The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-28
N INlM N WAGE
LAW SUSTAINED
SUPREME COURT OF OREGON UP
HOLDS RULING OF INDUSTRIAL
SSION-AN EPOcH-MAK-
ING WCTORY-FATHER O'HARA,
A FORMER MINNEsoTAN, Is
CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITS
SION.

CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITS
SION.
By unanimous decision, handed
down on March II the Supreme Court
of Oregon upheld the constitutionality
of the provisions of the act creating
the Industrial Welfare Commission,
commonly known as the minimum
wage law. This decision is of epoch
making importance in the history of
American labor legislation. 1t is the
first time that Supreme Court in
the United States has been called
upon to render a decision in regard
to the right of the state to interfere
with wage contract in private business
and to require the payment of a living
wage as condition of employing ex-
perienced adult women workers.
Rev. E. ". O'Hara, of the Cathedral
of the Immaculate Conception in Port
land, has had charge of the drafting
of the legislation and has been chair
man of the commission administering
this act and this decision of the Su-
preme Court is the elimination of
nearly two years of untiring work.
In July, 1913, committee of the
Consumers League of Oregon was ap-
pointed, with Father O'Hara as chair
man, to investigate the wages, hours
and conditions of work of women en-
ployes in the state. Funds were
raised and a. thorough investigation
conducted by Miss Caroline J. Glea-
son, resulting in the publication of an
extensive report, which has since
served as a handbook in all the dis
cussions of the subject.
The investigation showed a large
percentage of the women workers in
the state getting less than living
wage. Industries employing women
far less than enough to maintain
them in the necessities of life we're
classed as parasitic industries be.
cause they were making their profits,
not from legitimate commercial enter
prise, but were being subsidized by
their employees.
spondence with the leading authorities
on labor legislation, Father O'Hara
submitted a draft of a measure pro-
viding for an Industrial Welfare Com
mission and defining it's duties. This
proposed bill was submitted to the
Paul; Professor Seagar, of Columbia
University; Mrs. Florence Kelley, OF
the National Consumers League; Pro
lessor Tausig, of Harvard; John B.
Andrews, secretary of the American
Association for Labor Legislation
John R. Cummons, of the Industrial
Commission of Wisconsin, and John
Mitchell, the celebrated labor leader,
as well as many others. The draft of
the bill prepared for Oregon was
placed before the legislature of the
other coast states with minor modi-
fications, thus Oregon, Washington
and California have practically identi-
cal wage legislation.
The proposed measure was passed
unanimously by the Oregon Legisla-
ture and Governor West appointed as
members of the commission, Miss
Bertha Moores, Amedee M. Smith and
Father O'Hara, who was elected as
chairman.
The Commission began it's work
June 3, 1913, and during the follow
ing months held conferences of the
leading employers and representative
employees in many lines of industry,
and drew up rulings on wages and
hours as provided by the law. Due
to the action of the Commission the
large stores of Portland close at G
o'clock on Saturday as well as other
days, to the great relief of more than
two thousand girls. For the State
at large, the minimum wage fixed for
experienced adult women workers is
1925. In Portland it is 1926 in stores
and Offices, and 1854 week in fac.
tories 1t was the owner of a paper
box factory who appealed to the court
against the constitutionality of this
ruling and whose suit has resulted in
the decision rendered by the Supreme
Court
The Rev. Edwin O'Hara, referred to
in the foregoing, is native of Lanes
boro, Mimi, and a graduate of st.
Thomas College and Of the st. Paul
Seminary in this city; and Miss Glea
son is daughter of John M. Gleason
of Minneapolis.