South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-14
ASSERTS JUSTICE
OF LIVING WAGE
Rev. w. A. BoIger Discusses
Economic Problems With
Women'S Civic League.

That a wage less than a living
wage for women workers is moral
" wrong: that It is opposed to
economic welfare and that IL is
unnecessary. were the contentious
OF Rev. William A. Bolger. c. 5. G,
Of Notre Dame university in a lee
ture Friday evening, before the
members of the Women's Civic
league ard their friends in the audi
forum of the kindergarten Train
ing school.
Father Bolger began his discourse
with an enlightening discussion Of
the Industrial revolution which was
accomplished during the last third
Of the 18th century and the first
third OF the 18th, ard re develop
ment during that period of the doc
trine Of ''laissez f8ire', or noninter-
ference on the part of the govern
ment in industrial affairs. He show
ed how this fact of the industrial
revolution and this theory Of non
interference have given 10 modern
industrial conditions their peculiar
colOr-hOw industrial development
has continued while the doctrine of
"laissez faire" has failed entirely TO
bring about social justice and has
caused to be written into the annals
of human history some of it's most
discreditable records.
Lave Like Humans.
The contention that a wage less
than a living wage is morally wrong
-
ground OF natural rights which are
derived from no human institution.
The first of these rights. he pointed
out, is the right 10 live and, if TO
live, then TO live as a human be-
ing in decency and a reasonable
amount of comfort. The completely
of modern industry, he showed, has
obscured the crime committed
against these natural rights but the
completely OF industry by no means
destroys the right OF every individ-
ual, il he has any rights, to live and
TO live decently.
There are three principle kinds
OF extortion in the world today" the
speaker cOnti1ued,-"the extortion
Of the monopC list in the form OF
high prices; The sxtortion of the loan
shark in the form Of excessive in
terest and the extortiOn of the wage
shark in the form of low wages.
Commissions are being formed to
keep monopolists from charging
high prices. The activities of the
loan shark are condemned, but the
exlCrtionate activities of the wage
shark are still unregulated.
Low Wages Wrong.
Father Boiger showed that low
wages are uneconomic in that the
underpaid worker is either thrown
on the community for partial sup
port or upon her own family. II
she is thrown upon her family, she
l is then being supported by other
workers in other industries and the
/ factory or the store which fails TO
! pay her a living wage is being sub
sidized by these other industries.
/ Therefore low wages, though they
may be of financial benefit 70 the
| individual employer or industry
they are not economic for the coun-
| try at large.
Low wages he showed to be un-
/ necessary in that the beneficial OPP
Grafton of the minimum wage law
in Australia, in Great Britain, and
/ in the state of Oregon has adjusted
most Of the social wrongs OF which
/ il is the cause without injury either
/ to industries or 10 higher paid
workers. He cited figures and in
/ stances to support his statements in
this respect, showing that the sew
eral stock arguments against the
minimum wage law succumb to ex-
/ perience.
Cites Local Cases.
/ Local instances of serious under
payment of girl workers were cited
\ by the speaker in urging a min
! imum wage law for Indiana. He told
/ OF certain instances wherein girls
in South Bend are being paid three
and three and a half dollars per
week and are paying $3.50 of that
\ for board. Hundreds OF others are
/ getting four. five, and six dollars
If there are such things as rights
natural rights. one OF the function.
of the state is to protect every one
Of its citizens in those rights so a:
to promote the general welfare. L
is the duty OF the state, therefore e
make it unlawful for any employer
TO pay less than is sufficient fol
health and efficiency"
Preceding the talk Miss RutI
Pommert gave two delightful mu
steal selections Shepherds All anC
( Maidens Fair. Nevin and "Etudt