The Connecticut labor news., 1925-01-31
Industrial Council Is Formed By WOOlen
 Mills to Fight PrOvi-
 siOns of Stevens Act

Trenton, N. J., Jan 31-Manufac-
 turers of New Jersey have banded to- gether to ignore the Stevens Act which
 prohibits the employment of women in
 factories btween 10 P. M, and 6 A. M.
 In Passaic, the four large woolen mills
 have dehed the law which went into ef-
 feet January l. Women are working at night as usual The joker in the law IS that no means of enforcing the act
 was provided by the last Legislature.
 Counsel for the woolen mills have ad- vised the manufacturers they should continue to operate as usual Meanwhile they are bringing an action in the State court to test the constitutionality of the law.
 The law was passed at the request of women's organizations of the State, the Consumers League, Women's Trade Union League, Federation of Women's Clubs, etc. Reports of the deplorable condition in the homes of Passaic workers and census records showing the abnormally high rate of infant mortality in Passaic were responsible for the agi- tation to prohibit the employment of women when their children needed them at home
 The wealthy woolen manufacturers have formed the Industrial Council of Woolen Mills to fight this legislation. The same group opposes union labor. It has its inception from 1912 when wo- men and girls. some getting as little as S "a week went on strike They were frequently dispersed by armed deputies. injured.
 As subterfuge against unions the woolen and worsted barons have creat- ed what is called representative as- sembly. This is kind of workers @re- public" in which the employee may have a "say" but has no means of protection while having that "say'' in the affairs of the concern which employs him.
 Passaic wages have been notoriouslyt low, even worse than its sister towb, Paterson, the Marseilles of Americs Fit is woman's town, one of the sights being the daily march to and from the mills, of the kerchiefed women. Poles, Slavs, Lithuanians. The children are left at home, at night in care of the father, who comes to rest from his heavy toll, or in the day time they go to school or are sheparded in some r. ;c which the law is practically that of the Forstram & Hufmann interests.
 This big company, originally German capital, dominates Passaic, Garfield and Industrial Council were the Botany Worsted Mills, Passaic Worsted Spin ing Mills, New Jersey Worsted Spin ming Company, Gera Mills and Garfield Worsted Mills.
 Among the interesting sidelights on the fight these manufacturers are mak- ing to keep the women employed at night is their interest in uplift where it does not concern their material welfare. Julius Forstmann, nultinlillionaire and leading factor in the Passaic indus try, several years ago established foundation with S25OOOO "to assist those employees of good character, who have ability and give promises of being fitted for higher things"
 MT. Forstman made this gift tout of love for his fellow man." The women's that pleaded for the abol- tion of night work in Passaic and other industrial towns in New Jersey were more concerned with "the love of ne ylected children" and to maintain the family now broken up by the factory system, which compels women to toll o eke out insufficient earnings of the father and husband.
 The defendant in the suit against the Stevens Act is the State Department of labor Labor organizations of the State md social agencies are watching the outcome with interest.