The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-24
ACT CONCERNING
HOURS OF LABOR,
S MINIMUM WAGE


70 the Editor of the Danburuy News
The public discussion in New York
papers of facts and opinions on wa
ges of minors and women is doubtless
of great benefit and will help to crys-
talize sentiment and law into justice
There are those who are of the
opinion that in order to bring even a
LSaan pietance to Overburdened and
t-nueFpaid parents, inexperienced mi
nors or apprentices should be en-
ployed at wages regulated by the cruel
law of supply and demand under
which employers are indifferent to the
necessities of employees.
would suggest that when child
has acquired education, mental and
physical development to a stage where
the state law determines that he or
she may be employed under subStan-
TALLY the same conditions and hours
as an adult, then it is not unreason-
able to insist that such labor is worth
~ least a living wage for one person
- che law required the payment of g,
As1ng wage. employers would careful
" instruct new employees and within
a very few days develop an efficiency
worth a living wage. The slight cost
of fnefficiency during the instruction
period should be borne by the bust
ness as an overhead cost, the same as
Insurance.
The practice Rof payment of less
ers handicaps competing concerns or
compeIs them to do likewise. The
practice of payment of less than a.
living wage to young employees is a
tremendous factor in keeping the wa
ges Of adults down to, and in many
industries just below q living wage.
This is a fact and condition easily
demonstrated.
"A case has recently come to my no
tice In which a concern steadily Sc
cures new help and keeps a large per-
centage of employees as apprentices at
fifty 70 hfty-fve cents per day. The
pay of their regular employees ranges
from ninety cents to one dollar and
ten cents per day of ten hours The
average daily cost of labor is therefore
between the high and low figures and
depends upon how many of the ap--
prentices are employed.
When q minor has reached the con-
dition of development suitable for
work the law of the state should SUI
persede the law of supply and demand
struggling, overwhelmed parent
should be wholly relieved of expense
for the child during the time he or
she has employment.
The practice of employing only
young women and children who have
homes at less than a living wage is
wicked injustice. almost a fatal ca
lsInity to the great number of minors
and adults wholly dependent upon
themselves from the time they CONF
nence regular occupation
The practice of payment of less than
g. living wage results in crime, and
degradation. exhausted mental and
physical vitality that will be empha-
sized I'm the offspring of the victims of
this practice. It leads rapidly tow
ard the degeneracy Of the nation.
4 hops every state in the union
will in the near future enact law
equivalent to or along the lines of
the following, which is based on the
above reasons.
An Act Concerning the Hours of La
Dor and a Minimum Living Wage:
For the purposes of this act,
worldly shall be that which may be
hereafter legally established and until
such legal day is established work.
day shall be considered as not to ex-
coed ten hours.
Overtime shall be employment for
more time in any one day than the
legal or work-day of not exceeding
ten hours.
A living wage shall consist of an
amount sufficient to independently
and adequately feed, shelter, clothe
and in addition thereto include an
amount not less than twenty-five cents
for transportation and contingent ex-
penses for one adult person for each
and every calendar day, plus one-sixth
to provide for living during one call
epdar day Of rest in every seven.
1.-THE schedule for overtime works
oRt to fifty per cent. increase for the
first two hours and one hundred per
cent Hereafter
No person, male or female skilled
or unskilled of any age. shall be en-
pIoyed in Industrial or mercantile pur-
st8fsAby- the hour or longer periods
alta rate of compensation below a
rate legally promulgated as a living
wage
No piece work rate shall be lawful
that viii not yield to the average nor
NAL person employed thereat at least
ten per cent. more wages than a living
wage herein above provided for on
the time basis. Apprentices or un-
skilled persons shall be employed at
not less than the living wage time ba-
sis. or upon the full piece work rate
operative in that place.
Employers shall keep an authentic
file of age certificates of all minors
Employed by them and the same shall
be at all times open to the inspection
Of the Living Wage Commission
hereinafter provided for.
If in mechanical and mercantile
pursuits, any personn or persons are
employed overtime, the com pensation
for the first additional thirty minutes
shall be at not less than the proper
Tomato day or full piece rate, and for
the second additional thirty minutes
the rate shall be increased not less
than fifty per cent. for the third adj
ditionaI thirty minutes the rate shall
be increased not less than ninety per
cent, and thereafter at the rate of
one hundred per cent.
An adequate lunch is to be provid- |
ed by the employer when the over
time exceeds one hour and the time |
for eating shall be included in the ezc-
ira time to be paid for.
Minors under eighteen years of age
and women of all ages shall not be
employed in said pursuits to exceed |
twelve hours in any one day and they
-s<an not he employed over ten hours
per day for more than ten days in |
nnv calendar month.