River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-04-24

method Of administration of such law
Father Ryan for years has taken
an active interest in this subject and
his book on "A Living Wage" is con.
sidered a notable contribution to cur
rent economic literature. Miss Nc
Dowell has had many years of deal
ing with young women who find it
necessary to work.
That the enactment of minimum
wage law would not prove a handicap
to business development and that it
would not drive industries out of the
state, was the message brought here
by Father Ryan. He declared that
some of the smaller lines of business
might be eliminated. but general con
ditions would not be. mo business"
he said, "has any right to exist at the
expense of flesh and blood" He felt
confident that such law would do
nothing more serious than to elimi-
nate few "anti-social employers"
Employers Would Benefit.
He contended that employers would
receive in turn for an increase in
wages greater efficiency from en-
ployes. Living conditions, he said,
would be improved, and he denied
that prices would Immediately soar
and that the public would gain moth
ing through the enactment of mini
mum wage.
Father Ryan touched upon the
point made by the opposition that
the fair and equitable method would
be federal minimum wage. He
said that the same argument might
be made against an attempt on the
part of organized labor to secure bet
ter wages.
Miss Mcdowell presented some
striking illustrations of the dangers
and results of low wages. She told
the story of young woman who fur.
nished her with the following budget
of expense covering a period of one
year:
For laundry, $65; for lodging, $3.50;
for car fare, $36.40; for clothing, $133.-
65
Her work included two meals
| day, SO that no item of expense COW
ering that point was included in the
budget. Her salary was 1859 for the
| year, leaving balance of 1926 ''for
recreation, sickness and all of those
things which a girl has perfect
right to want"
This young woman" said Miss Nc
DoWell, said to me, if a girl can't
| have a little fun she might just as
well commit suicide Our young wo-
men who work have a right to have
little sunshine and little fun. 1t is
| just this fact that sometimes causes
them to grow desperate"
National Politics Behind Bill?
National politics is said to be be-
hind a seemingly simple bill now
pending before the joint legislative
committee on finance. 1t is a bill to
abolish the present state oil inspec-
ton department and create new one
under the charge of the state insur-
ance commissioner acting as state fire
marshal. Under the present law the
oil inspection department is directly
responsible to the governor, who ap-
points the state inspector and ap-
proves the appointment of deputy in
spectors from a list of eligibles fur
nished by the state civil service com
mission.
The insurance department under
| it's present administration is hostile
to the governor, who sought to re-
move it's head and as a result of such
action a suit is now pending in the
state supreme court. The present
insurance commissioner is a strong
| friend of Senator r. M. LaFollette.
| Governor McGovern wants to go to
the United States senate two years
| from now as successor to the veneer
able Senator Stephenson, who will
not be d candidate for reelection.
How LaFolIette Men Figure,
Senator LaFollette doesn't want
Governor McGovern to be elected
senator because he cannot get along
with him politically and because Nc
| Govern supported Roosevelt for pres
| ident last fall. The LaFollette men
/
can be taken away from the governor
and placed under the state insurance
commissioner without any civil SER
| vice restrictions as to the appoint
ment of deputies they will politically
weaken the governor and strengthen
| LaFollette.
The bill providing for the transfer
was introduced by Assemblyman L.
L. Johnson of Door county, the La
Toilette unsuccessful candidate for
speaker of the assembly at the open
| ing of the legislature. State Oil In
spector L. F. Meyer, who is opposing
the bill, points to the fact that the
oil inspection department has been in
existence since 1877 and that during
the time LaFollette was governor he
repeatedly commended the. work of
the department and strongly opposed
| any legislation designed to weaken
| or repeal the inspection law.
The Great While Plague.
| Wisconsin is making serious eff
fort to aid in every possible manner
| the fight to suppress the great while
plague. Perhaps the most important
bill on this subject was introduced by
Assemblyman Holmes and appears to
have clear sailing.
FRED B. SHEASBY.