Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-26
'WOMEN'S WORKING
LAW IS PROTESTED 5
Discrimination Charged in
Application Of Ruling
Limiting labor.

Reporting to the Voteless District of
Columbia League of Woman Voters on
a recent survey, made of the operations
Of the eight-hour law for women work.
erS in the District, Mrs. Spencer Cor
don yesterday pointed out that many
important groups of workers are not
included in the law and that other
degree of limitation intended by Con-
gresS.
The report was rendered at the semi
annual meeting Of the league at the
Carlton Hotel, with the result that the
survey was ordered referred to the Ex-
ecutive Board for further study with q
view to sending it ultimately to the
District Commissioners with recon-
mendations for changes in the law.
City OHicials Attend,
DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer, presi-
dent OF the Board of District Commits
sionerS, evinced his interest in the mat
ter by attending the luncheon meeting.
as did other officials of the District gov
eminent who are connected with the
administration of the law. Miss Mary
Anderson, chief of the Women's Blu
reau, WHO, with Miss Agnes Peterson of
half OF the league, introduced Mrs.
Gordon. -
Since 1914. when Congress passed the
law limiting hours Of woman workers
in the District to. eight hours per day
and six days. per week. the report point
ed out, citizens of the District have
prided Themselves that their woman
wage Farmers were not working excess
siYe hours But conditions under the
law have not worked out as expected
Mrs Gordon explained,
The Investigation has brought out
that, due TO antiquities In the wording
OF the law. interpretations by the Cor
poration CounSefs ONCE. and in one
case By the courts, have been necessary.
These Interpretations have resulted. she
explained, in such aaomalities as chem
bermains In hotels being included in
the law but chembermatds In apart
nent houses that give hotel service be-
ing excluded.
Discrimination Is Indicated.
Telephone. operators paid by the tele-
phone company are included but. on
the other hand, telephone operators
paid by organizations not mentioned in
The law are excluded from its legal
scope. In other cases, the survey re-
vealeu that some groups of non-pro-
fessional ONCE workers are restricted to
tfieir hours Of work, While Others come
outside the law, this last distinction be-
ing due not to differences in work per-
formed but to the nature of the or
ganization hiring the women
Moreover, for many years the ruling
has been in effect that women who
worked 48 hours a week could work on
each of seven days in the week." Mrs.
Gordon said although the debates in
Congress show that the Congressman
thought they we're passing a law which
required one full day of rest in every
seven days. Not only has the law been
interpreted so as to cripple its useful
ness, but also its effective enforcement.
as far as the women who are clearly
covered by its provisions, is hampered
because, with the great growth of
Washington since 1914, no additional
inspectors have been provided to cover
the additional woman workers.
whereas the women once affected by
the law numbered about $4,000, Mrs.
Gordon said, the number now is far
greater.
New Interpretation Sought.
The Voteless District of Columbia
League Of Women Voters hopes to work
with the District officiaIs to secure new
interpretations or amendments to clar-
i1fy the antiquities restricting enforce
ment and to secure more adequate or
Ranization to enforce the law.
Mrs. Gordon explained that the study
was one of the plans of the Consum-
ers' League and was taken over by the
League Of Women Voters. A study of
similar laws in 10 States was made.
particularly those of New York and
reached by the survey. she said, was
that many cases Of alleged violation
could, with advantage, be kept out of
the courts.
In addition to Commissioner Reichel-
derfer, representatives of the District
government attending the meeting were
DR.. Edward j. Schwartz of the Health
Department and Thomas F. Cameron Of
the corporation counsel's Office DR..
John A. Ryan, who was president of the
Consumers League when the survey
FIRST was started. also was guest.
VIII Exhibit Bergman Cartoons.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, president
Of the Women Voters, presided A part
OF the business transacted was the Sc
lection Of Mrs r. Thomas West and Mrs
Elwood Street TO serve on the Nominat-
ing Committee, which will bring in It's
report next month. Mrs. Doyle called
attention to the annual membership tea
at Stoneleigh Court the afternoon of
December 4.
Resorting to the visual method for
attracting the interest of league mem.
bers to the voteless condition of Wash
ington residents, Mrs Edna Johnston
chairman Of the Committee on En-
cheney in Government, Is arranging q
group of original cartoons by Clifford
K Bergman Of The Star on national
representation which will be exhibited
at the tea. Mr.. Bergman also will
talk on Presidents I Have Known"
illustrating his subject with original