The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-06-11
EQUAL SERVICE
AND EQUAL PAY
Between sexes
LEGISLATURE PASSES ADvANC-
ED LAWS DOING AWAY WITH
WAGE DISCRIMINATION

Michigan took two advanced steps
in industrial legislation at the recent
session in the passage of the Miles
bill "to prohibit discrimination as be-
tween sex in the payment OF wages
Of females engaged in the manufac-
ture or production of any article"
and the Fitzgerald bill defining the
crime of criminal syndicalism. The
Miles bill grants to women, by leg
islation, what the male voters grant
ed them through the medium OF the
ballot box, viz, wage equality with
men for equal sesvice.
The Fitzgerald bill initiates new
matter into the Michigan statutes in
fact one word is put into law for the
first time in the history Of the state:
The word is sabotage" and is Of
French origin, and means the wilful
injury or destruction of machinery or
materials by workmen through APP
parent accidental means. Tradition
has it that q French workman in a
rage one day threw his wooden shoes
| (sabot) into some machinery crippling
the equipment and handicapping pro-
duction. Others, seeing the result,
adopted similar means and from this
incident comes the word sabotage.
| In addition to making sabotage a
crime the Fitzgerald bill also provides
that "any person by word of mouth
or writing, advocates or teaches the
duty necessity or property of crime,
violence or other unlawful methods
of terrorism as a means of accom-
plishing industrial or political ne
form, sells, distributes or publicly dis
plays any book, paper, document, or
written matter in any form, contain
ing or advocating, advising or teach
ing the doctrine that industrial or po-
litical reform should be brought about
by crime, violence or other unlawful
methods of terrorism, or openly, will
fully and deliberately j1stifies by
word of mouth or writing, the COM
mission or attempt to commit crime
violence or other unlawful methods
of terrorism advocate the propriety
of the doctrines of criminal syndical-
ism or organizes or helps to organize
or becomes a member of or voluntarily
assemblies with any society, group or
assemblage of persons formed to
teach or advocate the doctrines of
syndicalism is guilty of felony and
punishable by imprisonment in the
state prison for not less than ten
wears or by fine Of not less than
$4,000 or both, at the discretion of
the court"
Both of these bills while initiating
new subject matter into law for the
first time had little if any opposition
The Miles bill to prohibit discrimin-
alton between sexes was amended In
the Senate to exempt agriculture and
the further provision was added:
"That no female shall be given any
task disproportionate to her strength
nor shall she be employed in any
place detrimental to her morals, hel
health or her potential capacity fol-
motherhood" and with these changes
designed to strengthen the law, the
bill was passed. Under this bill
which becomes effective August Is
IL will be against the law for any EN-
ployer ITO discriminate in any way
lin the payment of wages as between
sex or to pay any female engaged il
the manufacture or production of any
article of like val1e, workmanship
and production a less wage, by time
or piece work than is being paid II
males similarly employed in sucl
manufacture, production or in any
employment formerly performed by
males"