The Washington herald., 1915-05-24
MINIMUM wage
Law Commended
Department Of Labor Says 1t
Has Been a Success
Wherever Tried.
SWEATING" IS REDUCED
Legislation Has Had No III Effect on
Industry. Officials
Assert.
SWEATING" IS REDUCED

In a report made public yesterday. the
Department Of Labor makes the interest
ing statem1pt that minimum wage legis-
lation has been success wherever it has
been in effect long enough to show re-
suits. 1t is understood that the move
ment apparently has benefited employers
and employees.
In New Zealand and Australia, where
minimum wage laws have been in opera
ton for more than fifteen years." says
the report. Industries have grown stead
lily, and minimum wake laws apparently
have in no way checked their growth"
Speaking of the minimum wage move
ment in the United States. the report
says:
In the United States minimum wage
legislation was brought about because of
disclosures made by official and private
corporations showing that thousands OF
women wage-earners We're being paid
wages too low to afford them reason
able standard of living
Wages in Retail Stores.
A case in point of the many which are
cited is that of department and retail
stores in New York. Chicago. and Phila-
delphia, where the weekly earnings of
40 per cent were less than S.. while "a
per cent earned less imam - d Neeh. All
additional argument advanced for the
minimum wage was the fact that ir
practically. all industries employing wonl-
en- establishments paying Il living wage
were found TO he competing successfully
with other establishments paying less
than a living wage.
Massachusetts. in June 1912. passed
the first minimum wage law. and Oregon,
Utah, Washington. Nebraska. Minnesota.
Colorado California. and Wisconsin 1ol-
lowed in the order named
1T is noteworthy that the minimum
wage laws have been made to apply to
men as we'll as to women and children
in every country except the United
States. where only women and children
are protected.
In Utah the rates are fixed by statute
In all the other American States the
necessary cost of living is made the
basis for the minimum wage. and the
administration OF the law is in the hands
Of appointed commissioners VINO act
upon the findings and recommendations Of
wage boards. composed of an equal
number of representatives Of the ent-
plovers and of the employees, together
with one or more representatives Of the
public.
"All the evidence obtainable from
American States which have put in ef-
feet the legal minimum wage goes to
confirm the experience OF the Australian
states. where the prosperity of the work.
ing class has been raised. gross sweat
Ing reduced. and general business con-
ditions have thriven. In Utah. for eN-
ample where a minimum wage law be-
came effective early in 1913, the wages
of women and girls were raised. pay
rolls were not increased more than )
per cent wages failed to tend down to
the minimum level. efficiency. according
to many employers. increased and the
law tended to equalize the cost OF pro-
duction OF sale among manufactures and
merchants.
None of the predictions made about
the minimum wage before the passage
of the law in Washington State came
about to any appreciahle extent. accord
ing to statements gathered from local
authorities. There was no wholesale dis
charging of women employees. no general
leveling of wages. no general replacing
of women employees by cheaper help. and
no tendency to make the minimum wage
the maximum wage"