The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-16
ACTRESS TELLS
OF LIFE ON STAGE
Miss Janet Fullerton Appears Be-
fore Commission Inyesti-
eating Vice.
AMBITION AND FooTLIeHTs
Further Evidence Is Volunteered
as to Why Girls Go
Astray.
AMBITION AND FooTLIGHTs

Peoria, Ill. March 15.-Miss Janet
Fullerton. an actress, told the Illinois
| Vice Commission about life on the stage
here this afternoon. Tho women em-
| ployes of the two shows playing here
had been subpoenaed, hut there was
| time only to hear Miss Fullerton.
! Miss Fullerton gave tho average
minimum wage of chorus girls at SIC.
| Those who read lines" she said, rare
! ~ receive less than s25 a week The
average salary of actors and actresses
reading lines" runs from S35 to $40 a
week. she said.
do YOU" asked O'Hara, Know any
thing of stage people OF both sexes be-
Ing obliged to dress in the same dress
| Ing room?"
Never heard OF such thing In
some of the houses two women arc nut
together. but never 81 man and woman"
Chairman OIlara asked Miss Fuller
ton whether women ever became act
Iesscs because OF inadequate pay re-
ceiVed In other branches Of cndenyor
on. no; most girls go en- tho stage
because they are ambitious" she re-
piled They feel that they have tall
emit"
AS Miss Fullerton had TO appear ut
matinee. she was excused without
further questioning.
me commission. during tho day.
duizzed eighteen witnesses, Including
I merchants. manufacturers. girls from
| iSS'itS anu MISS fullcltOn.
Thomas Greer, manager OF n depart
! ment store, did not know the profts
J of his firm, but was sure the firm could
not pay minimum wage OF IS to it's
women employees without seriously in
terferins with the earnings OF tie
| house
| r. a Bergner. head OF n department
store. declared his belief that low
wages have little TO do with Immoral
ity ainong women.
l :
Ninety-hve per cent OF them go
wrong because OF men" he assertea
Our better paid girls seem to b. tho
| ones more likely to go astray." ne
| declared He expressed tho opinion
| mat minimum wage scale for women
| would be disastrous. In the ttrst ulncc
| hrms would hire only those VINO were
| worth the money. he asserted. and un.
skiiIed persons. instead OF getting 81
| or - while learning as Mt present
wouldn't be hired at all He thought
such law would throw more women
on the street than under the present
| system.
II YOU pass minimum wage scale
| 100 nigh FOR us. and we Will not hire
ihcompetents at the ra te you prescribe
what are you going TO do with them.
asked Bergner MIR. O'Iiara did no,
! answer
II. r. Given. a cloak and suit retailer
paid minimum or So a week. III
they are not worth Sc they are not
| worth hiring he said
/ w. ID. Ross. and 1o-cent store
man, paid low wages because the girls
he employs regard his store as a mere
training school in craftsmanship. They
! generally leave him as soon as they
grasp the rudiments of salesmanship.
| he said
Women who were examined almost
invariably Included low wages among
reasons for going astray. Georgia Han
said the main cause was the craving
OF girls for companionship. This crav-
ing left them open 10 the temptations
OF the world. Another reason way un-
happiness at home I'm our life they
lind companionship al least" she said.
II would say that nine out of ten girls
fall because thev arc lonelY.n