The Washington herald., 1914-03-12
MINIMUM Wage
BILL IS PLANNED
Measure Relating to Districts S
Working Women to Be Of
fered Next Winter.
TOPIC OF MISS LEUPP
Scores Terminal Company for Not
Furnishing Data as to Alleged
Cuts in Wages.

A minimum wage bill for women of
The District of Columbia will be ready
for introduction in Congress at the De-
ginning Of the winter term. II was an
nounced last evening by Miss Constance
ID. Beupp. president of the District Con-
Public Library. Her subject was the
eiEht-hour law.
The meeting was held under the aus
pices of the Business Woman's Equal
Suffrage League.
''I think the eight-hour law is great
victory for woman suffragists," Miss
Leupp said. I'VE have had our minimum
wage law up our sleeve long time. We
were afraid to put II In with the eight
hour law for fear Washington business
men might think We were trying to put
them out of business But with that out
OF the way. We shall go right ahead and
put in the minimum wage bill as soon
as the next session opens
Does Not Fear Wage Reductions.
Miss Leupp said she was not afraid
the eight-hour law would cause re-
duction in wages OF women to any ex-
tent.
1T was much worse in California than
here for about two months after the
law went into effect there she con-
tinued. Finally matters settled down,
and | am sure the new law put to work
seven or eight times as many girls and
women as II threw out OF employment
l. The Washington Terminal Company
was scored by Miss Leupp for not fur
nishing her with certain data regarding
the alleged reduction in wages of Its
women employees.
1T seems a pity said Miss Leupp.
that Chief Clerk Tolson and Superin-
tPDdent Kennel nF he Wasbinutnp
minal Company, did not confer before
giving out statements to me and to the
press in regard to whether they had re-
duced the wages Of women in their en-
ploy because OF the passage of the eight
hour law.
when We received an anonymous
communication from one of the employees
OF the Terminal Company stating that
wages were being reduced from $50 to
sl'S day, ! went to Superintendent
keppel and asked him point-blank
whether wages were being reduced He
told me that rates of pay remained un-
changed. since the Terminal Company
had changed the schedules of their wom-
en- telephone operators and women car
cleaners to comply with the new law
Il answered that this told us nothing
unless he also told us whether the women
were paid by the hour or by the day.
nv Tepheu tndt some were paid by the
day. some by the hour and some by the
month. Consequently the conclusion was
inevitable that the wages of those who
were paid by tie hour has been reduced
since the hours have been reduced"
Inquiry Into Living Cost.
The minimum wage for women will
not be determined until after the Con-
gressional subcommittee concludes its in
Vestigation Of the high cost OF living
In the District Miss Leupp, announced
The only way we cal get at a proper
standard il to find out how much IL costs
working girls TO board. lodge and cloth
themselves in a way befitting their en-
ployment, she concluded.
Miss Leupp told a subcommittee of the
Senate Committee on Education and La
Dor yesterday that reports had come to
her OF the reduction of wages of women
in laundries and other establishments in
the city. She also told Of the Washing
ton Terminal Company Incident. The re-
ductiOns at laundries are going on, she
there are paid 10 cents an hour and can
only work fOrty-eight hours a week un-
der the law.
Miss Leupp. Mrs. Florence Kelly. sec
retary OF the National Consumers
League. and Miss Marie l.. Obenauer, of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, urged
that Congress pass the Kenyon resolu-
ton for an appropriation of $500 to in
vestigate the cost OF living Of women
wage earners here. The subcommittee
consists Of Senators Shields, Kenyon. and
johnson.