Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-03-16
VICE COMMISSION
CONTINUES PROBE
INTO WAGE
QUESTION
Actress Tells of Earnings on
Stage of Chorus Girls and
Those Who Take Speaking
Parts in Plays,
VARIOUS V0CATl0NS
CALLED TO TESTIFY
Lieutenant Governor 0'Hara
and Associates May Make
Trip Through Eastern States
for Information,


Trip Through Eastern States
for Information,
tns Morning lsarnal special Lea.cd wlre)
Peoria. n. March 15.-Aliss jan
cite Fullerton. who acts IN stock
told thgflllnois vice commission about
life on the stage here this afternoon
Tho. women employees Of two shows
lpl%ne here had been sunpocnued. but
lthefe was time only to hear Miss Full
llertun She gave the average mimi
mum wage OF chorus girls as sic.
Those who vread lines, she said, rare-
~ received less than s25 o week.
"Readng lines. she explained.
means speaking parts. The average
salarS Of actors and actresses reading
lines runs from Sss 10 $40 week.
she said. There We're stars who re-
cclse salaries running into the hun
dreds and thousands
do YOU know anything OF stage
people OF both sexes being Obliged TO
dress in the same dressing room ,'
Lieutenant Governor O'Hara. chair
man OF the committee asked.
Never heard Of such thing. In
this city my dressing room has large
mirror and room for two big trunks.
Ia some houses there Is less room
and two women may bee put together
never Of different sex. however"
Chairman oHara has asked a great
many wamen since the commission
lMas instituted whether they were driv-
en t. the downward path by low
waaea ne asked MISS Fullerton
whether Nnna we're ever driven 20
the stage - inadequate pay received
Ia other branches of endeavor.
'Oh. no. most girls 90 on the stage
because they ure ambitious she re-
piled 'Thet feel that they have tall
emit
The commission worked fast, and
during the day uulzzed eighteen wit
ncsses. including merchants, manufac-
turers. girls Of the underworld and
proprietfessea If resorts. The eastern
trip of the commission depends on
whether the senatorial deadlock Is
broken before Thursday II It is
broken Is that time. the commissions
ers Will visit number of eastern
cities, but il It is not the commission
VIII respond e. an invitation from
President Wilson to make flying trip
60 Washington on Thursday, 20 dis
cuss the vice crusade returning TO
Springfield Immediately TO attend ses-
sions of the legislature, deferlng visits
TO other eastern cities,
Thomas Greer. manager Of de-
parment store did not know the prof
iis Of his firm. but was sure that firm
could not pay minimum wage Of SO
To It's women employees without eeri-
ously interfering with the earnings Of
the house
r. a. Bereer head OF a department
store. declared IL his belief that low
wages have little TO do with immor-
aity among women. He expressed
the opinion that minimum wage
sclle for women would be disastrous,
Ia the first place firms would hire
sHlN persons who were worth tho
money. Ii inserted, and unskilled per-
sons. instead Of getting s4 and s5
while learning as present, would not
he hired at all He thought such a
laW would throw more women on the
street than under the present sys-
tenn.
II = Given. cloak ana suit re-
taller paid a minimum Of Sc n week
"lf they are not worth Sc. they are
not worth hiring he said.
W. = Roos, a Sc and f0c store man,
paid low wages because the girls ho
employed regard his store as mere
training school in salesmanship. They
generally leave him as soon as they
grasp the rudiments of salesmanshlp,
he said
The women Of the town who werd
examined. invariably included low
wages among the reasons for immor-
atty, b0t did not believe this was the
sole cause One woman, a denizen oe
the underworld for twenty-five years.
said that the main cause was the crav-
ing Of girls for companionship. This
craving left them open to the tempta-
lions Of the world. she said. Another
reasou WIS unhappness at home.
In our life they find companions
Ship ut least" she said. Il would say
thW nine out of ten girls fall because
they are lonely. At home. when the
home is poor. as it usually is, their
wages are taken from them. They
cannot dress to go among others.
They are hopeless oi the humdrum
life and our life to them seems to