The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-02-04
Report of President E.. p. Marsh
to State Federation of Labor

the ceiling, and run pipe to front of
building, with a fan at the outer end.
In twenty-five booths where the op-
orator was required to be ON constant
duty for more than three hours with.
out relief, slop jars with alright lids
were ordered installed in lieu of mod.
en facilities, the latter being found
in two places only, and the operator
had no opportunity of getting relief
until the end of his shift
Ash deposits and poisonous gases.
This hazard is considered most in
furious to the health of the operator.
In 73 booths it was necessary to or
der hoods over the lamp houses, and
vent pipes running to atmosphere to
carry off these ash deposits and poi.
sonOus gases caused by the electric
arcs, which under prevailing condi.
tons remained in the booth, and were
inhaled by the operator
With such conditions obtaining.
/ Commissioner Olson felt justified IN.
der the law in inspecting the houses.
charging the SIS inspection fee which
the law requires The Washington
Theatre Managers Association, with
headquarters in Seattle, notified Mr..
Olson that test case of the right to
charge the inspection fee would be
brought. This was done, the Wash.
ington Theatre of Seattle being select
ed to test out the case. It was heard
before Judge Gillian of King county
and a decision handed down in favor
of the plaintiff.
The contention of the plaintiff was
that picture machine booths were not
workshops" within the meaning of
the law and therefore the factory in.
spection law which prescribed a fee
for inspection did not apply This
contention the judge upheld in his de
cision. At the time of writing this
report Commissioner Olson had TAX.
en- the matter up with Attorney Gen.
eral Tanner with view Of appealing
to the state supreme court
OPERATION OF MINIMUM WAGE
LAW
Reduced to its simplest form of ex-
preston, the theory of a minimum
wage" for female workers and minors
is Giving wage Society recognizes
the male worker as the natural pro,
wider for the family and agrees that
his minimum wage shall be a sum
sufficient to support family. Fe
male workers as a class have not
been given such a distinction in the
eyes of society at large Individually
woman may have contributed wholly
to the support of others but as a sex
she has been put in the dependent
class. That society viewpoint has
been the chief reason why employers
have been able to maintain in many
industries standards Of wages below
a living standard, The feminist move
ment, the modern viewpoint Of WON
ans worth in the field OF productive
labor, has borne a large part in the
changing economic status of female
workers, is Irresponsible largely fol
minimum wage legislation in the sey
eral states.
The Washington Jaw has been il
operation a comparatively short time
since August "a, 1914, vet long enough
to begin to form some opinion as tC
its worth in raising the general stan
dard of working and living conditions
for female workers. 1t is not expect
ed that minimum wage legislation viii
work with automatic smoothness il
the case of every worker coming I'm
der it. 1t is expected that it will work
to the benefit Of the majority. If il
does not do the latter, it is a failure
There was not effective organized
Legislation but there we're doubts OF
its ability to accomplish what its pro
ponents claimed for it, 1t was con
tended that employers would weec
out the less efficient workers, throw
ing them into the ranks of the unem
ployed that the apprenticeship sys
TEN would be abused, employers dis
charging girls at the end of the ap
prentice period, taking on green hell
and thus multiplying the intent of the
law; that women in some industries
would be replaced by men and boys
that the "speeding-up' process would
be introduced in industries employing
females, driving them as never be
fore; that it would render it extreme
ly difficult if not impossible, to union