Milford chronicle., 1926-08-20
WANT SHORTER WORKING DAYS FOR
WOMEN AND CHILDREN in INDUSTRY
Consumers League Believes Ten Instead OF Twelve Hours Is
Sufficient For Long Day And That Children In Cannries
Have b ter Schedule.

that the league is strong for protec-
I've Legislation for women.
another suggested change which
The league members are considering
is the employment of women and
children in the canneries of the state
where there are no hours fixed by
law and where any child over II
years of age can work any hours at
all. How to bring about change in
the sentiment of the farmers and
Gamers is a big problem and the
league members have not yet de-
cided, it is stated, what their exact
attitude will be concerning a sug-
gested amendment to the law.
The law as it stands now regulates
the working hours of women and
children in industry other than ag-
riculture. In agriculture they may
work as long as they please. Mr..
Crooks pointed out that the real
progressive Gamers of the state
have found that working child or
a woman long hours does not pay
them; that the help becomes care
less, ruins much of the product they
handle or else maui it so that it
cannot be sold for first-class goods,
and consequently it is a severe loss
to the Gamer.
In this statement he is cOrrObOr-
ated by reports of Charles Hagner,
the labor inspector for Delaware.
Mr.. Hagner learned from visits to
the Gamers last year that few OF
them worked their women and child
help long hours, but rather kept to
a schedule. Others who are unscrup-
ulous always have the argument al
hand that the stuff will spoil unless
it is taken care of promptly.
Il realize the argument the farm
/ er has," said Mr.. Crooks. "He car
; always say that tomatoes won't keeI
and that unless they are taken care
= of then they will spoil and be
( loss. Using children about the can
neries wouldn't be so bad if ther,
. could be some sort of regulation ant
I system. 1 know that a boy or gir
= could stand peeling tomatoes for al
= hour or two, if then they were al
lowed to leave and play or rest bi
= and then come back again. But t,
e keep the mat it long hours at
/ stretch is not right.
Then again, the Indifferent on
l says, why worry about them. The,
} are not Delaware children. That
}. true to certain extent, but they ar
? somebody's children. Even if the
!, come from unattractive centers il
= larger cities, they should have con
l sideration.
2 These children come to Delawar
= from Baltimore or New York or Nor
l folk with their parents. They conn
: in May and remain here until OctO
= Der. They do not attend school
When they return to their temper
ary home in Baltimore or Philadel
phia or some other large city, the!
remain only a short time and theI
some of them go south where they
, start in late in the fall doing work
. about various seafood or agricultural
, or fruit establishments. They move
northward as the winter progresses
and come back to Delaware in May
again.
I II understand that the best way oi
dealing with this problem would be
a federal law, but the members ot
Congress have placed the RESPONSE
bility upon the various states, sc
that it's a matter we should consid-
r er. Amy child over u years may
work about a cannery as long as
/ they like or see fit or can get en-
ployment, and there is nothing tC
stop them Sunday Star.