New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-08
Chicago Employers Tell Senate
Committee immortality Among
Women Is Not Due to
Small Wages.
GIRLS TAKE ANOTHER VIEW
Retail Merchants Object to Pro.
posed Minimum Wage Law,
While Tenderloin Witnesses
Say They Could Not Earn
Living Salaries.

Chicago, March THE employers
think that low wages have nothing 10
do with immortality among women. The
women of the town say they have
everything to do with IT,"
This was the way Senator Nels JUL
summed up to-day's testimony before
the state Senate vice investigation
committee, at which some Of the great
est employers OF female labor in the
city and half dozen women from the
underworld were witnesses.
Senator Besll, member of the com
mittee, expis ined to the witnesses who
we're employers that the committee de-
sired to embarass no one, but wished
information bearing on bill now pend
ing in the Legislature making a mini
mum wage scale of S12 for women
compulsory in this state. The employ
ers held this figure to be excessive and
the law an impossibility.
Among the witnesses heard we're
julius Rosenwald, president of Sears
Roebuck & Co.; James Simpson. vice
president of Marshall Field G. Co.: T..
f. Mandel. president of Mandel Broth
ers. and Roy Shayne, president of John
T. Shayne d co. Sears Roebuck & Co
is a mail order house. and the other
three firms are retail establishments
employing in the aggregate thousands
of girls and women.
Spectators Heard Little.
out of consideration for the women
witnesses the witness chair was placed
with its back TO the audience. and as
none Of those who testified spoke
loudly, mostly from embarrassment.
the spectators hardly heard a word OF
the proceedings.
II developed that practically all the
women employed in the retail stores
live at home. and much time was con
suned in trying to ascertain the proper
living wuge for employees 80 situated.
Witnesses contended that in employing
errand girls and other unskilled help
classed AS Juvenile the employer was
under no obligation TO pay living
wage They assumed that the girl 80
employed was entitled to her living at
the expense Of her parents. and that
what she earned merely helped the
family fund.
The committee, and particularly Sen
ator JUL, insisted that the other MEM
bers Of a working girls home earned no
more than enough to support them
selves. even If they did cooperate. and
that if each individual Of such fam
ily or only one of such family. earned
less than "A living wage, the whole fam
jly suffered, and the employer paying
wages too low was Sinking his re-
sponsibiity.
Mr.. Mandel and MIR. Rosenwald ex-
dressed the opinion that girls char
octer and her environment-and they
laid stress on the latter shaped her
life. Wages had little to do with 1t.
But doesn't living wage, or wage
under that, have much to do with the
environment? asked Lieutenant Gov
ernor O'Hara, chairman of the COM
mittee, and this was admitted.
Suggests Domestic Service.
eff a girl cannot live on her income.
don't YOU think that, with the pitfalls
which surround a young woman, an
immoral life offers the easiest way
ont ?" Mandel was asked.
mot If she is the right kind of a
CTR, n she is starving and immortality
Is repugnant to her, az it should be. she
can 20 into domestic service.
What" exclaimed Senator JUL.
do YOU think there are enough places
for domestics to take care OF all the
underpaid girls and women working In
stores and factories?'
House servants are mighty scarce,
.m,,ed the witness. and AZ both JUL
and Mandel had raised their voices.
the spectators heard it and Uttered.
7, was one of the few things they did
hear.
Ar Mandel expressed the opinion
that ss was living wage for a girl
d.nendent on herself alone. Senator
Inn, handed him a pencil and paper
and Insisted that he 90 into details on
the matter.
"tIow much for clothing?'. insisted
the legislator. and the witness hesi-
tated; Two dollarsT
mo. / should say that one dollar
week would be enough" was the reply.
IAN right, one dollar. Put 1t down..
sa,d the auestioner Nov. laundry"
But these girls live at home. their
Laundry is done there" said the witness.
"But suppose she doesn't?' pursued
Senator JUL. How much
Say % cents then
Disagree on Figures.
IN this way they went down the list
hoard and room. 81; sickness. 30
cents: lunches, 10 cents; carfare. so
cents. and church, assuming that the
girls contributed when the collection
box was passed. 10 cents.
"WelI. that makes 81 55." said SEN
ator Juul. who had footed the column
wrong, sand that doesn't include rail-
Confined on third page. hftA column