Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-03-11
Vice President of Big Mail Or
der House Tells How a Gill
Can Live on So a Week Save
25c and SQuander a Nickel
$t2 MINIMUM SAID
TO BE PR0HlBlTlVE
Men Would be Employed to
Take Places Now Held by
Women Hearings VIII be
Announced Later

Announced Later
tny Morning journal special leased Wire
Chicago March 30. - William a.
rhorne vice president OF Montgomery
Ward and COMPANY a mail order
house. told the Illinois vice commits
siun today that sirl eadrift' can
live on SIS week thus. Room rent,
S3 breakfasts tconee aud rolls). 40
cents. luneheons 9o cents dinners.
$40. carfare SO cents. clothing and
ncidentas. St.4o.
The witness give the foregoing
statement 10 show that the commits
slons idea that there should be- a
minimum wage scale fer women of
ST. Wcek Is too high. The figures
given. hc said. were the actual eN-
pendltures Of onc of his 1873 female
employees AnQther girl empioye. hc
said, dishursed her wages as follows.
Room and Board $3.50. laundry go
cents euffafe 20 cents. clothing and
lneidenmls N3s0. savings. - cents.
The statement fails to account for %
surplus OF 3 cents. hni This was not eN-
planned and senator neail remarked
that the siri probably spent 1t frlsol-
ously
The witnesses toduy Ia addition %
Thorne were James simpson, George
LNtton, Joseph Baseh. John r. pifie,
T. Lehman Henry e. SchNuh and
Albert Elhuger. an representing dee
partment stores employing thousands
Of girls and women There were no
witnesses from che underworld
Senator jun told Thofnc that girl
after girl had been on the stand and
testified to having gone wrong be-
cause they could not make a living
otherwise.
"We want you merchants to jump
in and help us stop that sort of
thing said Senator JuuL Il tell you
it's an awful situation when girl after
girlH
"Oh. yes. but for the most part. /
don't believe those warns interrupted
the witness.
The earnings Of Montgomery, Ward
4 Go. for the last fiscal year were
x2.816.0OO. Thorne said and JUL
having calculated that the expendl-
ture Of $4,000 a year would raise the
salaries of the S.. 50 aud 81 girls 60
$40, asked If the witness did not think
the money might well be- spent In that
way.
But came the reply eve already
Il Ist
old age pensions and tile like. we
look after the welfare of our em-
ploycs very closely aud il this com
mission can show us whore We fail
wen remedy the defect VI It can be
shown that our girls need more money
they shall have a., although | think
IS Is q fair minimum
Thorne said that in his opinion g
minimum wage scnle of S1e week
for women would drive half the fac
tories out of Illinois and cost hale the
women their jobs
The law wouldn't bother MS much,
but the factories would feel ii and
they would hire men instead Of wom
en- II they had TO pay st2 because
they can get more work Out of the
men said he.
The other Witnesses readily gave
details OF their layrolls hut they were
a unit in declining e. state the profits (
0f their firms Lieutenant Governor I
Barrett O'1iprc. chairman Of the eem
mission, asked II word bad been <
pissed among members of the state f
Street retailers association not to /
disclose profits but each witness de- +
MED any colmann They were agreed, /
too. that SIS WAS about the right mini /
mum on which "A woman can support I
herself The commission adjourned F
until further notice which pr0hahh Z
VIII be given late this week
OHara nude statement that a
motion would be- put In the senate TO {
deny the privileges ef the senate 60 j.
Mack Glenn secretary nf the Illinois
association and puh-
Usher here Of The Manufacturers
News Glenn was 4 witness lasi sat
1rday before the commission when ho
was intcrrogatrd as 10 IN editorial in
he Manufacturers News In which F
llcnn stated that IN his Judgment the
zig merchants Hcre called as witness
rs before the yite commission as z fc
.ut Of colusion between Chairman
1Hara and the publisher for whom
le formerly worked.
Glenn admitted that he watched
egMlation Of interest to the manutac-
urers and that he had no objection i
o being called "a lobbyist.