Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-12-12
W0MAN'S WAGE
S8.25 PER WEEK
ACT EFFECTIVE IN 50 DAYS
Women in All Industrial Occupations
Arc Affected Hour Of Dismissal
Not Applicable to All Employees.

Women in the state of Oregon en-
ployed in industrial pursuits shall not
be paid less than 1926 week; they
shall not be employed more than 54
hours week; the apprentice period
shall not be more than one year; the
minimum wage for women appren-
tices in these industries shall be SO
a week, and women in mercantile,
laundry and manufacturing pursuits
shall not be employed in these indus
tries after $50 p. m.
Such are the porvisions Of ruling
made by the Industrial Welfare Com
mission Tuesday evening at Portland
following public hearing on the To-
port Of the statewide conference on
wages, hours and conditions of labor
for women workers.
Objections Are Few.
The report of the conference was
not opposed by those who attended
the hearing, which was held in room
II of the Public Library, although
many questions were asked and some
few objections were raised.
The ruling, which will have full
legal force in 60 days, accepts all the
recommendations Of the conference,
which was composed Of three repre-
sentatives each of the public, the en-
ployes and employers, as follows:
For the public---D. Soils Cohen. of
Portland, who acted as chairnrn OF
the conference; Mrs. Sarah Evans, Of
Portland, and R. A. Booth, Of En-
gene.
For the employes-Mrs. L. Gee,
Mrs. Steve King and Miss Mare Bur-
ton, Of Portland.
For the employers--Thomas Rob-
erts and Emery Olmstead, of Port
land, and Thomas Kay, of Salem.
Some Are Exempt.
The hour of dismissal, fixed by the
ruling at $50 p. M, does not apply to
employees of telephone and telegraph
companies, confectionery establish
ments, restaurants and hotels.
E. V. O 'Hara, chairman Of the In
dustrial Welfare Commission, said
after the ruling was made last night
that a separate conference will be
called for laundry workers, and pos
sibly for telephone workers.
Conference Report Given.
The following is the report Of the
conference, on which the Commission
is based:
~. We deem that the sum re-
quired per week to maintain self
supporting woman in frugal but de-
cent conditions of living as an abso-
lutte minimum is 1925.
"2. The maximum hours Of work
which are consistent with the health
and efficiency of women employees
should not exceed fifty-four (54)
hours a week.
"3. The conference suggests that
the maximum time Of employment be-
fore an inexperienced woman worker
should be entitled to receive the mini
mum wage should not exceed one year
and further suggests that in making
the recommendation the conference
does not mean to indicate that an in
experienced woman should necessar-
lily work one year before receiving
the minimum wage, but should be put
upon the list of experienced workers
just as soon as her efficiency becomes
apparent; for such inexperienced
workers the conference recommends a
minimum wage of So week.
"a. The conference does not be-
lieve that night work is consistent
with the health and efficiency of fe-
male employees, but in view of the
present industrial conditions through
out the state of Oregon it recon-
mends the hour of eight thirty $500
O. clock p. m. as the latest hour at
which women should be employed in
mercantile, manufacturing and laun-
dry industries, but that this hour Of
dismissal should not apply to tele-
phone and telegraph companies, con-
fectionery establishments, restaur-
ants and hotels"
The report is submitted by D. Soils
Cohen, chairman; Mrs. Sarah Evans,
X. A. Booth, Thomas Roberts, Emery
0lmstead, Thomas Kay, Mrs. l.. Gee,
Mrs. Steve King and Miss Marie Bur-
ton.