The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-21
A Story of q Working Girl
 Who "Cut' Her Own Salary
By ISABEL. MARR

ployer's wife as her monthly allow ance for pin money
 The first month after our business began to feel the effects of the de- pression I noticed that the household bills were very much less and as was writing checks my employer in- structed me to write his wife-s per sonal check for half the usual amount remarlxing that they were cutting e. penses.' I immediately thought my time is coming next"
 Miss Smith interrupted the speaker, saying, You always were lucky but Miss Jones continued her story with out replying to the Interruption My mother sews for my employers wife, of evening dresses, one of which was described in thes society column as
 beautiful,' made over to save expenses. My employers wife told mother that they were cutting expenses to keep from reducing salaries and the office force, as her husband felt that his employees had helped to make his busi- ness a success and that he would not reduce their salaries if possible" You surely have an angel for a boss" again remarke ed Miss Smith. The most in terestins part of Miss Jones' story fol- lowed this remark, telling of how she, with the other four employees agreed
 
 duce their salaries 10 per cent which was accepted by their employer. Fol lowing this statement an animated dis cussion revealed the fact that employees keep "tab," as it were. on their en- ployer's manner of living, when they talk ''hard times" and "cut salaries continuing in their extravagant living.
 making up the falling off of business by reducing salaries and doubling up in office work etc
 Employees are naturally resentfal. as this conversation demonstrated, how ever, the self-reduced employe argued that there were two sides to tho oues- ton and that each ought to be willing to do their part. Incidentally Miss Jones called the name of her employer and spoke of him in the highest terms, es-, pecially the firms business manage ment
 This little story is full of human in terest and demonstrates conditions among the employed, unemployed and the employer the world over. Reduction of salaries and dismissal
 of the already under-paid employees, in many instances under financial depres sion, and the continued extravagant living of the employer, often creates dissatisfaction and engenders a feel ing of resentment that units the em- ploye for useful work. On the other HdHu, CO-OpeTdtlOH DtlWttn tI1plOytI and employe, as in the case of Miss
 Jones and her employer, creates good
 business fellowship, each working for mutual benefit. and when depression comes they pull together in order to hold the business. whatever 1t may be intact, until the financial wave O. de- pression passes over the business world.
 It is the same old story of capital and labor and it does not take mill lionaire capitalist and thousands CT discharged employees to demonstrate | the necessity of this great principle Of cooperation between employer and employe.
 The smallest business, the lawyer. the merchant, the minister the house.
 keeper. any business that employs
 even just janitor, involves this great problem of self-adjustment Sometimes probes are made into the workings of great financial institutions for the purpose of relieving this prob lem of social unrest. As yet The de- l sired result has not been attained. | Sequel: Later in the afternoon while in a popular Second avenue shop nos l ing among the new millinery, adorned with the beauty of almost real spring | flowers, the wife of Miss Jones' em ployer came in, and immediately the approaching clerk, true to her busi-
 ness training and knowing her cus- l toner, began to pull out expensive pattern hats, telling of their beauty l and how well Mrs. would look | in "this one,' had her business sen- abilities shocked when Mrs. - turned away and picked Up an uu | trimmed shape, at the same time un- doing a package of flowers and rib | bons, saying, q am not buying S25
 pattern hats this season, although they are beautiful. If you can use this trimming and fix me up this hat for | $S I will take it."
 This sequel to the story told over the "coffee- sandwich lunch" 2 few hours before only demonstrates that Birmingham wives mothers and daughters are doing their part in "tid- l ing over'' the financial depression