The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-10
ASK PRESIDENT
TO LEND A HAND
illinois Senate White Slave lnvestiaa-
tion Commission VIII go Soon to
Washington for Conference
With Wilson.
IOWA AGREES TO JOIN
Five States Will Assist In the Work
and Much Good Ia Expected to
Result From the
Probe.

UNITED Press Leased Wire service.1
s CHICAGO, March 10.-Frankly put
ting its questions In such manner al
to create public sentiment In favor OF
a $12 week minimum wage law for
women, the Illinois senate white
slave probe committee today tried in
vain to get big State street merchants
to tell the public what their annual
profits are
1t was the purpose of the committee
to so align its evidence that the peo-
pie OF the state, reading on the one
side of the ledger Of $3.50 to $3.50
minimum wages paid to girls, and on
the other the profits OF big depart
ment stores. would back demand for
enactment OF the $12 minimum wage
bill already introduced in the legisla-
ture.
/ The department stores heads uni
formly refused to answer questions
about their profits. They said they
favored national, rather than state
Legislation for minimum wage law,
Joseph Basch, vice president and
general manager Of Siegel Cooper end
4 Company, was most fearful of the re-
suits of such legislation.
4 "It would ruin Illinois, he said.
Large business interests in Chicago
already have begun to press down
'Aupon the committee with the sugges-
!. tion that the prohers are going too
far The argument that no minimum
wage legislation should be passed at
Spring field, but that the whole sub
ject should be left to federal legisla-
tion, is the one most frequently en-
ployed. The big interests, further-
more, are suggesting that merchants
must pass on to the public the in
J creased wages it the law is passed
and that It's real effect would be to
increase the high cost of living.
The big merchants who today re-
fused to talk about their profits were:
James Simpson, vice president OF
: Marshall Field and Company
| George Lytton, vice president and
treasurer of "The Hub
J Joseph Basch vice president and
general manager OF Siegel Cooper
: and company.
Three or four more employers are
} to be put on the stand late today.
Each of them will be questioned con-
! cerning profits. The committee will
! then meet In executive session to de-
J termine whether or not the men who
I. refuse to talk will be cited for con-
tempt.
EMasperated at the refusal of these
department store heads to tell the
public what their profits are, SEN
! ator JUL, one of the probers. broke
in upon the testimony of George
Z Lytton.
You men OF wealth do not seem
to realize that for wears some of the
senators now sitting on this COM
mittee have enacted laws at Spring
field to protect your lives and prop
I, erty You ought to cooperate with
lis. not resist our efforts.
Lytton, who said that the minimum
wage paid female employees in his big
:. store is $3.50. admitted that he did
r not think girl could support herself
r on less than SIS week. Her family
3 ought to make up the difference, he
said.
Joseph Basch of Siegel Cooper and
Company, who said that his minimum
wage was $3.50. did not agree with
the employers who testified earlier
in these sessions, that the poorly paid