The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-12-18
MORE FREAk BILLS

he oregon voter calls our dlteNllun
TO another Of the freak bills for which
Oregon has grown famed. The season
IS open, and anyone with fool hobby
can ride it in Oregon. Many new bills.
although the records of elections show
them TO have been voted for by ii
minority Of the states electors, are on
our statute books. 1t has reaches the
point where We dread the approach OF
an election with its blanset Ike ballot
loaded with Impractical theories.
In discussing the new bill. prouosing
minimum weekly wage OF $40 for As
hours for women and minimum Of 81
per s hour day for boys and men. the
Voter says;
If adopted, no increase or decrease
IN the amount Of the minimum wage
can be made by the legis latuIe. No
exemptions can be made other than
th0se specified in the measure. No
law is required for enforce MT. No
regulations, notifications OF adaptiOns
caa be made. 1t is IN the constitution
and by It's own terms is self eXecut-
ing
Whether wages go up or down. the
minimum fixed by the constitution
would stand until that same section Of
the constitution were amended by the
people at another election. No com
mission or other administrative or leg
islative body would sit to examine into
the facts and decide what proper
minimum wage should be. This
amendment puts the whole thing into
the constitution and leaves 1t there
complete.
Anyone desiring to employ a boy
must pay him a minimum of S24
week for six 8-hour days. If the en-
ployer permits boy to work longer
than eight hours without added com
pensatlon, he would be liable for
prosecution.
A cripple, an old man, an inefficient
man-all must be paid at least S4 for
eight hours. No judgment is permit
ted to legislature or employer to decide
whether it is public policy to permit
cripples. old men and boys to be en-
ployed at all if they are not worth "a
day.
No girl can be employed until she is
able TO make herself worth S20 for
AZ hour week.
No watchman can be employed ex-
cept at a wage based on S4 a day for
an . hour daV.
An inexperienced woman may not be
employed in an Office at addressing en-.
yelopes or other clerical work within
her capacity unless she can prove her
self to be worth $50 week for AS
hour week.
Tips evidently are not taken into
consideration, 50 Pullman porter or
waiter or waitress who receives tips
would still be paid the minimum. or
the employer would be subject to fine
and Imprisonment.
No apprentice, worthy hardly his
salt while he was learning his trade,
could find any employment unless he
was able to show himself worth 81 for
an S-hour day ii boy or $40 a 4S-hour
week if a girl.
No doctor would be permitted to pay
less than $40 for a 4S-hour week for a
girl to mind his office.
No lawyer would be permitted to
encourage law student by giving him
employment in his law Office unless he
paid him minimum of n day for
an S-hour day.
No provision is made in the bill for
the army of hoys girls, inexperienced
women. old people. cripples. physically
unable or other classes who are unable
to make themselves worth anywheres
near the wage fixed in this constitu
tional amendment. No discretion i.
given to the legislature whereby en-
ployment may be made possible for
these numerous classes who are
brought under the ban Of unemploy-
ment by this proposed amendment.
While the measure obviously is
worded by legal expert, it is equally
obvious that the expert who worded it
and the promoters who are backing it
intended to make it iuthle The
Weddings who are unable to earn the
minimum specified are to be left un
employed, to become paupers and
charge upon the community. So far as
Oregon is concerned there is no hope
for them to engage in industry. The
farmers can't use them in hard work
on the farm, and women are too heart
less to tolerate weak sisters in domes.
tic service, so they are doomed to
spend their lives in idleness and de
pendence.