Key Facts– A law was passed, limiting the number of hours people working in bakeries and certain related jobs could work to sixty per week and ten per day.

Issue– Is such a law, restricting employer-employee conduct, constitutional?

Holding– No.

Result– Law overturned

Reasoning– The statute interferes with the right to contract, which is a liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. This is also not something that can be regulated under state police power, which is construed as referring to safety, health, morals, and general welfare of the public only. In different areas of employment, limiting working hours to a certain number might make sense. In mining, it might make sense that hours be limited by the government for safety reasons. Here, the court rules that there is no such reasonable ground for interference in baking. Public safety is not benefited by the statute, and they suggest that should be the criteria used to examine a statute purporting to promote public health.