Evening star., 1915-02-07
COURT DECISION AWAITED.
ON MINIMUM WAGE LAW
Mrs. Florence Kelley Discusses His
tory of Legislation and Ef-
forts in Other States.

How the whole United States is wait.
ing upon the decision of the United
States Supreme Court in regard to the
constitutionality of the oregon mini
mum wage law before the crusade for
wage laws can be carried further is
discussed in an exclusive article by
Mrs. Florence Kelley.
Mrs. Kelley. who is secretary of the
National Consumers League, has pre-
pared a comprehensive review of the
history of wage legislation and the
efforts that are being made in many
states throughout the Union. This work
she did exclusively for the press sery-
ice OF the Survey. an organization
whose purpose is to find out and in
terpret the facts of living and working
conditions and to promote intelligent
EFFORT for social advance. She COM
pared the American laws with those in
other countries, and discusses the two
Dig sources of opposition. the employ
ers and the labor leaders.
She predicts that if the Supreme
Court decision is favorable in this
test case a nationwide appeal will be
made to state legislatures, forty OF
which will be in session, for the enact
ment of statutes modelled upon the
oregon law. Her article in part fol-
lows:
Would Protect Women.
Should this decision be adverse
there would necessarily follow a diver
sion of energy to the task of changing
the constitutions in order that .Ameri-
can women may be protected against
destitution while working, as hundreds
of thousands of wage-earning men and
In, a n
England already are protected.
If. however as is confidently hoped, the
decision proves to be favorable one,
a nAtion-wi effort for the enactment
of statutes modelled more or less exact
ly upon that Of Oregon will immediate =
" follow. During the year 1915 tor'S
"a brief Survey of the status OF MINI,
mum wage legislation in the United
States is thus timely. Such leeislatnisos5' ns !
was q favorite subject throughout lole,
and state commissions were ,Is. au,norlssta
to establish wage rates in California
Colorado, Minnesota. Nebraska, ore eon'
Washington and Wisconsin, Commits
sions were authorized to prosecute IN
ouiries as to the desirabihty OF sucn
legislation. or as to the lIvine 1,,ineis W. Ins
of women and minors, in ILLINOIS, IL, IN
diana. Ohio and Connecticut: In 1919
New York. Missouri and Michigan nave
made public the results of such IN
quiries.
Flat Rate in Utah.
Utah dispenses outright with COM
missions and wage boards. and estao-
fishes a fat rate of wages speciheo III
the statute for girls fourteen to SIX
teen wears of age, for minors over SIX
teen years and for adult women.
The commissions of Oregon, Wash
ington, Massachusetts and Minnesota
have during 1913 and 1914 promulgated
wage rates. and the difficulties pecu-
liar to our system of legislation are
now conspicuously manifest
MANY of the laws provide that the
commissions or wage boards shall m
cIude in their membership representa-
tives of the public as well as OF .eie.. en-
pIoyers and employees, and some specify
mai at least one member shall be a
woman.
progress is for the moment halted. n
III the decision of the United ins,s states ro
legislature is likely to experiment far
ther in the new field"