Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-27
STRONGER 8-HOUR
LAW FOR WOMEN IN
DISTRICT IS URGED
Clearer Definition of Groups
Affected and Separate En-
forcing Unit Advised.
SUGGESTS PROSECUTING
HIRERS BY CIVIL SUITS
Report Follows Thorough Study Of
History of Statute by
Committee.

| Ihe elgnt-hour law Tor women In
| Washington should be strengthened by
broader and clearer definition of the
groups affected and by creating a sep
arate enforcement unit, in the opinion
| of committee which made a thor
| ough study of the history of this law
under auspices of the Voteless District
of Columbia League of Women Voters
and the washington Women's Trade
Union League.
The report also suggests the advis-
| ability of prosecuting employers for vio-
lations by civil suits rather than crimi-
nal procedure, and recommends the
working out of system OF handling
| violations with as little recourse to the
courts as possible.
The committee suggests increasing
the number of industries or occupations
| specifically listed in the law by adding
| to those named in the present act, as
! follows: "Ofice workers; personal serv-
| ice occupations. such as hairdreSSers,
manicurists, etc.; elevator operators;
| telephone operators at private switch
| boards; hospitals; apartment houses;
| public utilities, and places of amuse-
ment (ushers in theaters, cashiers,
etc. i"
Strives for Ideal Law.
The committee points out there may
be other groups which should be con-
sidered, but that this list covers the
| largest and most important groups not
| included in existing law. Referring to
general ONCE workers, the committee
adds the comment that the inclusion
Of this group might be criticized, not
only as being in too controversial field
to be included, but also as being i'm
practical"
The committee prefaced its conclu-
sicns with the explanation that 1t en-
deaVored to be as inclusive as possible
| in It's suggestions, striving for as ideal
law as possible.
''This means" the committee added,
that, although no change is proposed
unless it Is considered practical, it
should be recognized that it may not
be expedient to try to make too many
| changes at one time
Comment on Once Workers.
In the body of the report. which pre-
ceded the summary of recommended
| tions. the committee made this COM
ment on the situation regarding ONCE
workers:
once workers seem clearly outside
| the law unless they are employed in an
Establishment all Of whose workers
come under the law Whether they
should be included or not Is .debatable.
4 ~ LA1C Jew 4OL lAAC H1dANASdQC Va
| Offices that employ one or two girls
meets in only. slightly less degree with
all the objections OF trying to enforce
a law for domestic servants. In many
! peoples minds that Is always a Ques-
| ton whether in these individual rela-
! tionships there are enough bad condi-
| tons to justify the very great expense
| involved in enforcing any law when in
spection units are so small and whether
/ n fa Yl1eeihIa RI xsofph 80
many places without an army Of inspec-
| tors. In some States the tendency Is
| to try to include office workers who are
| employed in units Of such size that
| their problems approximate those of
| the industrial worker In all dealings
with Office workers, however, there is
the danger Of being too inclusive, so
that professional workers are brought
under the law. At present there seems
! to be so much fear Of doing this that
the Office group is in danger of neglect.
| In the District of Columbia 1t is prob
able that If clerical workers in all the
| listed industries are carefully brought
under the law. it will include the vast
majority of such workers in private
employment. In any effort TO amend
the law this is a group that should be
| given careful consideration before any
action Is taken"
Health Department SuperviSes Law.
The committee began its report by
! explaining that the present law limits
! the time that a woman may work in
| any manufacturing, mechanical or mer-
camille establishment, laundry, hotel or
restaurant, or telegraph or telephone
establishment or Office, or any express
or transportation company to eight
| hours In any one day, or six days, or
! 48 hours in a week. Supervision of the
| law Is under the Health Department.
! In recommending that the definition
Of the law be broadened the committee
points out that the present statute has
been interpreted as based on establish
ments, so that it covers every woman
who works at any occupation In the
| industrial establishments listed in the
act. Therefore, the committee con-
tinues, in adding occupational groups
care must be taken so that the inclu-
siveneSs Of the existing industrial group
ing is not destroyed.
Other changes recommended in the
summary are:
ITO reword the law so that there is
no doubt that work is permitted only
on six days of the week. An alterna-
tive way of trying to accomplish this
is through court Interpretation of the
present law.
ITO put back in the law the provision
making it illegal for a woman to work
longer than the legal hours in two
different establishments
Better Machinery Urged.
ITO provide in the statute itself bet
ter machinery for enforcing the law,
this provision to consist Of creating
position of executive and defining the
duties of this position; providing funds
for the salaries of the executive, of at
least three assistant inspectors, and of
at least one Office assistant, sufficient
for adequate entrance salaries and to
enable salary increases to be granted
for long and efficient service; provid-
ing a general fund to cover the ex-
penses Of a separate Office, travel ex-
penses, printing, ETC., for unit charged
solely with enforcing the eight-hour
law"
The report suggests it would be pre-
ferable to select a woman as executive
head Of the proposed separate unit for
the administration of the law.
To strengthen the enforcement fea-
lures of the law these recommendations
we're made
Making 1t a violation of the law
when a woman was found at work at
any time other than the hours shown
by the posted schedule putting back
In the law the provision making the
. presence of the woman In the eStab-
lishment at other than the scheduled
hours prima facie evidence OF viola
! ton; provide for prosecuting employers
. who violate the law by civil suits rather
: than by criminal actions"
The report adds that IL the first of
these suggestions Is adopted 1t Is posi-