El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-04
Low Wages Cause Struggle
Minimum Wage Advocates Are
Strengthened by Stnte lives
LEGATIONS of Vice.
-RN E,relRrfr j. HnaEin
by Frederic J. HaskIn
ASHTNGTON d O. A

WVE ASHINGTON. D. C., April L.
wv Never in the history of any
nation has the interest in the
wages Of women been considered OF
such paramount Importance as now.
The revelations made public as a re-
SUIT OF the legations IN Chicago
made by the Illinois vice commission
nave created a strong increase in pub
TIC sentiment IN favor OF the enact
ment OF minimum wage laws in every
state, making II Illegal for any person
to employ girl or woman at a wage
below the sum that viii enable her 70
provide a decent living. Whether or
not the connection between low wages
10 woman workers and immortality IS
as close as some of the testimony ad-
Ouced by the commission would indi-
cate. the absolute injustice of keeping
young women at work at wages rang
ing from two to five dollars week is
creating d strong wave of sentiment
against the conditions which permit
such Scant wages to be paid.
Struggles Are Heroic.
Thousands OF working women re-
sent the implication that they can be
driven to dishOnOr even by an insuffi-
cient living wage. The struggles they
make to live respectfully are absolutely
heOric in many instances. But this
heroism IS at the expense of their
health which should be considered a
national asset. That thousands OF
young women are working for an in
come which does not provide them
means to supply themselves with SUI
Tcient nutritious food or any of the
recreation or pleasure essential TO
healthful living was one of the facts
most commented upon by sir Thomas
Oliver, the distinguished English sociO-
lOglst upon his visit to this country
last year
The testimony of the employers N
the Chicago Investigation varied n
many particulars, some asserting that
they were paying all the wages which
the business income warranted and
others admitting that the annual profits
made the payment OF higher WaES
perfectly feasible. As a result of the
interest awakened by the investiga-
ton at least one firm voluntarily
raised the wages Of each woman in its
employ. That every working woman
has right to sufficient pay for her
services to provide a decent living IS
now generally admitted. Similar in
designations to that held in Chicago
probably viii be conducted in other
states within the year. especially N
California and New York.
Nine Dollars a v eek, Minimum
Massachusetts was the first state
to establish a minimum wage board.
and the newly created board in that
state viii begin its work in July. Nine
dollars a week is the lowest sum upon
which woman can support herself
in Boston without being in danger OF
becoming a beneficiary Of some of the
philanthropic agencies of the city. &C
cording to the statements of women
SOciOlOgIStS who have investigated the
subject This is believed to be the
basis upon which the new board VIII
fix the minimum wage for that state
In other cities, including Chicago in
VestigatOrs fix the minimum wage for
women at from seven to nine dollars
per week
The esta biishmcnt of a minimum
wage for women may have tendency
TO disDlace a large number Of women
and give their work TO men according
TO the opinion of some Of the employ
ers who recently have testified upon
the subject 1t is claimed that man
at So a week would be cheaper IN
most positions than a woman at nine
or SO, because women can only per
form certain services This phase OF
the question has not as yet received
much consideration, but Will IN
doubtedly have much bearing upon the
subject
Industrial Charges.
The advent Of 100000 women into
the industrial world could not 1all 10
produce some changes in industrial
conditions in this country. One erect
was an increase Of production and
business expansion made possible only
by the additional supply OF available
help. Another was the tendency TO
lower wages in whatever industries
women were employed. This last ef-
feet resulted either in forcing men to
work for wages insufficient to support
their families or in throwing them out
of employment altogether. In this way
the entrance Of some women into the
industrial world, by oepriTing men Of
positions they formerly held, has drlV-
en- other women having home duties
to seek some way OF adding to the
lesSened family income, OFTEN with an
enforced neglect of the welfare Of the
home which should have had all OF
their time. Yet the women are not -
be blamed for taking the work when
they need it. The employers are not al
ways to be blamed Tor securing their
help at the lowest possible eXpenCl-
ture but the wage earning woman has
brought about many complex problems
yet to be solved.
Wages and Profits.
The invention Of labor saving ma
chinery has had q great influence in
the substitution of feminine for mascU-
line labor. In many factories women
employed at half the wages paid TO
men a generation ago by the aid Of
new machines are able to produce sew
eral times the amount Of work AFTER
the first instalment the cost OF run
ming the machinery IS small. The saw
ing to the manufacturer in the diff
ference between wOmen's wages and
the wages he formerly paid to men is
so much clear profit, but 1t should not
all be credited to wOmen's readiness to
work for low wages.
In a small town in Pennsylvania
there is a factory which 20 years ago
employed over 100 men, who lived
with their families in comfortable cot
tages near their work. Now that fac
tory has less than so men upon its
pay roll but has a force of nearly
200 women and girls, who with the
aid of the new machinery are turn
ing out fully 10 times as much work
as did the 100 men 20 years ago. let
the present pay roll for men and Wom-
en- amounts to little more than did
the former one consisting OF mems
names only.
Army of Unemployed Increases.
The greatest hardship Of such a
condition is that the large number OF
men. thrown out Of their expected EN-
ployment have been forced to leave
their native towns and seek work
elsewhere. Some Of them have found
it. but a large number have drifteo
into the hobo" class, although by
natural. inclination they would be reg
ularly employed. The increasingly
large army of unemployed men which
gives the social workers so many dit
ficulties must not be entirely credited
to the entrance of the woman wage
Garner, but there is an indlsputaDle
connection between them
The labor unions have recognized
this connection and for years have
been working to secure equal pay Tor
equal work whether performed by