The labor world., 1914-07-18
$3.50 DECLARED
MINIMUM WAGE
Local Committee Debates Three
Hours On Weekly Wage
for Girls.

After a spirited debate for more
than two hours Friday afternoon be-
tween the members of the local sub
commission, a peaceful compromise
was effected, fixing the recommended
minimum wage for experienced girl
workers in mercantile esta blishments
at $3.50 a week. Learners will receive
81 and apprentices $6 week in mer-
camille establishments. This scale
was adopted by vote of Is to ?.
Despite the long argument both
sides we're we'll pleased with the re-
suits and the spirit of fairness pre-
vailed throughout the meeting. Many
of the merchants said they would like
to make the wage scale higher, and
conceded that this might be done
later, if the conditions under the new
system warranted raise. Social
workers at the meeting, headed by w.
E. McEwen, fought for a 50 week
minimum wage for regular workers
and maintained that as the lowest
possible cost of living for a girl as
reported by the com mission was $3.50
a. week, no lower wage was reason
able
Owing to the fact that there is an
investigation of conditions in the fac
tories in the Twin Cities now on. 1t
was decided to defer action on wages
for learners and apprentices in fac
tories until after a report was obtain
ed from there.
Two Hours of Debate
The final vote, however, was not
taken until after more than two hours
of debate. At the opening of the
meeting a merchant made a motion
to fix the minimum wage for regular
workers at $8 a week. An amend
ment was then made to fix the. wage
at 49, and still another amendment
was made to fix it at $3.50. A vote
on the second amendment proved a
tie, and the commission then decided
to take an informal ballot, each men,
ber stating the price he desired as
the minimum wage. On this ballot,
six for $3.50. The second ballot stood
two for 50; nine for $3.50 seven for
So. The third ballot was a. victory
for, the compromise advocates, being
16 to 2 for the $3.50 wage.
The wage for learners and appren-
tices was fixed at IS for the former
and Sc for the latter on the first ball
lot
The hottest argument of the session
took place during an earnest speech
of more than an hour by William E.
McEwen, who stood uncompromising-
ly for 50 minimum. He argued
that even 50 was ont sufficient min
imum wage but that he would accept
that as the lowest figure because it
was slightly above the actual cost Of
a girls living, which was fixed by the
committee at $3.50. He said that
there was more than the bare necess-s
fties Of life to be considered that "a
girls health was impaired by constant
work during the tender period of her
life and that not only her health but
that of the future generations might
be impaired. The matter of Sickness
disability and many other elements
should be taken into consideration in
deciding upon what a girls expenses
were.
The question as to what should be-
come of inefficient workers who
could not earn a minimum scale of
wages was discussed at length. The
chief argument of the advocates of
the So wage was that many girls who
cannot earn So week need work and
should be kept at a smaller wage
Miss Margaret Culkin answered this
argument by saying that many work.
ers earn more than their stipulated
salaries and also that a higher wage
would improve the efficiency Of
others.