The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-04-27
WOMEN IN
INDUSTRY

Senator Matthew NJ. Nicely OF
IWest Virginia, chairman of the
Senate District of Columbia Com
mittee has introduced bill to
amend the District minimum wage
law to cover adult men. The law
now applies to women and minors.
Senator Neely said his amendment
was intended to protect the jobs OF
women and minors by removing the
incentive to replace them with men
not now covered by the law.
Women make up such high per
centage of workers in Rhode Island
industry that it was discouraging
problem to find jobs for men in the
state, Arthur w. Devine, Director
of Labor, said in his annual report.
Devine reported that women
comprised 40 per cent of the Rhode
Island labor force as compared to
a national average of 25 percent.
They are active in the textile and
jewelry manufacturing fields, two
of the major lifelines in the states
economic picture.
The 1949 slump in employment
in the state made 10000 fewer jobs
available than in the preceding two
years, Devine sal d. Industrial
homework, particularly in the
jewelry industry, although a viola
ton of the law, was widespread, he
said. His department plans drive
to stamp out these violations.
For the second time i'm years,
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New
York vetoed bill to permit women
to work in restaurant dining rooms
and kitchens after midnight. The
measure was one of the most Wig
orously debated bills before the
1850 legislature.
Women are permitted to work
after midnight in hotel dining
rooms and kitchens in New York
state. They also may work after
midnight in restaurants if they are
employed as entertainers, cloak
room attendants and cigarette
girls.
Gov. Dewey said the measure
lifting the restrictions was "the
center of earnest controversy" He
added: at is claimed by some that
the present provision is merely an
economic discrimination against
mattresses in favor of walters. 1t
is also contended, however, by per-
sons who have through the years
manifested sincere concern with
respect to the working conditions
for women, including the Industrial
Commissioner, church groups and
labor unions, that this bill would
result in the exploitation of wait
resses and lead to the abandonment
of the remaining legislative pro-
lection which women enjoy. Among
employers, the bill is sought pri-.
marily by the proprietors of small
restaurants and bars and grills
who, without the employment of
walters, would like to be able to
keep open after midnight. 1t is my
belief that much of the conflict re-
garding the present bill is unnec-
essary. The arbitrary restriction of
the present law can be relaxed
without the complete abandonment
of its purpose. 1t may be that ulti-
mately the legislation which has
protected women in their hours and
conditions of work will be abandon
ed. 1t is not necessary that this be
accomplished at one step, and it'll
certainly is a matter Of greatest
Importance and worthy of complete
study. The present bill and the
broad conflicts between the groups
interested in this problem
make it clear that these issues have
not been adequately resolved at the
present time.
The number of married women
in the nations labor force con-
tinues to grow, exceeding the single |
women by 100000. This is a re-
versal of the pre-war pattern. The
Census Bureau reported that in
April, 1949, there were about 81
7O0,000 married women in the laborl
force, or 100000 more than in
April, 1949, and about 1000, 0,0OOl
more than in April 1947. Single
women numbered 5,70O,C00. This
is not significantly smaller num-
ber than in 1948, but it is about
100000 less than in April, 1947.