The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-08
WOMEN WAGES IN
RELATION TO
MORALS
interesting Hearing Before Chi
cago Vice Inquiry
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
CHRIS From the Underworld Said
Cause of Downfall was Inability
to Earn a Living.

Chicago, March S.-"The employ
ers think that low wages have moth
ng to do with immortality among wo-
men: the women of the town say 1t
has everything to do with it." That
was the way State Senator Nels JUL
summed up yesterdays testimony
before the state Senate vice invesu-
kation committee at which some of
he greatest employers of female
abor in the city and half-doZen wo-
men from the underworld were wit
besses. State Senator Beall, ike
null. a member of the committee, eX-
blamed to the witnesses who were
Employers that the committee desir-
d to embarrass no one, but wished
Information bearing on a bill now
lending in the Legislature making
minimum wage scale of $12 for wo-
hen in Illinois compulsory. The en-
lovers held this figure to be exces-
i've and the law an impossibility.
Among the witnesses heard were
ulms Rosenwald president OF
ears. Roebuck & Co James Simp'
bn, vice president of Marshall Field
Co.; E. f. Mandel president of
andel Bros; and Roy Shayne,
resident of John T. Shayne & Co.
ears, Roebuck & Co. are a mail or
er house and the remaining three
rms retail establishments, employ
& in the aggregate thousands of
rls and women. Every seat in
e commodious room was taken by
sitors and in the rear of the room
ere was a thick fringe of persons
landing. Out of consideration for
female witnesses the witness
ar was placed with it's back to the
dience, and as none of those who
stified spoke loudly. mostly from
nbarrassment, the spectators heard
arcely a word of the proceedings.
u developed that practically all the
bmen employed in the retail stores
Fe at home and much time was con
med in endeavoring to ascertain
proper living wage for employees
situated. Witnesses took the posi-
IN that employing errand girls and
her unskilled help, classed as "Ju-
nile" the employer is under no
ligation to pay a living" wage.
ey assume that the girl so en-
Eyed is entitled to her living at the
pense of her parents, and that
at she earns merely helps the
hily fund
rhe committee, and particularly
bator JUL, insisted that the other
mbers of working girls home
N no more than enough to support
mselves, even If they do cooper
and that If each individual Of
h family. or only one of such
family, earned less than a living
ge, the whole family suffered, and
employer paying wages too low
Sinking his responsibility.
ndel and Rosenwald expressed the
hion that a girls character and
environment, and they laid stress
the latter shaped her life
ges have little to do with it.
Ir. Simpson had come prepared
figures which showed, among
pr things, that the Marshall Field
IN store employs 1922 female
ks, whose average wage is s1O.-
or these 440 are shorthour EN-.
PES, who work during the rush
rs and while the regular clerks
at lunch. All live at home. he
Il developed that the short
employees are paid on a basis of
week. so that a clerk working
four hours a day would receive
"a. This latter class is COM
ID mostly Of married women who
to earn a BIT Of pin money, and
tudents who do not depend upon
|or living" explained Simpson.
e last witnesses Of the day we're
en- surprised in the Tenderloin
equities who invaded the district
hxicabs with Jane Doe" war
;. They talked in whispers and
o the same effect, namely. that
had been unable to make a liv-
u reputable callings. and 90 took