The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-11-28
Continued from Page H.
MINIMUM WAGE PROBLEMS.

MINIMUM WAGE PROBLEMS.
The analysis of the returns made
by the commissions Statistician show
ed that the figures most frequently
submitted by the six hundred and
odd places investigated were as fol
lows: for board and room in same
house, one person per room S., two
persons per room, $3.50; for board
and room in different places, one per-
son per room $3.50, two persons per
room, $4.9O. Inasmuch as practically
all the rooming-houses, that is, the
places furnishing room without board,
are located downtown, and inasmuch
as fifty cents week had already been
allowed for carfare under the head of
miscellaneous expenditures, an allow
ance for board and lodging on the
basis of the clearinghouse rates ($5
single, and $3.50 double) would be
about equivalent to the higher rates
in rooming-houses and restaurants
with carfare deducted.
Difference of Opinion.
Some of the members of the mer-
camille board were of the opinion that
sufficient accommodations for all the
girls living "adrift'' could be had for
$3.50 a week or less in boarding
houses, and for $3.50 week or less
in rooming-houses and restaurants,
provided that all were willing to live
two in room. Some of the employers
contended that it was reasonable to
require all girls to live in this man.
ner. Some of the other members
maintained that this was not a reason
able requirement in the case OF all;
for many girls are unable to obtain a
suitable roommate, while others are so
opposed to this arrangement that they
would prefer to live in an unheated
attic room, or go without sufficient
nourishing food.
The majority Of the mercantile
board finally decided that an allow
ance of $3.50 per week would provide
good accommodations for all who were
willing to live two in a room, and
would probably cover sufficient num-
Der of single room places to care for
those who had reasonable grounds for
declining the double room arrange
ment. The majority of the manufac-
turing board adopted the recommends
ton of $4.75 per week. The cost of
decent board and lodging in restau-
rants and rOoming-houses exceeds
these figures, but, as already noted,
the excess was Offset by the allowance
for carfare.
Obviously, these estimates are in
some sense a compromise. On the
one hand, there are some places where
satisfactory room and board can be
obtained for less; on the other hand,
it is possible that not all the girls
"adrift' could be accommodated at or
below these figures.
Novel View Of Living Wage.
The employer members of the mer-
camille board proposed that the mini
mum wage recommended be 81 per
week. They defended this proposal on
the ground that 81 week is decent
living wage for all girls living at
home, and that these constitute the
great majority. 1t is true that a girl
can live at home, and pay her proper
share of the family expenses, at an
outlay of from 81 to 81 less than the
same standard of living would cost
her away from home. The co-opera-
tive features of family life in the mat
ter of room, laundry, and some other
items of expenditure, easily make
possible this amount of saving.
To the objection that minimum adj
justed to this standard would leave the
girls who were "adrift" insufficiently
protected, whereas the law was en-.
acted especially for their protection
the employers responded that the
number of girls living away from home
who were getting less than living
wages even now was SO small that
they should be provided for otherwise
than by establishing a wage SO high
as to cause great hardship not only
to employers but to employees who
would not be able to earn the legal
minimum.
The majority of the mercantile
board refused to entertain this novel
Interpretation of living wage. AT
the final meeting, the board adopted
by majority of eleven to nine a
recommendation of 1886 per week as
the minimum cost of living for expert
enced female adult workers. OF this
sum So was allowed for clothing, $4.SC
for board and lodging, and $1.85 fol
miscellaneous expenses. Since, how
ever, the members voting in favor oil
this proposal were less than a ma
iority of the full membership of the
board (25) their recommendation had
no formal validity.
BY a majority Of nine to four the
manufacturing board recommended q
wage of $S.75 per week. In this esti
mate the weekly cost of clothing was
put at $1.92, board and lodging al
$4.75, and miscellaneous expenses al
60 az The 1l11I1ffh b0aPd adODfed bv q