The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-08
OREGON'S MINIMUM WAGE
LAW.

lature of that State. As this law
has many unique features to
recommend it a brief account OF
it's provisions may not prove unin-
teresting. 1t is the first compul-
sorry minimum wage law passed
by any legislature in America.
The law provides for the ap-
lpointment of a permanent In
dustrial Welfare Commission with
full power to investigate the con-
ditions in all industries where
women and children are employed
as wage-earners. The powers of
this Commission are three-fold:
First, the Commission can deter
mine the lowest wage to be paid
women and children in any in
dustry in which they are en-
ployed. For this purpose, it is
authorized to appoint board for
each industry to investigate con-
ditions in that industry and to
make recommendations regarding
the minimum wage to be paid the
women and children employed
therein. If the Commission ap-
proves these recommendations
they then become obligatory upon
the individuals or firms engaged in
that particular business. The
Commission has power to enforce
the rate Of wages determined
upon as minimum in any given
industry. This rate is absolutely
compulsory and employers who
refuse to pay it are subject to
fine or Imprisonment, or both, at
the discretion of the court. In
this compulsory feature the
Minimum Wage Law of Oregon
differs from that Of Massachusetts
which provides no severer sane
ton for failure to observe it's
provisions than the publishing of
the names Of the rebellious en-
ployers in four newspapers of the
county in which they live. The
absence of a compulsory clause
|neutralizes the value of the Massa-
chusetts law.
Second, the Commission has
power to determine the maximum
number of hours of employment
compatible with the health,
morals, and general welfare Of the
women and children wage-earners
in any industry. This provision
is absolutely new. No commission
in this country has ever been given
such extended powers. Legislators
have exercised such powers, but
heretofore they have never be-
slowed upon any industrial Com
mission authority to fix the num-
Der of hours for workers in keep
ing with the recognized standards
of sanitation.
Third, the Commission can pre-
scribe the measures to be taken
to ensure the safety and sanitary
wellbeing Of the workers. They
can determine the safeguards
necessary for the protection of the
health and morals Of women and
minors employed in the various
industries. This is not an en-
tirely new provision.
The Oregon Minimum Wage
Law is, in fact, the first compul-
sorry wage law in the country.
The Commission which controls its
operation must be appointed by
the Governor within ninety days
after it becomes law. A similar
bill is already before the legis-
lature of the State Of Washington
and it is not unlikely that it will
be placed on the statute book.
In Minnesota, likewise, a Mini
mum Wage Bill has been intro
duced into the Senate by Senator
Boyle and into the House by
Representative Wilson. It is much
like the Oregon measure except
that it authorizes the commission,
which the Governor must appoint
within sixty days after the pas
sage of the law, to fix the minimum
wage for women and minors with
out establishing a board for each
industry, although it may seek the
services of such a board if it
wishes. The passage of this bill
has been recommended by the
Legislative Committees on Labor,
and it will probably be enacted
before the close of the session.
Since 1910 Minimum Wage
Law has been In force in England
for men and women workers in
the coal mines and for women
in certain house-working trades,
such as box-making, ain-making,
machine lace making and tailor
ing. It provides that the Board
of Trade appoint the committees
which make recommendations re-
garding the lowest wage to be
paid In each industry to which it
applies.
The passage of the Oregon
Minimum Wage Law was secured
largely through the efforts of the
Rev. E. v. O'Hara, Chairman Of.