Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-02
Relations Between Earn
ings of Sexes Up for
Inquiry.
CALL MANY WITNESSES
Educators, Business Men and
Corporation Heads to Be In
terrogated by Senators.

Chicago, June Educators, bust.
ness men, heads of corporations, and
a number of male workers will appear
before the Illinois senate welfare com.
mission at the Hotel LaSalle on Fri
day and Saturday to present figures
on the wages paid men in various
walks of life and to give their ideas
as to the relation of the males earn
ings to the woman's welfare.
This radical departure in the COM
missions procedure has been brought
about by the practically unanimous
opinion of welfare experts In their
testimony that the low wages paid
men constitute a strong contributing
factor to feminine delinquency. Many
educational institutions keep a care
full tabulation on the earning powers
of their graduates as valuable data in
sociological study, and his informa-
tion will be placed before the senators.
THESE EDUCATORS CALLED.
Among the educators who will be
asked to appear Friday and give their
statistics, experiences, and opinions,
will be:
Harry Pratt Judson, president Uni
versity of Chicago.
A. w. Harris, president Northwest
ern university.
Ta0,ao nrnefdank Trt
versity of Illinois.
Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, superintend-
ent of Chicago public schools.
Lieutenant Governor Barratt O'fiara
and Senator Niels JUL of the COM
mission framed a statement regard
ing the new departure, and announc-
ed about 100 subpoenas would be serv-
ed this week for appearance the last
two days of this week. The examina-
tions will be limited almost entirely to
the economic feature.
STATEMENT BY SENATOR'S.
The senator's statement explains
the broadening of the investigation as
follows:
THE commission at previous hear
wages paid to working girls and wo-
men. 1t was learned that many wom-
en- workers are receiving less than a
living wage; that is, that their weekly
wage is insufficient to provide for 81
meals, place to sleep, and the neces-
sary clothing and amusements. These
girls and women, it has been learned,
are, in many cases, forced to look to
others, generally the fathers, to make
up the deficit.
1T would appear, therefore, that
the wages paid to men have a certain
definite connection with the wages
paid to women and would legitimately
come under the scope of the work of
this commission. Experts in social
work who have testified before the
commission, while disagreeing as to
the degree of relations between low
wages paid to women and to vice,
/ have been unanimous in placing eco
nomic conditions as one of the chief
causes of vice.
! QLOTE FORM GRAHAM TAYLOR.
| Prof Graham Taylor, in discussing
the meaning of this term at the last
session of the commission, asserted
that low wages paid to men had as
much If not more to do with immoral
ity than low wages to women.
! The commission, in view of the
/ evidence heard by It and the unani-
nifty of opinion held by social and well
fare workers. had thought advisable
to devote at least one session to the
question of mems wages as directly
and Indirectly related to the welfare
of the women of the state.
THE commission will seek to estab-
lish a fair minimum upon which a
man may support himself and family
in the city of Chicago. and how mazs
men, if any, are being paid less than
this minimum.
ut will also seek to ascertain what
proportion, If any, of the working
girls are forced into employment be-
cause OF the insufficiency of the wage
paid the parentA Also to what extent.
If any, this insufficiency of wage op-
crates to lessen the number of mar.
riages and to weaken the home infiu'
ence."