The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-06-09
labor DOUBTS
MILL LAWS TO
Be ENFORCED
Fletcher Promises Protec-
ton for All Advising
Him of Infractions
The TimeS-News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, June ct is fine
if you mean it, but it still sounds
like q lot Of bolony to u.s." is the
comment received from some OF
the workers in the state with re-
gard to the announcement by
Commissioner Of Labor A. h.
Fletcher that from now on the
states labor laws are going tc Dt
enforced more strictly than ever
before. Commissioner Fletche>
has received scores Of unsigned
letters frCm workers commendin&
his statement, but expressing
much doubt as to whether or not
he will be able to carry it out
Many Of the letters tell of seri,
Gus violations of the labor laws
But being unsigned, there is nc
way to make an investigation.
''If the writer's of these letters
will only sign their names, botf
their names and the contents OF
the letters will be held strictly
confidential" Commissioner Flet'
Aer said. "In that way, these
people can help US find mills anC
Industries that are violating the
laws and help us correct the bad
conditions they report. But II
they do not sign the letters ana
will not give US specific informa'
ton, there is nothing we can dc
about it."
COMMISSIONS Fletcher reiterat-
ed that as long as he remains
commissioner Of labor the "per-
sonally conducted tours" Of fac
tories and plants by superintend-
ents or other employees, will not
be tolerated by him or his inspec-
tors, and that the factory inspec-
tors will be instructed to make
their Investigations in their own
way.
As an example of some Of the
unsigned letters he has received
from workers lately, Commission
er Fletcher cites the following:
"Dear Sir: Have noticed you,
statement about enforcing the Ia
Dor laws in North Carolina. Fine
if you mean it, but you might
pardon US if we are just a BIZ
skeptical: Posting copies of thu
laws (it has not been done) may
do some good if accompanied by
pledge that any one reporting
a violation will be protected, il
upon investigation it is foun'
that the law was being violated.
Tn previous administrations OF
the law, if a mill operative re-
ported a collation., the inspector
took the letter to the mill office
and the operative was promptly
fired. If you publicly announce
that all letters to your office vii
be held confidential, you vii
learn some surprising things.
"You would learn, for instance
that there are mills in Norti
Carolina operating LA hours
week. III TWO SillIIS, anu Iii"C wv
men ard children are working
| these long hours for less thar
enough to feed them decently.
"Your bluff is called, if it is {
bluff. We shall soon know"
While there is no law regulat
| ing the hours which a man may
work, there are definite laws reg
ulating the working hours OF
women and children, Commission
err Fletcher pointed out. The
working hours Of women in IN
dustry are definitely limited tc
SIS hours a week, while children
who must be first certified by
the department Of labor and bC
la years old or more, cannot
work more than 48 hours week
eve expect to investigate every
complaint that comes to. us anC
to do everything we can to pre-
vent any violation of these laws,
Commissioner Fletcher said.
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