The Irish standard., 1913-04-19
WAGES AND VICE
Much Hysteria in the Present Fer.
ment About White Slavery,
Says Rev. P. E. Dietz
Punctures the Socialistic Doctrine
That Money is the Moving Power
of Life and Conduct.

cry, low-Wage slavery, vice. commits
sions and minimum wage for girls
| and women. says Rev. P. ]. Dietz.
Z, There is reason for the ferment, of
course, and in the end common sense
will dictate way out and it will be
a road to progress. At the present
time public opinion. though properly
aroused, is largely in a chaotic and
uniformed state.
| 1t is not our object to go into the
merits of the detailed matters that,
are involved in the discussion; the
daily papers have amply taken care
of that. But we want to put much
emphasis upon several Catholic
thoughts which ought to be taken into
much more consideration before pub
lie opinion crystalizes.
Woman's Place Is the Home.
The elemental truth that girls and
women belong in the home cannot be
over-emphasized. This is. the larger
background into which the present
agitation must be detailed. BY ma
ture and by grace woman is destined
for the making of homes and rearing
| the children, The modern industrial
revolution has violently torn woman
from her native soil. and outraged
nature is wreaking her vengeance on
the human race and upon women in
particular. The lowered status of wo-
man is one of the penalties for the
decadence, of true. Christian chivalry,
Now that the latent sense of honor
among men has again been quickened,
there is hope that the result may be
+; women.
| In the light of this fundamental
truth, we may. regard in its true pro-
portions, the other subsidiary truth,
that innumerable girls and women are
compelled by whatever circumstances
to enter the factories. department.
stores and business offices. etc Mod
ern development has taken from the
home many OF its activities that for
'nerly fell to women but may VIC not
ask why our much boas ted Industrial
progress does not in proportion to it's
progress, tighten the burdens of hui
mainly, and particularly of woman.
Where is the benehcence of. all our
improved machinery if it is meant
only to swell the Golfers of those that
own it, and does not at the same time
enter into the plan of divine redemp-
ton from the curse of original sin,
one of which is hard labor?
Female Labor Is Cheap.
But the problem of cheap female
labor and its sad consequences Is with
us, and society must deal with it. The
preference of young women for indus
trial and mercantile employment Gre
ates supply in excess Of the de-
mand. This naturally keeps down
wages and at the same time creates
the correlated problem of domestic
service. Minimum wage and other
regulative legislation cannot solve the
problem, yet it will have the effect to
provide adequate protection and a. fair
living wage to women, as. we'll as es-
tablishing moro salutary minimum age
\ limits.
Decreasing the supply of girls for
the labor market and increasing their
wage will bring about saner COM
petition between young men and
young women. Greater economic equal
ity is to the advantage of the young
men, for all things being equal, they
are preferred by employers of labor.
At the same time it would force young
women who. have to be bread winners
into domestic service where they are
much needed.
Such service would not only be
more wholesome for girls, since it is
particularly adapted to the feminine
equipment, it would provide them
with the training they need to meet
the demand that will sometimes be
made upon them as wives. At the
same time the deterioration of the
home would receive measurable set
back.
\ "A False Assumption.
The other truth that we wish to en-
) phasize strongly in the present agta-
ton is the falsity Of. the Socialist
, tent of economic determinism: in 9TH
err words the materialistic conception
of the issues involved. This shame
, full doctrine means in plain words that
money or its equivalent is the moving
power of all human life and conduct:
that money and that which it can buy
is the only thing worth while in this
t world: that in comparison with il
honor, virtue and character are negli-
l gible quantities in the souls Of mer
and