Evening star., 1919-10-08
New Minor Ruling Asked.

of Columbia to issue q supplemental
ruling on minors. setting forward
sixty days from November next the
date that what we trust will be 4 new
for minors shall go into effect.
"Since we have appealed the matter
of minors, business will require all
of the time above set forth to put its
affairs in order to meet any minimum
scale for minors which shall go into
effect. This period Of time is asked
in order that business may do the
minors. the public and itself the full
est measure of justice. -
I'VE appreciate the big sacrifice OF
time and effort that the members OF
the minimum wage board OF the Dis
trict of Columbia have given in the
exercise Of their public office. We
ther consideration of the, minimum
wage for minors as above set forth
will be a public benefit OF q nigh
order" - :
Support the Award. r
! Those who spoke in opposition te
the protest and in support of the
award of the minimum wage board
were Miss Florence Kelly. Consumers
TsaSss Tadss pas Fl ths pensy navy Msta
DR.. w. Carson Ryan. Local No, 2
Federal Employees Union; Herbert p
Leeman, Columbia Lodge, No. 174, In
ternationaI Association Of Machin-
lists; Miss Gertrude McNally. Federal
Employees Union, Mccall No. 105, com.
posed Of woman employees of the bu-
reau Of engraving and printing: John
Dolph, Miss Alice Deal Mr.. Clarence
L. URord, Luther c. Steward, presi-
dent Of the National Federation OF
Federal Employees: Clarence 1. Ut.
ford Of the Associated Charities. and
Others
Resolutions adopted by the Central
Labor Union indorsing the award Of
the minimum wage board were read
as was a communication from the
board, Of education. in the name OF
Rev. DR.. Van Schaick, urging that
the award be sustained.
Gives Living Cost Figures.
Presenting figures drawn from per.
sonal experience as father of a girl
seventeen years old. Mr.. Donley de-
clared that clothing, shoes and cal
fare for girl of that age cost ap-
proximately $3.50. q year. leaving the
entirely out Of the reckoning.
Combating the proposal Of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers' Associa'
ton for a sliding scale beginning al
SO a week. DIR. Ryan declared that
general experience showed that such
an ARRANGEMENT tended to speedy dis
placement of higher paid adults and
substitution for them of minors. DR.
Ryan declared that the contention OF
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association that a lower scale OF
wages Of minors would discourage
them from leaving school was not
well founded. as children leaving
school to go to work looked only te
the Immediate wages and took what.
ever lob they could find, at whatever
wages were offered.
Mr.. Ufford. while arguing that the
boards award be upheld, took occa-
sion to urge enactment Of law pro-
hibiting employment of children under
sixteen years of age, and providing
that any minor not actually at work
must attend school.
Several of the speakers declared
that the cost Of living is no less for a
minor sixteen years old than for one
eighteen years old, and asserted that
the boards award of $3.50 per week,
after an apprentice period of seven
months, was the irreducible minimum
on which even a minor may be sus-
tanned.
Miss Deal. speaking from the stand
point Of an educator, declared that
establishment of a minimum wage OF
1850 per week for minors, by dis
couraging employees from hiring
them, would tend to keep such minors
in school longer and thus enable them
to obtain the education that would
fit them for a higher grade Of work
in later years.