New-York tribune., 1921-03-10
Don't Interfere,
Working Girls
Tell Uplifters
Want Law to Keep Welfare
Bill A dvoc cates Off
the Streets After Ten
O'clock i'm the Evening
Oppose Night Labor Ban
Reformers Told to Look Out
for Men Who ssFall
for the Blond Sirens
From q Staff Correspondert


ALBANY, March 9-Women workers
differed as to the desirability OF the So
called welfare laws and the benefits
Of the statute prohibiting night work
for women, at the beginning to-day, be-
fore the Joint Legislative Committees
dealing with these subjects.
"W orking women need the protec-
tion of the law until they have reached
a point Of equality with man." said
Miss Ethel M. Smith, representing the
National Women's Trade Union League.
Mind your own business" was the
message brought by Miss Mary Hinch-
ley, to those who have worked for the
welfare bills.
The opposition to the welfare bills,
which was heard first, was led by Miss
Amy Wren, Brooklyn lawyer, repre-
senting the Equal Opportunity League.
Many Favor Night Work
Miss Wren and her followers gave
their unqualified Endorsement to the
Belts BILL repeating the night statute.
Answering the assertion that night
work is unhealthful for women, they
said that women can stand night work
as we'll as men.
Miss Wren said that the demand for
night statute for women comes from
union labor and uplifters rs and reit-
Grated the assertions made by Mrs.
Murray that the woman who asks for
night work is the self-supporting woman
with small children.
Let the uplifters mind their own
buslness-we poor working girls do
not need them" said the Brooklyn law
yer. They seem so afraid that we
should be out after 10 o'clock at night
lest we should lose our morals. The
uplltters had better look after the men
who should work nights, but don't be-
cause they fall for some golden haired
siren.
Il am strong for bill which would
prohibit uplifters from going out after
10 o'clock at night"
Samuel Mcclure Lindsay, Of Colum-
hla University, said the night statu se
was an essential law and reminded the
committees that it was enacted fol-
lowing thorough investigation, which
revealed conditions that had to be
remedied.
Mrs. Betty Hawley, Of Buffalo, req.
resenting the Mattresses Union of
that city, declared that 10000 union
women of Buffalo want the night
statute continued.
Minimum Wage Urged
The argument for the enactment OF
the Cotillo minimum wage commission
bill was made by Professox Frank.
furter, of the Harvard Law School. He
said that the average wage of women
IN this state is less than the amount
required to live up to the standard of
a decent existence. He recited how
in other states and abroad and proved j
of advantage to workers. The same
declaration was made by Miss Ethel
Smith
Considerable time was given over to
discussion of the Meyer bill, whicb
would minimize the sweatshop evil
The opposition was led by Jacob De
Jong. representing the Association OF
Home Work Industries of New York.
He said the enactment of the bill,
would deprive $4,000 persons of thei,
livelihood.
The enactment of the bill was advo-
Gated by several representatives of the
New York City Club. who presented
reasons, based or health and economic
conditions, why sweatshops should not
be allowed to continue. It was charged
that owing to the fact that there are
only sixteen inspec tors to 1928
licensed tenements in New York City il
has been Impossible to make efficien,
| inspection of tenements where home
! work is done.