Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-24
MINIMUM WAGE LAWS
OF BENEFIT EVERYWHERE
Department Of Labor Says Move
ment Has Helped Both Employ
ers and Employees.
BRINGS no CHECK TO INDUSTRY,
Statutes in Every Country Except
United States Apply TO Men as
Well as To Women and Children.
Other States Follow Massachusetts.

WASHINGTON, May 22.-In repor,
mace public to-day the Department OF
Labor makes the interesting state
: meHt that minimum wage legisla ton
mas heen a success wherever II has
! been In effect long enough to show
, results 1t is said that the movement
apparently mas benefited employers and
. employees
/ I'm New Zealand and Australia, where
minimum wage laws have been In
operation for more than hfteen years
says the report industries have grown
steadily. and minimum wage laws ap-
parently have in no way checked their
growth"
Speaking o, the minimum wage
movement in the United Stataes, the re-
port says
In the United states minimum wage
Hesitation was brought about because
q disclosures mad. by official and
private Investigations. showing that
thousands OF women wage earners
were being paid wages too low TO
ford thsm reasonable standard OF
living
= case in p9in, ot the many which
are cited Is that OF department and
retail stores in New York. Ch!cago and
philadelphia, where the weekly earn
iDEs OF 30 per cent were less than SIS,
while 4 per cent earned less than
IS week. An additional argument ad-
vanced :or the minimum wage was the
fact that In practically all industries
employing women. establishments pay
ing = living wage were found 20 be
competing successfully with other es-
Establishments paying less than living
wage.
Massachusetts. in June. 1912. passed
tho hrt minimum wage law, and Ore
-on. Utah. Washington. Nebraska Min
ucsota, Colorado. California and Wis
consin followed in the order named.
! III is nothworthv that the minimum
+ wage laws have been made 10 apply
10 men as we'll ms 10 women and chill.
drcn in every country except the United
States where only women and childrer
are protected.
In Utah the rates are fixed by the
statute. In all the other American
states the necessary cost of living Il
made the basis for the minimum wage
and the administration OF the law |.
in the hands of appointed commits
sioners, who act upon the findings ant
recommendations of wage boards. com
posed Of an equal number Of repre-
scntatives Of tho employers and OF tn
employees. together with one or more
representatives Of the public
"Ail the evidence ohtainable from
American States which have put II
effect the legal minimum wage. goc
10 confirm the experience OF Australian
states, where the prosperity OF tn,
working class has been raised eros
sweating reduced and general husi
ness conditions have thriven. In Utah
for example. where n minimum wag
law became effective early in 1913
the wages 81 women and girls wer
raised, payrolls were not increase,
moro than 3 per cent. wages failed t
tend down to the minimum level. eff
cheney. according 10 many employers
increased, and the Law tended TO equal
lie the cost Of production or sal
among manufacturers and merchants
None Of the predictions made abou
tho minimum wage before the passa e
~ the law In Washington State cam
about 10 any appreciable extent, &C
cord'ng to statements gathered fror
local authorities. There was no whole
sal" discharge Of women employee,
no general levclinG OF wages. no gen
"rai replacing OF women employees b
cheaper help. and no tendency to max
inc minimum wage the maximum
wage