The Republican journal., 1922-12-28
GRANGE AGAINST
l9-hOUR LAW
Three State Conventions Go on
Record Opposing the
Proposed Act
PASS STRINGENT RESOLUTIONS
Master Of New Hampshire Body
Declares Measure Would
Damage State
PASS STRINGENT RESOLUTIONS

resolutions were adopted opposing a
working week of As hours for women
and children.
These conventions were: Maine at
Bangor, New Hampshire at Ports
mouth and Massachusetts at Boston.
The Maine convention went so far
rs to instruct the members of the
legislative committee to appear be-
fore the Legislature at Augusta and
oppose any move for As hours and
It was also arranged to have local
Grange bodies inaugurate exhaustive
discussions in the matter and pre-
sent any action that may be taken
to the lawmakers at the biennial
session.
In New Hampshire Herbert N.
Sawyer, master of the State Grange,
roundly denounced the proposal to
tnfiict a 4S-hour law on the Granite
state, declaring that its passage would
prove a serious detriment to the
community and work immense dam
age to both industry and agriculture.
The resolution declaring opposition
to the passage of the law was passed
almost unanimously. despite the ef-
forts of a few friends of the meas
are to prevent action.
According to the report in the Bos-
on Herald, 'The New Hampshire
state grange in the last few hours of
It's annual convention may, according
10 many politicians, have given the
l. ~.
state New Hampshire) when the
body practically unanimously adopt
I'd a resolution opposing a 4S-hour
week for women and children"
Many UnWarranted Assertions
There have been SO many unwar-
,anted assertions about farm labor
bloc" by means of which it was
understood the farmer representa-
lives would support the 4S-hour law
N return for the help of the labor
Fotes in changing over the taxation
laws which have proved obnoxious
70 agriculturists, that many persons
we're led to believe that the house
of representatives was almost GER
tain to pass the law, leaving the death
blow to be administered In the
Senate.
According to the statements in the
Boston Herald, however, there seems
little hope for such result and it
IS apparent that certain Democratic
agricultural leaders, who labored to
bring about the organization of a
bloc" reckoned without regard to
the determined spirit of opposition
TO the 4S-hour law which exists
among thousands of farmers gener-
.lly and particularly among members
of the grange.
State Master Sawyer in his address
declared that there is no justice in
a standard hour day and that the
maximum hours Of a days work
should not be fixed by law. He said:
"The hours of labor in industrial
eenters are out of proportion to those
Of the rural parts of the State. Ad-
Eocates of the 4S-hour law have over
Ooked the fact that, by increasing
the pay and shortening the hours or
labor, the purchasing power of the
iollar is reduced"
Such a move win result in the clos
ing of the textile mills in New Hamp-
shire, he believed.
Mr.. Sawyer said further: DO we
af New Hampshire want to see our
mills closed and the industrial CEN
ters bankrupt and desolate? The
number of spindles operating in New
England today is not keeping pace
With those of the South, and the hours
sf labor in the cities are detrimental
b labor ON the farms
No Chance for "BIoc" Now
The passage of the resolution
nakes impossible the much talked OF
bloc" and gives a new angle to the
hbor situation in New Hampshire.
Many of the mill-workers who went
IN strike last February and returned
Anly a few weeks ago have been led
b believe that the passage of the
Nv was practically assured. Now,
Z is claimed that the grange deter
nination to prevent the enactment or
Uho measure means that the LABOR
haders counted without consideration
Il the hosts of opposition among the
hrmerA
At the New Hampshire meeting
there we're numerous declarations
hvoring the appointment of commit
lses to appear before the Legislature
md fight the proposal at every point.
This matter will be decided later.
According to the Boston Globe:
Following the announcement OF
The proposed bill, in the annual ad-
dress of State Master Sawyer, mem
bers were in lively discussion
throughout the day. Conservatives
believed an Endorsement of Mr.. Saw
yer's address should be made, while
pther delegates favored an active
campaign Immediately to defeat the
bin in the Legislature this winter
& was brought out that four state
senators elect and about hundred
h the lower House are members OF
the Grange.
Indications are that the talked OF
labor and farm bloc in the state will
b impossible"