Evening journal., 1919-02-14
THE CONSUMERS LEAGUE AND
LIVING WAGE FOR WOMEN.

(From the Wilmington Labor Herald
BY It's advocacy Of a Minimum Was
Law for women and minors In th
State the Consumers League Of Del
ware is adding one more chapter \
the history Of an honorable career. ,
recent years It's support Of progresse
measures concerning child labor, e
workmen's compensation law, the So
tary law and the ten-hOur law are I'll
known. The League believes thath
time Is now ripe for the enactsnt
Of a law which shall set a legal lni-
mum wage below which no gin or
woman or child worker Of both sAes
under IS years, shall be allow TO
work. The principle OF this 'mlnium
would be that sum which wOu IN
sure a living wage accordingp the
locality and particular indusq con-
cerned, for conditions wouldFry IN
different parts Of the State.
The supporters Of the claim
that it is the fairest propOsapossiDle.
The bill provides for the estfishment
OF a minimum, Of three peTsf, one OF
whom shall be a woman. tn commits
sion, on petition Of 25 perns IN any
industry, or Of The employs IN any
industry, shall inyestigatftne wages
paid TO women and minoI IN that m
dustry, and shall decid5fIter a iull
consideration OF all the cts, wheher
the wages paid are "inaAudte 70 sup
ply them with the neSsary cost OF
living to maintain therfn good health
and protect their mails In the
event Of this being ie nnding' theI
minimum wage comrslon Is ehpoW-
cred IN anpoint a cofnission OF wage
board OF nine person three represent
fng fhe emplover hree representing
fhe emploves andhree representing
the general publiohd u VIII De thelf
dutv Ia detsrmina fair wage for the
women and minoI IN the industry in
vesfieafed. FIIUfovision Is made in
fbe hin for Experienced women.
learners and pAaliy disabled work
ers; and 1t IS e pelel OF those VINO
have prssenfeohe bill TO the Legisla-
ture. that noHag has been left undone
to provide ID fullest justice and fair
play for all accrued.
A unIfornbill has been introduced
in six otheState legislatures as we'll
ss Delawar this year, when over 40
STATE IeQislures are sitting. These
states srl Connecticut, New York,
New Jers, Pennsylvania, Delaware.
Illinois J North Dakota, and Della
ware epasiasts for the bill look for
ward tohe Diamond State being the
next 10 In the minimum wage States. |
Within he last six years ~ States |
have aIady adopted a minimum wage
law dering IN minor details only |
from he one described above. Not |
onlv e free" west but hard-headed |
msnucturing States like Massachu-
setts re represented In the minimum |
wsqeStates Of Arkaqsas, California.
CoIoho. Oregon, Utah. Washington.
WIshsin, and last, but not least in
sirnIcance, the federally governed
nisict Of Columbia, foreshadowing
II 4 thought, the national viii in the
maler.
Ie American Federation Of Labor, I
sslwell a the National War Labor
bird. ha'ing both decided that labor
is not a ommodity and that wages do
nd depen on supply and demand,
should 90 great way in having our
at Dove- see their way
clear In asslng the Minimum Wage
ain. as resented by the Consumers
[ league. ne publishers OF The Labor
Herald vuld also ask for informal on
as TO wlt body OF bodies ever asked
TO- a "uximum" wage.
The b in its entirety was endorsed
by the sntral Labor Union and at the
meetins on Tuesday night last. af-
ter dlsdssion Of the measure by Dr..