316 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
from the ranks of growing girls, as the older women marry and retire from wage-earning.
The length of the working-day. Obviously it is imprac- ticable, if it were desirable, to retard the industrial pace. Machines once speeded or duplicated will not be slowed or simpli- fied to save the workers, young or old. A different and entirely feasible plan is to lessen the daily hours of application to work so insidiously exhausting. In proportion to the increased velocity of the machines, and the greater strain of attention, justice and the barest economy of strength would suggest a shortened workday. Night work for women and young girls should be entirely elimi- nated. The tables which follow show how far women are already protected by legislation in the various states.
Only five states specifically prohibit the employment of women at night:
WORK AT NIGHT PROHIBITED
Between 7 p. M. and 6 A. M., in Ohio, for girls under 18 years.
Between 10 p. M. and 6 A. M., in Massachusetts, for all women in manu- facture.
Between 10 p. M. and 6 A. M., in Indiana, for all women in manufacture.
Between 10 p. M. and 6. A. M., in Nebraska, for all women in manufacture and commerce.
Between 9 p. M. and 6 A. M., in New York, for all women in manufacture.
Between 10 p. M. and 7 A. M., in New York, for women under 21 years in stores.
Fourteen states restrict the hours in which women may be employed to a specified number by the day and by the week, but do not forbid work at night.
WORK RESTRICTED BY THE DAY AND BY THE WEEK
Work restricted to
10 hours in 24, 54 hours in one week, in California, for minors under 18 years.
10 hours in 24, 55 hours in one week, in Ohio, for girls under 18 years.
10 hours in 24, 55 hours in one week, in New Yersey, for minors under 18 years.
10 hours in 24, 58 hours in one week, in Massachusetts and Rhode Is- land, for all women.
10 hours in 24, 60 hours in one week, in New York, for women in fac- tories, and girls between 16 and 21 years in stores.
