New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-11
Representatives of Two
Big Department Firms
Not Opposed.
GIMBEL IN FAVOR OF
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
Industrial Commission Learns
Working Conditions Here
Are Above Average.

Preston T. LINN, manager OF the 'o"i
Wanamaker Company. and jacob Ol'"-
hel. of Gimbel Brothers. put theins2Nc9
on record yesterday before the oo"'u %
United States Commissioners OF i"u"'
trial Relations as not being opPoseu
the unionizing Of their employees wins
Louis Stewart. president of james N.Y.
Creerv & co. and associated as auN'soi
TO the so-called Clafin stores lelusc" w.
commit himself on the question as u'o
II. c. Bloomingdale.
Mr. Gimbel. one of the last WITNESSES
Of the DAY. after receiving permission "
make a statement. gave th"ih iu' WV
food for reflection when he said;
"rhe study OF efficiency Is one that inc
5enartment stores are vitality interes'eu
in and 10 which they are giving earIes'
study. | want TO draw attehuoil W a
much meoted question in New YORK. 'hd'
of the poor mans child.
81 would like to see that child put III
a vocational school and let the state pa!
the father the meagre 50 per week VIM u
he gets from the child. When the ch'io
comes out Of the school at sixteen vi
seventeen he is better equipped to lace
tho prob,ems OF life and has better pros
poets 49, :.
Tal,iro tho testimony as a whole IL
sbowsd that the working conditions III
New York department stores anu '"@
wages paid by them reflected creo'' vi
the management. especially In compafi'
son with conditions and wages elsewhere
The average pay for the department store
employe here was put at 81 IS per week
and some stores have already adopted
the system Of giving to their statesmen
A percentage Of their total sales in addi-
ton to their weekly wages.
"If the majority Of the employees desire
10 unionize." said Mr.. Gimbel in his tes'
! timony. 1.-The firm would not oppose sucn
a move unless the demands were inimical
TO It's interests. No girl under sixteen is
employed by us, and there is an 'unwrit-
ten law which provides for a minimum
womans wage Of Sc"
H. c. Bloomingdale testified that Bloom
ingdae Brothers made no deduction fol-
lateness illness the aggregate amount OF
time lost in this way in one week ex-
ceeded one hour. A vacation Of one week
is given employees. he said, who have
been with the firm for a year, and If they
so desire they are entertained at cottage
az Far Rockaway, maintained there by IT,
An insurance fund from which they car
borrow, should necessity arise, is also
maintained.
Mr. Stewart told the commissioners that
the sales force Of James McCreery & Co
was recently granted a commission of
one-half Of per cent on all sales, which
amounted TO an increase of 10 per cent
in their pay. He placed the average wage
of the statesmen at SIS a week and OF
saleswomen at $40 30.
Miss Dorothy Miller, a student at
+, Hunter College and formerly an en-
ploye of the Fourteenth Street Store said
her experience had taught her the average
wage for saleswomen was about 81.
Il have no objection to any employe
organizing his fellow workers" asserted
Mr.. Lynn. of the Wanamaker Company
III he does so outside the store and bust
ness hours II the majority OF our en-
lloyes want a union, ! have no objec-
ton. Ny company employs 400 people
and fewer than 200 of them are under six
teen"