Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-03-08
WHY WOMEN CO
WRONG IS TOLD
CRE\Tl RES FROM TIiE UNDER
WORLD SAY WAGES HAVE EN-
ERNTIiING TO DO WITH ~,
QUESTIONER IS EMBARRASSED
Unable To Make Living NJ Reputable
Cnllings, Downward Patl, Proves
Too Strong mn Alluremrnt.

CHICAGO March T. - "Thc en-
ploycrs think that low wages have
nothing TO do with immortality among
women. the women of tho town say
il has everything to do with it,"
That was the way State senator
Nels jun summed up todaN's testi-
mony before the state senate vice in
vestigation committee. at which some
of the greatest employers of female
labor in the city and half dozen
women from the "underWOrld' were
witnesses.
State senator Beall. like Juul a
member of the committee, explained
To the witnesses who were employ
ployers that the committee desired to
cmbarrass no one, but wished inlOr-
nation bearing ON bin now pnding
in the legislature, making a minimum
wage scale of $l2 for women In this
state compulsory. The employers held
this figure to be excessive and the
law an imposslbllty
Among the witnesses heard were
Julius Rosenwad, president of Sears.
Roebuck x Co; James Simpson, vice
president of Marshall, Field ~ CO..
+. j. Mandel, president Of Mandcl
Rrothers; Roy Shane, president Of
John T. Shane q Co. Sears, ROcbuck
x CO., mail order house, and the
remaining three firms, retail establish
mcnts, employ in the aggregate thous-
ands Of girls and women
fnN ironmcnt the Whole Thing?
Mandel and Rosenwald expressed
the opinion that a girls character and
her environment, and they laid stress
on the latter, shaped her life. Wages
have little to do with it"
'If a girl cannot live on her IN
come don't you think that, with the
pitfalls which surround young wom-
an, an immoral life offers the easiest
way out?" Mandel was asked.
Not If she is the right Kind Of a
girl; If she is starving and immortality
Is repugnant to her, as 1t should be,
she can go into domestic service.
What" exclaimed Senator JUL,
'do you think there are enough
all the underpaid girls and women
working in stores and factorles?"
And Scarce In Tulsa, Too.
House servants are mighty scarce"
smiled the witness.
Mandel expressed the opinion that
So is a living wage for girl depen-
dent upon herself alone, whereat
Juul handed him pencil and paper
and insisted that he go into details on
the matter.
How much for clothing insisted
the legislator and the witness hest
tated, Two dollars?"
NO; / should say that one dollar a
week would be enough"
"All right; one dollar. Put 1t
down. Now. laundry"
But these girls live at home.
their laundry is done there" said
the witness
"But suppose she doesnt?' pur-
Senator Juul. "How much 2"
Say twenty-five cents, then"
III hill1 way lHtN htll uOhH INV
list--board and room, $4,OO; sickness
60 cents; lunches. 10 cents car fare.
60 cents, and church. assuming that
the girls contribute when the collec-
ton box is passed. 10 cents.
TO "Spcnd''-i5 Gents.
"Wcu that make $755, said
Senator Juul, who had added the
column wrong. "And that doesn't
include railway fare, thcaters, prob
ably only about half Of girls neces-
Sary expenses
Mr.. Simpson had come prepared
with figures, which showed, among
other things, that the Marshall Field
retail stores employs 4.222 female
clerks. whose average wage is $10.76.
OF these, 44O are short hour em-
ployes. who work during the rushcs,
and while the regular clerks are at
lunch All live at home. he said.
1t developed that the short hour
employees are paid on a basis Of So
a week, so that "A clerk working only
four hours n day would receive only
four dollars.
InlS lattef class Is composed most
IL of married women who wish to
To earn a bit Of pin money, and of
students who do not depend upon
US for living" explained Simpson.
Senator JUL would not have 1t that
way. insisting that il women worked,
they should receive an income from
their labors TO live on.
Would Hurt Business.
Simpson said no state should be
to adopt minimum wage
law for women. as the business men
of that state would be at disad-
vantage as compared with other
states. 1t should be federal law. II |
at all, he declared.
There was a cranlng of necks when
a slender. rosy checked girl whose
name was Nancy. was called as
witness. She was II years old when
she went to work for Sears, Roe
buck and company, she said. and was
paid $3.50. When she left there after
two years. she was receiving $3.50.
Great Big Girls Cried.
Asked by Mr.. OHara If the girls