Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-06
l!d'l|9N OF Ion
Mage 70 M0R|DII
VICE Commission ENpEAvoNo
TO FIX BLAME ON Low FARM.
,hes or FAMILY HEADS.
BANKERS AND LARGE
EMPLOYERS rEsrlsN
Woe Among Women Not % charsahiS
20 Low Wages Paid WemsW q .
Low Wasss Of Husbands and Fath.
srs-eanker Opposes Fixing Wasss
Arbitrarily.

Chicago. June 6.-Fifty witnesses inS
cluding bankers and large employers
were scheduled to testify when the IL
linois vice and minimum wage comma.
sion began two days session here To.
day. The commission desires lirht ON
the relation OF low wages OF tho heads
Of families to immortality among wo.
men.
At previous sessions fraxmentAryI
testimony indicated that inadeouatA
wages received by fathers had moro 10
do with vice than small wages paid 10
their daughters.
Chairman O'Hara informed the VII.
nesses that they would not be put under
oath as the meeting was co-operated
intended to be mutually helpful
George NJ. Reynolds, president OF the
Continental and Commercial National
Bank. was the first witness. Bows
working for the bank. Mr.. Reynolds
said. received $50 or $25 a month when
they are without experience. Tho
average wage or salary Of the $40 em-
ployes OF the bank, the witness said
was SIS a month.
Would It make any noticeable DIE.
ference In dollars and cents II you
were to pay your inexperienced boys
$3.50 week?' was asked.
Arbitrary Wage Bad Practice.
ANY change which makes wages
arbitrary would be bad practice" wss
the reply. ''1n dollars and cents II would
npka Ntflo dfNoponon
James Simpson. vice president or
Marshall Field 4 Company. the next
witness. says his Arm does not employ
married men incapable OF earning more
than $12 week.
Perhaps II you paid better WAGES
more bachelors would get mssrtoAsHs
suggested Senator Beall, former Astopkst
mayor Of Alton. Ill
The witness laughed and went "a 10
explain that the minimum was0 for
boys at the store is 50 a week.
You can't get them for less: It's tho
law OF supply and demand"
"Mors Wages, Moro Boys"
More wages. more marriages, more
boys" observed Senator Reall, raising
an eyebrow in the direction OF the wit
ness
The witness said a state law fixing
minimum wage for married men
would prove a business handicap COM
pared with states that have no such
law.
DO not environment and home train
ing depend largely upon the income OF
the family" said O'Hara
Not with moral environments" re.
sponded Simpson.
How are you going to get good
homes without adequate money!"
The witness did not reply
Senator Beall stated that about thirty
states follow or are about to follow tho
example OF Illinois in attacking tho
vice question thru minimum wage In
quiries.
Has cierked Fifty Years.
o'Hara spent some time in develop.
ing the fact that Marshall Field &
Company have n clerk who has been
there for fifty years. and who recently
celebrated the fact.
"Now." asked O'Hara gravely would
you mind telling us how much salary he
draws?''
six thousand a year and about $4,000
bonus"
Senator Beall wanted to know
whether women and men averaged
equally rs sales people. Witness re.
piled that men were better in some da.
partments. women in others. He was
asked to prepare a table for submits.
sion later to show the relative value os
sales women as compared with mon.
II don't think It would help you at
ALL" said Mr.. Simpson. "The condi-
tions under which they are employed
are so different"