River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-02-20
Minimum Wage Bill.

Minimum Wage Bill.
Assemblyman Thomas J. MahOn Of
| Eland has introduced the minimum
wage bill, which is expected to pass
! the legislature after season of hard
Shedding. This bill defines minimum
wage as follows:
Every wage paid or agreed to be
paid by any employer to any female
or minor employee except as other
wise provided in section 1729s7-2
| shall be not less than a living wage.
| A living wage is compensation for la
| Dor sufficient to enable employee re-
| ceiving it to maintain himself or her.
self under conditions consistent with
his or her welfare"
The Mahon bill offers a new line
of labor legislation, as It is the first
| attempt to fix wage by means of
| statute. The industrial commission
is given power to enforce the proposed
law. The measure is unique; there
| is nothing in labor legislation in
other states which approaches it.
Here is one feature of the measure:
Every wage paid or agreed to be
paid by employer to any female or
minor employee except as otherwise
provided in section 1729s-2 shall be
not less than living wage"
| A living wage is defined as "com-
pensation for labor sufficient to enable
! the employee receiving it to maintain
| himself or herself under conditions
| consistent with his or her welfare"
Aid to Working Women.
| A great deal has been said in Wis
consin, as we'll as in the other states
of the union concerning young wo-
men who are driven into the streets
and life of shame by reason of small
and inadequate wages. 1t is in a
large sense the purpose of this bill to
| help the working women of Wiscon-
sin; to see to it that they are paid a
wage which is protection to them in
the fullest sense. Mr.. eMahon is pre-
pared to meet the attack that will be
made on the measure. by the COM
| bined business interests of the state.
He is confident that the bill will pass
strongly in favor of the measure.
| Another bill of wide interest is the
so-called mothers pension bill intro
duced by Assemblyman John Schnitz-
| Ter of De Pere. The theory of this
measure is that it will be better for
the future citizenship of the state for
children to remain at home and in
school rather than be placed in some
public institution. A state child pro-
lection agent is to be appointed. A
/ county child protection agent is also
to be appointed in the counties of the
state, the county agents to be respon-
sible to the state agent and the state
agent to be responsible to the state
board of control which is made the ad-
ministrative board under the proposed
law.
"Dry Zone" Bills.
The usual number of "dry zone
bills are beginning to bob up in the
legislature. Assemb1yman Frederick
has introduced a county option bill,
which will meet with the united OPP
position of the brewing interests of
the state. Assemblyman e. c.. Me-
land of De Forest has introduced a
bill to prohibit the sale of liquor
within one mile of the main building
of the University of Wisconsin. A
similar bill relating to the normal
schools may be introduced. These
measures constitute the more import
ant bills aimed at the liquor traffic,
although the one to divorce the brew
/ cry from the saloon has aroused the
brewing interests to activity.
Axel Johnson of Polk county who
believes in 100 day sessions of the
legislature has introduced a measure
which will go hard on Joy riders IL
It is enacted into law. The measure
provides that any driver of any
automobile who may injure a person
and not stop to give aid and give
name and address to anyone who re-
quests it, shall be liable to a fine of
$1,000 or Imprisonment from three
months to two years.
/ Direct Election of Senators.
The legislature, as was anticipated
earlier III the SSSSlOH, HAS gone Oh
record for the so-called direct election
of United States senator's The
amendment memorializing congress
/ to change the constitution so that
United States senators may be chosen
by popular election has been favor
ably acted upon in both houses.
Senator Husting, Mayville, has
brought in the bill which caused a
stir two years ago and provides for
the guaranty Of bank deposits. The
banking interests of the state through
their various organizations will OPP
pose the bill and will suggest as a
substitute that depositors may be pro-
tected through the insurance OF
bank deposits The measure will be
discussed in a series of public hear
ings to be held at which both ides Of
the question may be discussed at
length.
FRED C. SHEAsBY.