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Show PROHIBITION OF NIGHT WORK FOR WOMEN. Tho law prohibiting night work foi women in factories has been declared by tho Supreme court of Now York, appellate division, by threo against two voices, to bo unconstitutional, and ' tho Consumers leaguo aro anxious to have tho matter carried up to tho i court of appeals not an easy thing, a as an nppeal must bo taken within 0 thirty days by tho attorney general, S with one attorney general just loav- fl Ing office, and another Just coming in. J In a situation llko this, tho case may S bo loft In tho lurch through press of business. Tho leaguo bases its claims 1 on several grounds, alleging that night work is more exhausting than day - work, that tho nervous constitution of women makes It more detrimental to them than to men; and that it is not for the public good, that tho next generation gen-eration should spring from sickly mothers. Night work, moreover, exposes ex-poses women to greater peril with regard re-gard to moral conduct, and it Is neither neith-er sate nor pleasant for women to be traveling tho street during tho hour ot general rest. The Npw ork Trlbunt indorses the action of tho Consumers' league, and hopes that they will keep up tho light to the end. Speaking ot tho ground on which the league takes Its stand this journal says: "Night work Is notoriously less healthtul than day work for botn men and women. Women aro unquestionably unquestion-ably weaker than men, and it may reasonably bo maintained that what is physically narmful for men at tho besi is much more harmful for women. Social So-cial conditions also render it so. Women Wo-men can not sarely bo about at night as men can. They are subject to insult and to unhealthful moral inlluences. They can not go to and from their work at night as comfortably. Transportation Trans-portation lacillties are less adequate at night than in the day, and the state certainly should have a right to protect its women from tho necessity neces-sity of walking the streets In tho night hours, or waiting about unprotected for infrequent conveyances. Furthermore, Further-more, the great body of women workers work-ers in factories aro immature mvaa-: mvaa-: bly half of them under age. The state assumes a serious moral responsibility respon-sibility when it permits Inexperienced girls without proper guardianship to work night after night in tho factories facto-ries and to walk night after night through tho streets unprolectod and subject to conditions which tend to break down tho conventional restraint safeguarding girls." Of tho state's duty with regard to this condition of things the same journal jour-nal remarks: "It Is tho obvious duty of tho state to protect the mothers of our citizens from labor conditions either physically or morally injurious, and any narrow limitation of tho police power or any extension of the thory of freedom of contract and sacredness .of property rights which leaves women and child ren nt the mercy of Industrial condl tlons that sap their vitality Is a se rious menace to tho nation, which should bo met, if need bo, by consti tutlonal amendment. This protective movement has encountered serious obstacles in tho courts hitherto, but thoro Is no cause for discouragement and happily tho present decision if not final and tho division of tho court glv.es reasonable ground for hopo tha In tho court of appeals tho .law wll' finally be sustained. Even If it is not the effort to snfeguard women In fac tories should bo continued." Tho Evoining Wall (New York, thinks that tho law asked for by the league, whether wisely or unwisely will provo a sot-back to tho "advanced woman" and "equal rights" theory, and observes: "Tho Consumers' league.... will car ry tho case to the court of appeals If the latter upholds the law it wll' be dolnt? a salutary thing, yet it will be saying In effect that the rapid entrance en-trance of American women into industry in-dustry Is not to result In that condition condi-tion of complete economic independence independ-ence for the sex which 'advanced women' wo-men' desire. They will bo still a class apart, women rather than 'hands.'" literary Digest. n |
