Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-03-08
Julius RoSenwaId, James SImp-
son, {, F, Mandel and John
7, Shayne Tell Of Wages
Paid 10 Girls,
IMM0RALITY'S CAUSE
NOT LACK OF FUNDS
MiIIionaires Think Women Are
Creatures of Impulse and En-
vironmenti Tendedoio Habit
ues Say Differently.

uto Ody DillGltllliy,
(By Morning journal special Leased wirrl
Chicago March THE employers
think low wages have nothing 10 do
with immortality among women. The
women who have fallen think low
wages have everything to de- with It.
THAT was the way % member Of the
state senate Vice commission summed
up the conflicting testimony given az
the committee hearing To-Day Arrayed
on the one side were julius hOscn-
Wald. president of Senrs. Hoehuck a.
Co. James simpson vice president of
Marshall Field a Co.. H. NJ. Mandcl
president Of Mandol Bros. and Ray
Shayne. of John r. Shaync a Co.
Their firms employ many thousands
of girls and women
On the other side, were a half dozen
denizens OF the "tenderloin' brought
before the committee on Jane Dow
warrant
The committee explained to the em-
ployers that it wished Information
hearing on "a BIN now pending In the
legislature establishing minimum
wage scale Of S12 week for women.
The employers held this figure 10 be
excessive ana declared the law an Inn
possibility.
1t developed that practically an
the women employed In the retail
stores live at home and much time
was consumed in discussing "a proper
living wage for those so situated. The
employers took the position that they
are under no obligation TO pay orrnnd
girls and other unskilled help clnssed
as juvenile living wage. ns such
employees arc assumed 10 he entitled
to a living nt the expense 81 their
parents.
Senator Nels Jun. of the commit
tee. insisted that the other members
Of Il working girls family earn no
more than enough TO support them
selves and that If amy member of such
a family earns less than a living wage,
the family suffers. Mandel and Roscn-
waid expressed the opinion that
girls character and her environment
shape her life W8ges have little to
do with, they said. They laid stress
on environment.
"Gm doesn't "A living wage under
that have something to do With en-
vranment?" auefied Lieutenant Gov
cfnor O'!iara chairman Of the com-
mittee This was admitted
Mr.. simpson presented figures
which showed that the Marshall
Field retail stores employ f.222 fe-
males whose average wage is SlO.fd.
OF those l40 are short-hour employees,
who work during the rush hours ana
while the regular clerks are at lunch.
All live at home. he said. simpson
was asked to state the net profits Of
the Field business. but he declined to
answer.
The same question was put 20 the
other employers Its purpose was to
learn If the salhfies fof girls earning
"a and 50 could not be- doubled with
ont materhnv affecting profits
Simpson detailed the welfare worl.
Of his firm. speaking of the rest
rooms. vacations, compulsory school
maintained in the store where those
who have had no advantages IN child
hood are forced to acquire the rudi-
ments of an education of salarles
paid during sickness, and the like.
The last witness of the day, the
women Of the tenderloin. talked in
whispers All said that they had
been unable TO make q living az rep
utabe callings. "a was woman
of rs years She worked IN laun-
drv at $3.50 week after her hus
band died and left her with two chill
dren
You couldn't support family on
that. could you2" inquired 0'Ilara.
NO ! found out that ! couldn't
even support myself on it. SO went
wrong
How old were you them"
"Twentv-eight"
Where are the children now2' she
was asked
Wei, you may be sure they are
not in Chicago
"If girl cannot live on her income,
don't you think that with the pitfalls
which surround young woman, an
immoral life offers the easiest way
out2' Mandel was asked.
Not If she Is the right kind of
girl. II she is starving and immortality
is repuenant 10 her, as 1t should be,
she can go into domestic service.
what" exclaimed senator Juul,
"do you think there are enough places
for dOmestics to take care Of all the
under-paid girls and women working
In stores and factories"
House servants are mighty scarce,
smiled the witness.
Mande expressed the opinion that
IS IS living wage for "a girl depen
dent upon herself alone. Juul asked
him to show how this should be spent
to provide the necessities Of life AZ
Ter Mandel had enumerated 5 for
clothes. twenty-five cents for laun-
dry 81 for board aand room, sixty
cents for sickness. seventy cents for
lunches. sixty cents for carfare and
ten cents for collection iox on sunday
IN church jun declared that these
items Included only about one-hali
the girls necessary expenses. Mandel
insisted however. that the committee
man should not disregard the fact
that most employees live at home anu