The Sentinel=record., 1913-03-11
CHICAGO VICE INVESTIGATION BRINGS OUT SOME VERY lN-
 TEREsTINe FIGURES.
CAN LIVE ON $8 A WEEK
Some Employers Think Raise Of Wages Would Rob Illinois Fac- tories of Female Employees
 Men Would Be Hired.

Chicago, March 10. - William Thorne, vice president of Montgom- cry Ward and company, mail order house, told the vice commission today that a girl "adrift" can live on $S q week. thus:
 Room rent 8.
 Breakfast (coffee and rolls) 4oc.
 Luncheon, soc.
 Dinners, $1.40.
 Car fare, COG.
 Clothing and incidentals, $1.70.
 The witness gave the foregoing statement to show that the commits sion's idea that there should be 8 minimum wage scale for women of SIP week, is too high. The figures given, he said were the actual expendi- lures of one of his l.973 female em- ployes. Another girl employe dis bursed her wages as follows:
 Room and board. s3.50.
 Laundry, 200.
 Car fare, 200.
 Clothing and incidentals. ssSo.
 Savings. 25c.
 The statement fails to account for surplus of five cents but this was not explained and Senator Beall re- marked that the girl probably spent 1t friyolously.
 The witnesses today in addition to Thone, were James Simpson, Geo. Lytton. John Basch, John T. Pirie, K. J. Lehman. Henry c. Schwab, Al bert Ellinger. all representing depart ment stores, employing thousands of girls and women. There were no wit nesses from the underworld. The commission which expects to pursue it's work for the next two years, ad- journed till further notice, which probably will be given the latter part of next week.
 Senator Juul told Thorne that girl after girl had been on the stand and said they had "gone wrong because they could not make living other wise.
 We want you merchants to jump in and help us stop that sort Of thing" said Senator Juul T tell you its an awful situation when girl after girl--"
 "Oh yes, but for the most part don't believe those yarns interrupt ed the witness.
 The earnings of Montgomery Ward and company for the last fiscal year were $2,370.000, Thorne said, and Juul, having calculated that the ex- penditure of $75,000 a year would raise the salaries of the five. six and seven dollar girls to ten dollars. ask ed the witness If he did not think the money might be well spent in that way.
 "But.v came tho reply, i've are all ready spending that much in bene- fits, old age pensions and the like. We look after the welfare of our em- ployes very closely and if this com mission can show us where we fail. we'll remedy the defect. If il can be shown that our girls need more money they shall have 1t, although think sS is good minimum.
 Thorne said in his opinion mimi mum wage scale of SIP week for women would drive half the factories out of Illinois and cost half the wom en their jobs.
 The law wouldn't bother us much but the factories would feel 1t and they would hire men instead of w0m- en if they had to pay SIP. because they can get more work out of tho men, said he.
 The other witnesses readily gave details of their pay rolls but they were unit in declining to state tho profits of their respective firms.
 Lieut.. Gov. Barratt O'Hara. chair man of the commission asked if word had been passed among members of the State street retailers association not to disclose profits, but each wit ness denied any collision. They were agreed, too, that sS week was about the right minimum on which a woman can support herself.