Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-07
WAGES HAVE NOTHING
TO Do WITH MORAL
This Is What Head of Big Firm
in Chicago SWearS to Be-.
fore Committee.
DIVIDENDS WERE 100000
Many Get Only IS Week, But the
Big Salaries Bring the average
Up to $9.72 Week.
DIVIDENDS WERE 81, 900,

Chicago, March 7-Testifying here
today before committee Of the Illi-
nois senate, which is investigating
starvation wages and white slavery in
Chicago, julius Rosenwald, millionaire
manager of the great mail order house
of Sears, Roebuck & Co., gave this as
his view Of the situation
ANY girl who wants to fall, will fall
whether she gets So a week or not.
She may use any subterfuge for sur
rendering, but there is no connection
between low wages and prostitution.
There is absolutely no association be-
tween the causes.
"An honest girl, properly reared,
will not yield, no matter what the
wages. This question ought to be
treared on a different moral basis"
Dividends and Surplus $l2,OOO,OOO.
Rosenwald admitted the dividends
paid by his company last year were
$7,O00,O0O Asked if he should find
that his women employees were under
paid, he would increase their wages,
he replied;
1--WE will do what we can in equity
and justice to them and ourselves, in
our own judgment. We will do what
we can, considering the necessities Of
competition"
Rosenwald testified that his COM
pany has surplus of $12,OOO,0O0, but
would not say whether he would de-
vote part of this surplus to increase
wages He also refused to tell what
his personal income is, Asked II he
could live on SS a week, Rosenwald
replied that he did not know, as he
had never tried It,
Time Rolls Not DOCtOred.
Rosenwald denied that he worked
his girl employees more than 10 hours
q day or that his time rolls were doc
tored" to make 1t appear that the girls
worked but eight hours. Officials did
not scold the girls, he declared, nor
was there speed up" system to fa-
tigue the workers. He denied that the
girls work in improperly ventilated
rooms, and added that no stock ads
were kept in the classified columns Of
newspapers throughout the country ia
attract help to his establishment on
glittering promises Of high wages
thereby oversupplying the labor mar.
ket and making 1t easier TO secure
cheap help.
Could Board for $3.50.
The magnate insisted that girls
adrift" could get board in decent sur
roundings for $3.50 weekly and admit
ted thar $5 per week increase foT
thousands of the girls In his employ
would not materially affect the estab.
lishment's profits. Ho refused to say
whether he considered 1t humane tC
withhold higher wages.
"My company will not obstruct any
law for the good Of humanity" Rosen'
wald declared. He suggested ma
tional rather than a state minimum
wage law, so that Illinois concerns
would not be at a disadvantage.
Lessing Rosenwald, his son, mex
took the sand and admitted discharg
ing two $40 week girls since The
probe started
ROsenwaId "Averages."
Before the committee met Leuten
ant-Governor 0Hara spent an houi
in his rooyn reading letters from girls
regarding inadequate wages paid then
for the overtime they were forced t
work in order to exist.
At 1915 o'clock Julius Rosenwald
head Of the mail order house Of Sears
Roebuck & Co., took the stand TO tes
tify to his own firms treatment of III
wage earners.
Rosenwald testified that his com
pany employs 47O2 women at an aver
age weekly wage OF s912. Girls undo
16 receive a minimum wage Of S.. HI
declared some Of his women employs
received under $3.50