The Washington herald., 1915-05-19
PLEADS CASE OF
Married women
Mrs. Thompson Tells Rela-
tons Body Many Wed to
Escape Work.
ROCKEFELLER NOT HEARD
Young Magnate Will Be Witness To-
day-Darrow Doesn't Believe
There's Any Remedy.
ROCKEFELLER NOT HEARD

The cause Of unorganized women
was brought to the attention of the
Commission on Industrial Relations
Yesterday in a letter addressed to
Chairman Walsh by Mrs. Flora Nc
Donald Thompson. of Washington. Or
ganized labor. corporations. organized
employers. Industrial Workers of the
World, and organized women have
been represented before the commits
sion at its various hearings. but this
is the first plea that has been made
for unorganized women, the millions
of unpaid unorganized houseworkers
and homemakers of the United States.
as Mrs. Thompson phrased them in her
letter.
Mrs Thompson urges the commits
sion to make two recommendations to
Congress, First, that the Secretary OF
Labor be directed to make a report
on the conditions of homework con-
sidered as an element of the cost OF
liNnc and. second, that a. National
Maternity commission be created to re-
port to Congress on the conditions OF
woman's work in the home considered
as a cause of infant mortality. race
suicide. divorce and prostitution.
Conditions Demand confederation.
The unpaid labor of wives is an under
lying cause of dissatisfaction In num-
Der of industrial situations. says Mrs.
Thompson Conditions surrounding the
abor of women in homes must be con-
sidered in any effort to safeguard wage
earners, and the economically sub
merged condition of the occupation OF
wives in the home in effect licenses the
sweating of houseworkers and such
physical abuse of wives that it becomes
logical and in sense necessary Tor
women to seek relief from their impos-
sible situation in the home by means of
race suicide divorce, prostitution.
Continuing. Mrs. Thompsons letter
reads:
THE wage question battles solution un-
til economic value shall be definitely at
tributed to the work of wives In the
home. 1t is ascribed to the virtue OF
womanhood that wives may be worked
to death in the home. That Is an
economic error from which capital and
labor both suffer. 1t should be possible
to value and condition the work OF women
in the home with respect to efficiency
the same as any work done in shop or
factory. 1t Is a loss to the wealth of
the nation to permit the sweating OF
wives in the home. and only as 1t Is
made possible to value and eliminate
that loss can it become possible to elm
mate another loss to the nation pro-
ceeding from the same cause.-the shirk-
ing of wives.
There are women who regard matri-
mony as divinely instituted means
whereby the weaker vessel Is permitted
to get a living for nothing: those women
married shirk work and they shirk ma
ternity. The situation of those women
constitutes a problem of unemployment
that will be regulated only after eco
nomic value has been definitely attributed
to the work of wives and efficiency de-
manded OF women in the home the same
as Of men in the shop"
Rockefeller Coo1s His Heels.
John d. Rockefeller. jr.. was to have
appeared before the commission again to
testify further in regard to the Colorado
miners strike. He was accompanied by
Ivy Lee, his publicity expert, and Mac
kenzie King. director Of Rockefeller's
labor research bureau. However. Mr.
Rockefeller was not reached during the
day, and he had the experience of cooling
his heels while he waited on the pleasure
and convenience Of the members of the
commission. Mr.. Rockefeller will 60 on
the witness stand early today.
Clarence S. barrow, the Chicago labor
attorney. concluded his testimony. and in
reply to a question of Commissioner
Weinstock told frankly the amount of
fees he received In three notable labor
cases. In the coal strike case to which
he gave four months time, he said his
fee vas $4,000. For defending Meyer,
Haywood and Pettibone In the spectacu-
lar trial at Boise City, to which he gave
eighteen months time. he received IS coo
In the McNamara case. at Los. Angeles,
he received &tO.00O for six months work,
but he had to spend all that money and
eighteen months time in defending him
self from the charge Of attempted jury dx-