Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-03-17
The Illinois Vice Investigation.

The Illinois Vice Investigation.
Eugene Daily Guard: The So
called white slave" investigation
being conducted b. the senate of the
state of Illinois is striving to find
out whether the immortality that pre-
walls among the women workers in
! the big industrial centers is caused
| by inclination or conditions.
Recently there testified before the
commission two witnesses from two
separate industrial and financial con-
ditions in life, and their testimony
was in sharp contrast. One was the
millionaire head of one of the
worlds greatest mail order houses,
and the other was young girl stem
! ographer. The millionaire employer
stated emphatically that labor and
wage conditions have no bearing on
the degree of immortality that exists
among women workers. 1t was his
contention that the inclination of the
individual kept her above contami-
nation irrespective of whether her
body was half starved or lily pro-
tected from the inclemencies of the
weather.
The stenographer testified that it
was her experience and belief that
the financial condition determined
in great many cases the moral rec
titude of a large percentage of
working women.
The employer testified that a girl
away from home could live on eight
dollars week, buc in response to a
question of one of the commission he
stated that he did not know positive
ly that it could be done because he
had never tried it personally.
This investigation, conducted by
the city of Chicago, which, with the
exception of New York, employs
more women in it's stores and com
mercial houses than any city in
America, should arrive at some con-
crete, definite conclusion, which will
be the starting point for a move
ment that will throw a protection
around those young women who are
forced to work for their mainten-
ance.
1t has long been contended that
the great immortality that exists
among women employees in the big
department stores was not a mora
question, but an economic one. THAI
the condition of immortality is rec
ognized as existing is apparent from
the testimony of one who employs
great numbers of women.
Fo stated that he had never heart
of woman employe being blacklist
ed for immortality, but he had heard
of the blacklist being used on i'm
moral men.
This condition would seem to in
dicate that these large employer!
have winked at immortality amonG
the women, while insisting r'NoT
clean, upright, moral habits for theil
men employees, and this is the con
tention of students of economics Oh
this vice question.
1t is claimed that large employers
] nf lohnr HOIi fn1
closed their eyes to the immortality
for gain among their female EN-
ployes, because it kept their OWL
/ payroll smaller.
Past Investigations have proven
that in times of financial duress
when factories arc closed and gen.
eral depression exists in all lines
that the number of prostitutes in
crease tremendously.
This would support the contention
of many noble men and women who
are striving to alleviate the condition
of working girls. that more wages
for the employees and smaller divi-
dends to the employer would mean
much less immortality among work
ing women.
Let us hope that the present in
vestigation will give either the other
states or the federal government a
basis for a minimum wage bill for
women which will eliminate the ne
oessity of any woman entering into
an immoral life through sheer want.