Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/203

 FACTORY LEGISLATION FOR WOMEN

I8 9

twelve years had been limited to ten hours per day, but it was not until 1874 that the state interfered with the work of adult women. The history of that enactment is suggestive and seems to throw light on subsequent legislation.

The year 1845 was rnarked by more vehement agitation than had before characterized the reformers. The legislature was flooded with petitions praying for a reduction of the eleven-hour day, which was the rule with corporations. But the legislators met this request with the same vapid arguments in use ever since. Nothing more was done until 1850, when a bill came before the house only to be defeated. Another attempt in 1852 was like- wise unsuccessful.

In 1865 we find the appointment of an unpaid commission ot five men to investigate in regard to the hours of labor in the factories. This marks the birth of bureaus of labor statistics now found in nearly all civilized countries. A few years later the Massachusetts bureau was formally established. The labor bureaus 1 of this country rank high among the world's statisti- cians and have been a great benefit to the laborers. The facts laid before the public have assisted in securing good legislation

1 The following table shows the states having labor bureaus and the year in which such bureaus were founded.

SIMM

Year

estab- lished

Headquarters

States

Year

estab- lished

Headquarters

Arkansas ....

1887

Little Rock

Nebraska

1887

Lincoln


 * >rnia

Colorado

1883 I887

San Francisco Denver

New Hampshire New Jersey

1893 1878

Concord Trenton

Connecticut. . . Illinois

1873 1870

Hartford Springfield

New Mexico. . . New \

1891

1 88)

Santa 6 Albany

1 ixl ! .in i

l8?0

I ii'lianapolis

North Caiolin i

1887

Raleigh

I ' >vva

I SS l

I )(/> \] c I) (if^

,

1877

Columbus

Kansas Kentucky

,885 1892 1887

Topeka Frankfort Augusta

Pennsylvania. . Rhode Island... South Dakota

1872 1887

iSoo

Harnsburg Providence Minnesela

Maryland Massachusetts.

1884 i860

more

I'.ostoll

Tennessee Texas.

1891

ISST

Nashville

Austin

Michigan Minnesota ....

1883 1887

Lans

aul

United States. . . Utah

1885

IS DO

Washington. I>. ('. Salt Lake <

Missouri


 * S7

Jefferson <

West Virginia

1889

Charleston

Montana

i **<) ;

Helena

Wisconsin

1883

M ul i ^' >n