Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-02-06
W0MEN'S
WAGES
STATE WIDE WAGE Law FOR
WORKING WOMEN IS NEW
ORDER OF COMMISSION
After February 7th, Women EN-
ployed Can Not Work More Than
81 hours week.

The Observer has received letter
from the Industrial Welfare Commits
sion at Portland stating that on Feb
ruary 7th, the following order No.
s will become effective all over the
state of Oregon.
The text of the order follows:
First---No person, firm Or corpora
tion shall employ any experienced,
adult woman in any industry in the
state of Oregon, paid by time rate of
payment at weekly wage rate of
less than eight dollars and twenty
five cents ($8.25) a week, any lesser
amount being declared inadequate to
supply the necessary cost of living to
such women workers ard to maintain
them in health.
Second---Nor shall any uch person,
i,rm tr corporation emplot women in
ally industry in the stl; of Oregon
for lrcre than fifty-four (54\ hours a
week.
1lird---Nor shall any such person,
h.n or corporation pay inexperienced,
ADULT women workers employed by
line rate of payment. at a rate OF
wages less than six dollars ($6.00) a
week. and the maximum length of
lime such workers may b, considered
inexperienced in any industry shall
not exceed one year.
FourtlI--No person, firm or corpor-.
alton owning or conducting any mer-
camille, manufacturing or laundry es-
tablishment in the state Of Oregon
shall employ women workers in such
establishment later than the hour of
eight-thirty $500 o'clock p. m. of
any day. This hour of dismissal does
not apply to telephone and telegraph
companies confectionery establish
ments, restaurants and hotels.
Said order shall become effective
from and after February 9TH, 1914.
AS provided in chapter so of the
1913 session laws, any violation is
considered misdemeanor and is pun
ishable by fine of not less than $25
or more than 800, or by imprison-
ment of not less than 10 days or more
than three months, or both fine and
Imprisonment.
Defining section l of the order, the
commission states that the minimum
wages fixed by this ruling are wage
rates. Consequently experienced en-
ployees working for less than full
week are to receive pro rated wage;
at least $1.37 a day and proportion
ately for parts of day.
The commission further commands
that in occupations where payment
is made by the piece rate, the piece
rate must be so regulated that "the
average ordinary worker" may earn
at least 1926 in a "a hour week.
The commission fixes the maximum
weekly hours of labor as 54; by state
law the maximum hours for any day
are 10.
Of inexperienced workers, the COM
mission says:
In some occupations sufficient ex-
perience may be had in few days
or a few weeks to warrant the weekly
wage of 1926. In case employers in
such occupations fail to establish vol
unfairly a reasonable term for ex-
perienced workers, the commission
will call references and fix approx
mate terms of experience. The pres
ent ruling simply indicates that in no
occupation will more than a years
experience be required. In case sew
eral months experience is required,
it would be in accord with the pur-
pose of the law to have a gradual
step-up in the rate of wages from the
beginners wages until the rate of
1926 a week is reached.
While the latest closing hour is
fixed at $50 p. m, it is not the inten-
tion off the commission, it is stated,
to have this ruling apply to any oc-
eupation, the very nature of which re-
quires night work.