who
has come to attention who could do his
daily work in eight hours or who could
afford to hire men to work his farm if
at the end of six or eight hours they
were to wash up and quit. Farming,
which supplies the bread and butter
for every table, can't be done in eight
hour days. The old expression of
making hay while the sun Shines is
more truth than fiction and from sun
up to sun-down the farmers day is not
within the limits of eight hours, let
alone six"
"But there are other sides to this
story. Arbitrary limitation of the time
a man may devote in work to provide
a living for his family or for his person
al advancement is bound to operate to
sap ambition for better things in life.
1t is not in accord with that funda-
meutal principle of our American life
that permits citizens to legislate for
themselves, providing they do not
overstep bounds of decency or inter-
fere with the inalienable rights of 9TH
ers. The independence of character
that brands an American as such the
world over has been to vital factor in
the wonderful developement of this
nation into the greatest in the world
for it to be sacrificed carelessly to sa-
tate the selfish and rapacious whim of
any radical group or element in our
country"
"It may be suggested that so long as
such legislative power reposes with the
state legislature that the general pub
lie has nothing to fear in consequence
Of passage of an amendment of this
character in November. But it should
be remembered that history is replete
with instances of where and how radi-
cal minorities have obtained control of
reins OF government to confusion of
an inaggressive majority; also that we
in Michigan have no guarantee that the
capricious wind of. political fancy
may not watt into the legislature some
time or other sufficient Representatives
of loose-thinking minority to leopard
ize the welfare of the farmer and the
general public"