Ellsworth American., 1922-12-27

GRANGE AGAINST (
48.H0UR Law
Three State Conventions Go on
Record Opposing the
Proposed Act
PASS STRINGENT RESOLUTIONS
Master of New Hampshire Body
Declares Measure Would
Damage State

In the conventions of three New
England state oranges held last week
resolutions were adopted opposing
working week of 48 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
as to instruct the members of the
legislative committee to appear be-
fore the Legislature at Augusta and
oppose any move for 4S 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
infiict a 4Shour law on the Granite
state, declaring that it's 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 few friends of the meas
IRE to prevent action.
According to the report in the Bos-
ION Herald, "The New Hampshire
state grange in the last few hours of
it's annual convention may, according
TO many politicians, have given the
1eath blow to a 4S-hour law in this
state (New Hampshire) when the
body practically unanimously adopt
ed resolution opposing a 48-hour
week for women and children"
Many Unwarranted Assertions
There have been so many unwar-
ranted assertions about farm labor
bloc" by means Of which 1t was
understood the farmer representa-
lives would support the 4S-hour law
in return for the help Of the labor
votes in changing over the taxation
laws which have proved obnoxious
TO 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
,luW 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 1abored to
bring about the organization of
bloc" reckoned without regard to
the determined spirit of opposition
20 the 4Shour law which exists
among thousands of farmers gener-
ally and particularly among members
of the grange.
State Master Sawyer in his address
declared that there is no justice in
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
centers are out of proportion to those
Of the rural parts of the State. Ad
vocates of the 4S-hour law have over
looked the fact that, by increasing
the pay. and shortening the hours Of
labor, the purchasing power of the
dollar is reduced"
Such a move will result in the clos
ing of the textile mills in New Hamp
shire, he believed.
Mr.. Sawyer said further: do we
~ Now Hampchjro want tO COO our
mills closed and the industrial CEN
ters bankrupt and desolate? The
number of spindles operating in New
England today il not keeping pace
with those Of the South, and the hours
Of labor in the cities are detrimental
to labor on the farms"
No Chance for "Bloc" Now
The passage of the resolution
makes impossible the much talked of
bloc" and gives a new angle to the
labor situation in New Hampshire.
Many of the mill workers who went
only few weeks ago have been led
to believe that the passage OF the
law was practic7 lily assured. Now,
1t is claimed that the grange deter
mination to prevent the enactment of
the measure means that the labor
leaders counted without consideration
of the hosts of opposition among the
farmers.
At the New Hampshire meeting
there were numerous declarations
favoring the appointment of commit
tees to appear before the Legislature
and 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
other delegates favored an active
campaign Immediately to defeat the
bill in the Legislature this winter.
II waa hrOupht oNt that fOur stato