Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-08
Editors Letter Box
BY Albert T. Reid
A Rely to Msddocks

A Rely to Msddocks
| have noticed in some of our
Maine newspapers a communication
signed by Ii. Fremont Maddocks,
VINO presents what | have no doubt
he believes to b. an argument in
favor OF the proposed As hour law
on which our people are to vote on
October 18th. | do not happen TO
know who Mir. Maddocks may be. but
| do note that the argument which
he uses is YER nearly Il reproduction
of the printed propaganda which
the American Federation of Labor
has sent into the state, which prop
uganda has been disseminated in
pat b. AZ least two speakers whose
presence in Maine has been of no
benefit whatever to the real cause OF
the real workers.
| do not wish t. he understood as
in any way denying the right of any
group OF Dc0plc t. organize for Their
common SoUd 1t is unfortunately
tho fact. however, that the American
Federation of Labor in its policies
and its practices, is dominated BY
a group of leaders. none Of whom live
within the state of Maine and very
mauy OF whom have no intimate
lno#leGGe of conditions which e&ist
in the State of Maine. Necessarily
in their reasoning they are not fair
ly rejecting State of Maine condi-
tons. State of Maine aspirations
and state of Maine necessities. !
h1G supposed until spoke with one
of these American Federation agita-
ton, recently, that the day had gone
10y Nncn any man would stand before
an audience in the State of Maine
and with shaking arm, trembling
voice, ard almost fearful eye. assert
solcmHly That the employers were
placing gic.d and lust for money
ahead of the natural needs and dc
.lrCS OF human beings. | had that
experience and regretted it. ! regret
also that | note in 0lr. Maddocks'
communication many statements
fashioned by the American Fedora
ton of Labor. and which it seems to
me would be more readily accepted
in some state whore the people were
of an entirely different class than
our state of Maine people. | ask the
men and women of Maine to look
about them. and see the employers
in our small industries. and the en-
pioyecs therein, and answer their
own question whether these en-
ploNers are not as reasonably treating
their employees as it is possible
under the circumstances, and if the
c m p o. ccs are not rCasona bly,
healthy, happy, contcnted and we'll
paid.
The proposed hour law has its
legal justification only in view of the
fact that the Legislature. as rep
rescntatives of the people, have
right to protect the safety and the
health and morals of the citizen.
Our Federal Court has held that
each state may. if it sees fit, regulate
in the interest of health and morals
Of the citizen the hours which wo-
men may work. In our basic indus
tries. namely the wooden AMI cotton
textiles and the boot and shoe
factories, mon and women work to-
gether in very nearly equal numbers
The operations through which they
jointly go are of such a character
that If by law we regulate the hours
of the women we control the hours
of the men. Hence forcing an eight
hour day upon the women in in
dustry also provides an eight hour
day for men in the same industry
Going step further. we have only
to recall what happened in 1915
when we went from a 10 to a 9 hour
day. This law in words applied only
to women. AS a matter of fact it not
only regulated the hours of men in
industries in which women were
employed. but within six months of
its passage the law had effectually
placed upon a nine hour day basis
all employees and all employments
in the State of Maine. If we should
accept this proposed s hour law, it
would mean that in all employments
in the State eight hours would be the
basis.
Mr.. Maddocks presents only the
sentimental aspect of the matter.
namely the natural desire of all of
us to work as short a day as pos
sible, and he advances the argument
that the difference between a nine
hour day and an eight hour day will
have a very important bearing upon
the health and morals of our women
in industry. | hardly think that
anyone will claim that the environ
ment in which our women work in
industry is such that there is any i'll
effect upon the morals of our WO-
men. In any event. continuing nine
hours each day rather than eight
each day would hardly have any APP
nreciable effect upon their morals.
so far as the health of the indivi-
dual is concerned, let any man or
woman stand at the mill gate or the
factory gate when the workers in
our basic industries are coming out
at the noon hour or night. and OBJ
serve them. l have done so for a
good many years, and I have vet
tailed TO find except only now and
then an individual who apparently
is not in good health and spirits
happy in her job, and exhibiting the
same spirit of play which school
BOYS and school girls exhibit at the |
close of n school session. It is. Of
course. true that some women ap-
show i'll effects from their