Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-22
SOCIAL EVIL
Interesting Fight on Question
of Wages of Department
Store Clerks
GIVEN STARVATION WAGES
Remuneration Received by Dcs Moines
Clerks, Mostly Girls, in These Stores,
Utterly Insufficient for Their Sup
port-strussIe for Union Control of
These People-Reforp Exoected.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Mones, July 22.-An interesting
fight has just been started here on one
phase of the wage question. which IS
attracting more attention than any
other that has come up in long time.
The officers of the clerks union have
commenced a. fight for union control of
the clerks in the large department
stores of the city and those stores that
are employers of large numbers OF girls
at low wages The demand Is not so
much for an increase OF wages in these
stores but that only such persons shall
be employed as are competent and
worth fair wages and that incompetent
young persons shall not be employed
at starvation wages. The claim is made
that there are several hundred girls em-
ployed in these stores, mostly girls from
the country towns about Des Moines
or the daughters of workingmen of the
to 81 a week for their labor. that this
is insufficient to support them and that
as a consequence they are easily mis-
led and ruined. 1t is related Of one OF
the members of big department house
in this city that when young girl
complained to him that the pittance ne
was allowing her was insufficient to af-
ford her a living he coarsely told her
that then she would have to seek SONS
way OF adding to her income outside
of work hours. The inference was plain
to the girl and she sought other en-
ployment. AS a result of investigations
made by the clerks of this city 1t has
been determined that some effort be
made to compel the merchants to cease
the employment of cheap labor and to
stop paying wages to girls and young
women which virtually force the clerks
to lives of shame. Some time ago in a
fight over restaurant employment in
the city the Women's Federation was
interested in the matter because of the
fact that the question of wages for the
girls had a bearing on the social ques-
ton, and only because of the interest
of the women was the fight won for
fair wages. 1t is now believed the wom-
EN- will become as deeply interested in
this question of the wages of the clerks
in the department stores and compel a
reform. The outcome will be watched
with much interest here.
The problem of making the assess
ment on private car lines in Iowa is
Wi ,in1, l,a f,f
council is now wrestling. The council
has a new law to deal with and it is
one that is full of imperfections. These
car lines have been operating in Iowa
many years without paying any taxes
or being subject to any regulations.
Their business closely resembles that OF
the express companies or the sleeping
car companies. The new law provides
they shall make reports and be asses
sed by the council and pay taxes di-
rect to the state. Good judges believe
that the provision for direct state tax
alton is questionable and may defeat
the entire law, but the council will make
the assessment and test the matter. An
attorney representing the Armour Re-
frigerating company appeared before
the council yesterday. His company
has reported an average number of cars
in use for the Iowa business of 25
When asked as to how he arrived at
this conclusion he stated that the COM
pany had taken the mileage of their
cars in Iowa during the year and esti-
mated the mileage of each car each day
at 125 miles. When pressed for further
statements he admitted that the aver
age mileage of the cars in the United
States was 50 miles He declined to
give further statistics as to the busi-
ness on the ground that the information
might be got into the hands of rivals
in business But the discussion between
the attorney of the company and the
governor brought out that the law ap-
pears to contemplate assessing the
mileage of all cars coming into the
state or going out and including the
entire trip to destination. The law does
not contemplate any consideration of
cars merely passing across the state
in through business. Other companies
were also represented before the coun-
Gil; but many of the companies known
to be engaged in doing business in the
state refused or neglected to make re-
ports and the council will assess them
by guess. One attorney who complained
of the Iowa law suggested that the only
practical way to assess these cars is
like the California method, where on a |
certain day the sheriffs go out ar1 at
tach every car found in the STAIN and
assess it and collect the tax beisEe 1t |
is allowed to leave. the state H. chis
way they tax ACTUAL visible proltety.
Hon. N. S. Ketchum, of Marshalltown
who has Travelled extensively over the |
state of Iowa.. declared to group at |
the Savery that in all his experience
he had never seen the face of Iowa
fairer than it is at the present time
All outdoors is smiling" he said, land |
it is just as fine as it is possible to |
be. believe that the aggregate value
of the farm products of Iowa this year
will be greater than ever before. The
hay crop is immense and the timothy |
fairly hides the mowers as they drag
the mowers thru the fields. Pastures
have been rich and abundant. and the
live stock is reveling in wealth this
year. The cattle get ali they can eat
before noon and the rest of the day