The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-07
SEEKING CAUSE
FOR DOWNFALL
Illinois Legislature Blames II on the
Low Wages Which Are
Paid Working
Girls.
INVESTIGATION IS ON
Omaha Probe Lays the Blame on Wo-
men Bargain Hunters Who
Arc Called
Crazy.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.l |
CHICAGO, March T.-Julius Rosen-
wald, president of Sears, Roebuck &
Company, and widely known for his
philanthropies, heard two young girl
employees of his company flatly con-
tradict his testimony before the Him
ois senate committee. probing white
slavery and it's causes, today.
Rosenwald, the first of dozen
heads of big stores subpoenaed to
tell the committee what wages are
paid girl employees, testified today that
his firm had no girl employees who re-
ceived less than SIS a week.
Before he left the witness stand, a
pretty fifteen year old girl was called
and sworn. She told the probers that
! she was employed as an "addresser'
at Sears, Roebuck and that she was
paid $3.50 week for working ten
hours or more a day.
Similarly, Rosenwald's testimony,
denying that his firm employed "scold-
ers' to speed up girl employees who
were fatigued, was contradicted.
/ A second girl witness, employed by
the big mail order house, testified tina,
"scolders'' were employed. Forewo-
i men acted as sscolders," who threat
/ ened the girls with loss Of positions.
Every girl left that forelady cry
1 ing the girl told the probers. One
i girl. weak and half sick, she said, was
i repeatedly brought UP tothe 'scolding
desk because she sought rest by sit
ting down occasionally.
Would you blame a girl under
these circumstances for committing a
cirme, for committing suicide?' asked
Lieutenant Governor O'Hara, who is
conducting the investigation.
The eyes of the girl witness opened
wide She paused moment and
looked about the room. Then she
whispered:
No sir, I would not"
The names, Of these girls we're no.
made known.
Rosenwald, testifying, he said, as a
man interested In the wiping out oi
the traffic in young girls, took direct
issue with social workers who have
testified before the commission that
the low wages paid girls in big cities
is the primary cause of their down
4 fall.
T Repeatedly the question was put te
! him during his examination, in one
5 form or other Always he came bacl
! with the same direct answer:
'No sir, low wages have no con
nection with prostitution"
S Rosenwald first objected to Ieavins
8 his payroll with the commission, bu
! afterward acuuiesced. when he wa.
+ assured that it would not be made
Y public.
E The philanthropist was read,
e witness. When he concluded his testi
/ mony at noon. members Of the com
e mission complimented him both upoi
+ his attitude during the examination
and upon the work he has don,
through various philanthropists.
: UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
CHICAGO, March THE Illinoi
senate committee probing the white
slave traffic and seeking to lear
} some Of the causes Of the ruin @
young girls, resumed its sessions a
the Hotel Lasalle today.
IT Ten department store heads wi
r, testify today, If time permits. Whe
IS they appeared this morning, arme
Il with payrolls showing the wage seal
for girl employees, the room wa
h crowded with members of the legisl;
% ture, social workers and others inte
d ested in the problem.
Ie Julius Rosenwald, president OF tn
d Sears -Roebuck mail order house, an
,f philanthropist, was selected to go o
Is the stand first Lieutenant-governe
le O'Hara, who heads the committe
is expected to ask Rosenwald whethe
any girl employed by his big concer
20 is paid less than $40 per week. whet
I'M er it is true that the company seef
" to employ only girls who live at hon
0. because those girls are partially su
n ported by their families and can woi
le at a lower wage, and whether he dot
NJ not believe that store heads who s.
III wages lower than SO are directly r
d. sponsible for the wrecking of your
o girls lives.
n. Testimony of employers. It Is e
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