United labor bulletin., 1912-10-03
The Minimum Wage and the
Mayors Veto.

Since it has become generally known that the
mayor has vetoed the wage increase for laborers on
all public work there has been much discussion and
upfayorable comment in labor circles over the ac-
ton Of the city's chief executive To have mini
mum wage bill vetoed by official of a progress
sive administration that claims 1t Is Tor the under
dog is almost past the comprehension of the ordi-
nary individuals but when the mayor seeks to ex-
plain away the act the workingman begins to see
the light. Mayor Arnold gets an opinion from the
city attorney which says that the ordinance to IN
crease the pay of aborers 80 per day is illegal
because it is illegal to establish minimum wage on
work for which the taxpayers are to be assessed.
City Attorney Bryant bases his opinion on decisions
made in other by judges of other states
Attorney Bryant represents an administration
that is trying get away from precedent and decl-
sions made in other courts that do not express the
will of the people, yet when the workngman is con-
cerned and an increase is desired that will inter
fere with the financial returns of the real estate
and business interests of the city precedent is
pointed to and by that precedent an opinion is rem
dered and minimum wage bill vetoed that is lower
than the wage established by union labor for ike
work In San Francisco the laborers organized,
and the wage scale sets $2.75 the minimum-and
the minimum wage of union labor in Frisco is rec
ognized the standard rate OF wage, and no one at
tempts to pay less than $275.
But here in Denver have administration
that was elected because it made the plea that the
poor citizen, the common-every-day man. the small
taxpayer the laborer, not getting fair deal
Much was said at the time of the campaign about
the Denver-Puebo Construction company paying as
low as 81 60 a day for labor on sewer work, and
many of the daily papers made much OF this IN sup
port of Arnold for and the dozens of speakers
played this phase of Denver life up to the poor man
to get his vote; and now, when it is all over-when
the votes have been gotten-when the reformers
have got the jobs-when the councimen have done
their duty by passing minimum wage bill Tor city
laborers-Mayor Arnold asks the city attorney for
an opinion as the legality of the act and Attorney
Bryant says he has found precedent by which the
ordinance can be declared illegal-and the mayor so
declared and would not sign the bill.
But in giving his reasons to the city council for
not signing the bill Mayor Arnold pointed out other
reasons why the ordinance Should not become law.
In one place he says:
Another objection which might urge
to this measure is that it not only affects
municipal work of the city of Denver, but
affects every line of business and every man
who intends TO build. 1t would have ten
deney to increase the cost of building, ex-
cavating and every other department of IN
dustry in the city and county of Denver.
Moreover. it places the municipality in the
position of undertaking to establish scale
of wages to be paid for team work and un-
skilled labor We have undertaken to give
TO the teamsters and also TO the day labor
ers employed by the city steady work.
This extract from the mayors letter shows con
clusivey that the mayor only believes the ordi-
nance illegal but he desires prevent the enact
ment of any legislation that will increase the cost of
construction to the city to the builder The same
argument is used and can be used by any employer
to deny an increase of wages to his employe ae-
count of the high cost of living.
The mayor says that he believes it better that
more should be employed at lower scale than
fewer at a higher scale.
Why fewer at a higher scale9 1t would take as
many teams to complete piece of work
under an increase of pay it would under low
scale Because scale has been raised it does not
follow that the employe is to do that much more
work. Wages increased because the cost of liv-
ing is constantly increasing. If the appropriation
is not large enough this year to carry the work
under an increased wage, then the law could be
made effective when the next appropriation is made
available and the increased cost would be equally
distributed among the taxpayers.
Then again. why should the mayor say that
he believes it better to employ more men at low
wage than fewer at the increasea One reason may
be that at the low wage the employe would be forced
spend his entire income to exist. while at the in
crease he might be able to hoard up 10 cents or 20
cents day.
BY vetoing the minimum wage BILL Mayor Ar
mold has made an issue with Organized Labor. He
has told them that he will that union wages
paid yet denied minimum wage to laborers. 1t is
up to Organized Labor to unonize the city laborers
and set standard wage for such work and The
Bulletin declares that il must be and will be done.
A State Federation Paper.