The Washington times., 1919-10-11
2.2O9 WOMEN
IN D. c. ARE
POORLYPAID
Wage Board PrObers Find Many
/ Get Less Than SIG a Week in
/ Washington.

The wages OF 2,209 girls and women
employees In hotels, hospitals, apart
ments and restaurants in Washing
ton are to be adjusted BY the Dis
trict Minimum Wage Board. il was
announced today. Investigators OF
the board have found that q greater
part Of these women and girls are
receiving wages inadequate to sup
ply them with the necessary cost OF
living and maintain them in health
and protect their morals"
"A survey was made recently OF 193
estabiishments in Washington, and
Investigators made their reports TO
the board yesterday at q conference
held In the District building to rec
nuuend a minimum wage lOr Wom-
and girls employed in these in
1uElries. The board viii hold a pub
lc bearinr iu the near future on a
uninum wage scale FOR these girls
1n1 women.
Many UnderPaid.
The conference yesterday was
lenE by. It was found that s2.s per
cent Of an women employed received
ccubensation in the form Of room
and board or meals alone, in addition
- ages-6.2 per cent both room ahd
beard, 65.1 per cent three meals, s.9
nar cent two meals. and 2.6 per cent
one meal. In order to ascertain the
actually received by these
women valuation viii be placed on
these items. Although IL was evil
dent that the accommodations re-
eeiVed were not up TO the standard 4
contemplated by the conferences on
the printing and publishing and mer- /
camille industries, nevertheless in or 4
der % have a working basis. So per
week was allowed where room and /
board were provided, and S6 where 1
board alone was provided at the place 1
of work. Making these additions to 4
the money WaEe Il was found that 4
bGe per cent 81 the women received I
lees than SIC q week OF Its eQuiVa-
lent The percentages Of women re-
CeiViug less than sic q week was 72.2 4
per cent On the hotels t2G per cent IN
reEtaurants, 82-5 per ~ hoBpi-
tails and. 100 per oelt b apartment
houses.
ElEuFe6 Cited.
The women who received q straight
money wage were the poorest paid.
S5.s per cent Of them receiving less
than a16 a week and 55.7 per cent /
less than $40 a week.
An analysis OF wage rates by Oc- 4
cupatiou gives q clearer picture Of /
the assumption that a wage Of less /
than 81 a week in addition to room
and board, Of less than $40 a week /
IN addition TO three meals q day, Of 1
less than So a week in addition 70 /
tive meals a day, and Of less than /
SIC g week with no other cOmpensa-
tion Is insufficient to secure the ne
ceEsities OF life TO a self-supporting 4
woman IN the District OF Columbia. ;.
Tt was found that in the hotels ap- /
proEimately 3 per cent Of the house
keepers, so per cent Of the linen room /
girls, 60 per cent Of the maids, 81 4
per cent OF the cleaners, 90 per cent 4
of the dishWashers and general pan
try help, 90 per cent Of the kitchen \
girls, 20 per cent Of the pantry serv-
eFE, - per cent OF the Mattresses, 3 !
per cent OF the office employees, %
per cent OF the telephone operators,
o6 per cent Of the elevator operators,
and 60 per cent Of the miscellaneous Il
employees were receiving less than a /
living wage. Using the same base Il
Wis found that iu the restaurants,
approximately - per cent Of the
mattresses, A6 per cent Of the counter
girls. 20 per cent Of the bus girls,
- per cent OF the cashiers and check
ers, B6 pei cent Of the pantry girls,
20 per cent 6f the dishWashers, IL
per cent Of the cooks, 76 per cent OF
the kitchen girls. and a per cen. Of
the miscellaneous employees were re-
ceiying less than a living wage.
Few Tips Given.
These low wages we're not on the
whole. augmented BY tips. lnvestiga-
tion showed that the women with the
least opportunity to increase their
earnings by this means. the dishwash-
ers, pantry girls, kitchen girls and
cleaners received the lowest wages
Moreover, the maids in the large hO-
tels testihed that their tips were neg Ii
iigible, amounting to 25 cents to 50 L
q week averaging about 81: these
women also were very poorly paid.
On the oJner hand the Mattresses. the
only woman employees in a position to
receive appreciable tips, received I
more IN wages than any other group I
With the exception OF the office eu-
9loyes and the housekeepers /
The board decided 70 continue the J
practice OF allowing the eupIovers r
nd employees ia the industry 10 - !
}ect their own representatives on the
conference. Meetings for this DIr-
pose will be arranged in the near
future.
No decision was reached nv tn.
BOARD on the Question OF wages To-
minors In the mercantile industry A
i7eetlng on this subject will be beI5
the early part of next week.
ASKS $4,000 FOR sLANDER
Zachary NJ Rfffr----