New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-29
The POVERTY WE CREATE
A Call FOR Wage Board to Establish
Living Wage Rates.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Two girls working DO iactoucs
give their pay envelopes unopenoc
each week TO their mother. but then
earnings are not enough 10 provide tof
food clothing and rent; SlSo is needed
70 pay their rent for one year. This
and similar appeals we receive in al
most every mail and read Do almost
every daily paper.
What is this ever increasing cause
I of poverty against which We struggle
Within the last few weeks the Fac
tory Invest eating Commission has held
/ hearings which have told Us Of the low
wages received by 100000 working peo-
pie in unorganized trades. That 500OO
men and women in four trades alone
/ in New York State are earning less
! than IS a week; that out OF 10000 fo-
male employees in New York City 5000
received less than Sc 80 a week during
the busy season last year; that 53 per
cent Of the women IN the large depart
ment stores in New York City earn less
than IS 2 week: that in the candy trade
30 per cent OF the single women re-
ceive less than 50 % week, and that
in the paper box factories women
working at the highest possible speed
can make their weekly wage only So.
Those who have been active in the
work of relief societies know that low
wages are one OF the economic causes OF
poverty. From recent studies made by
the Consumers League we know that
the health and efficiency of some OF
the working women and girls are being
undermined for lack of proper food,
recreation and proper living quarter
4 g. mo aHa
our own industrial conditions the
thing which we are all being called
upon later to alleviate?
is il not possible to secure some
standard Of payment for the weakest
Of the working peope-some stand
ard commensurate with the existing
high prices and the price which the
industry can afford TO pay for the ser
vice rendered?
The Consumers League believes that
q permanent commission should be or
gained similar 10 the one I'm Massa-
chusetts. with wage boards composed
Of representatives Of employers em-
ployes and the public. We consider
that these wage boards should take up
one industry at a time, studying
lntensiveiy, taking into consideration
the standard Of living Of the WORKER
and what the industry can afford
wage rate should be decided Tor each
particular industry.
We feel that commission organized
IN such a way is the only !oS.ca'
method to determine wages:
First Because it Will give 10 under
paid and unskilled women and girls
voice IN deciding what compensation
they shall receive.
Second Because IL will also bring
about a better understanding between
the workers, the employers and me
community; each factor realizing the
which beset the others. aA
will be correspondingly more tolerant
Third Such commission gives
voice to the now defenceless worker
and the now sileneed conscience Of 'Ae
community
Minimum wage legislation is no
mere experiment A permanent Mini
mum Wage Commission has for eigh-
teen years successfully REGULATED the
wages in depressed trades IN Aus
tralia, and since 1912 in our own coun-
try nine states have such commissions
at work. and wage rates established bY
them are now in force.
H. our state the promotion of a SIM
liar state law can be greatly eXpc-
dited #. unbiased, We face the facts
and insist that charity does not and
cannot carry the burden which indus
try places upon Il.
MAUD NATHAN.
President the Consumers League.
New York, Dec. 2S. 1914.