The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-13
Wage Schedules and Equal Pay for Women Considered Most Important for Future Success of Industrial Life of Country.

Washington, Feb. 13.---Adoption of minimum wage schedules, mainte- lnce in general of the wage levels attained during the war and perma- nent establishment of the National War Labor Board and the United States Employment Servi~e were ad- Vocated as essentials of d just recon stuction in a report made public to- day by four Catholic bishops, consti- tuting the Administrative Committee of the National Catholic War Council. While favoring, in the interests Of health and morality, prohibition of child labor and reduction to the small est practical limits of the employment of women in industry the committee urged equal pay for women doing equal work with men. It declared also for insurance of workers against illness. old age, and unemployment uutil wages are high enough to tide over such periods, for abolition of monOpoiies. for continuance of heavy taxes on large incomes and excess profits, for cooperative merchandts- ing in necessities to reduce the cost of living and for government-assiste colonization of unoccupied farm lands by demobi'ized soldiers and sailors. As a measure outside it's present re- construction program but of value in solving the problems of capital and labor the committee urged gradual participation by labor in the manage nent and eventually in the ownership of industry.
 The report, entitled Social Recon struction; General Review of the Problems and Survey of Remedies" was issued in the names of Bishops Peter J. Muldoon, of Rockford, H., Joseph Schrembs, of Toledo, O.; Wn- liam T. Russell. of Charleston, S. C., and Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. Hayes of New York. As members of the War Councils Administrative Com mtttee they represent the Catholic he1rarchy of America in general direc- tion Of war work in this country and overseas
 Declaring that '+the deep unrest so emphatically and widely voiced 1 throughout the world is a most seri- ous menace" the bishops held up "so- cial justice and a contented people { as the only safeguard of peace. 1 The authors of the report disclaimed
 
 hensive scheme for reconstruction Their recommendations, it was stat ed, were confined to reforms that seemed to be desirable and also ob- tainable within reasonable time and to those general principles which should serve as a guide for more dis tant developments
 1 Discussing the demobilization of the mil {fo1-r . the suggestion of Secretary of the In- terior Lane that discharged men should be given an opportunity to work at good wages in retaining un- used lands, afterward to be assisted Ibv government loans to establish themselves as farmers It credited the Federal Employment Service with "a fair degree of development and eff ficiency during the war; and urged that Congress continue and strengthen the organization as a means of help ing to solve the ever present problem of unemployment
 The bishops rated the National War Labor Board as lone of the most ben eficial governme ntal organizations of
 the war; It's efforts, they asserted,
 had prevented innumerable strikes
 and raised wages to decent levels in
 many industries"
 Its main guiding principles" the
 report continued, 'Hhave been a family
 living wage for all male adult labor
 CTS; recognition of the right of labor
 to organize, and to deal with employ
 CTS through its chosen representatives and no coercion of non-unfon la!borers by members of the union. The Wal
 Labor Board ought to be continued ir existence by Congress, and endowed with all the power for effective actior that it can possess under the Fedora Constitution. The principles methods machinery and results of this inSti. tuition constitute a definite and far reaching gain for social justice. Nc part of this advantage should be los
 or given up in time of peace'' While holding that mere justice, tt
 Say nothing of chivalry," dictates tha
 women who filled in industry tha
 places made vacant by men called t war should not be compelled to sui fer any greater loss or inconvenience,
 than is absolutely necessary in tht readjustment under peace conditions
 the report declared that no femal  l tiOn harmful to health or morals Il
 this classification, street car opera
 tion and the cleaning of locomotive
 were especially mentioned. An et
 ficient n tional employ service ii was sta.ed, would be able to shiI v to domestic and other sui; able line of activity women war workers who's [ circumstances required them to COT tinue as wage earners.
 l. The committee asserted that in few industries directly connected ". the carrying on of the war, wage
 had reached 9 plane upon whic . they could no possibly continue fc /, this grade of occupation" but declal \ ed that "the general level of wage
 attained during the war should nC . be lowered" The average rate e pay, 1t was stated, had not increase Q faster than the cost of living, and ~ considerable majority of wage carr n CTS, both men and women, were nC = receiving living wages when price a beFan to rise in 1915.
 2 To support it's contention that 70 a the grounds both of justice an 2 sound economics we should giy r hearty support to all legitimate c : forts made by labor to resist gcner. $ wage reductions, even when the CO u of living recedes from its prescI
 level" the committee said:
 = Even If the great majority - workers were not in receipt of mol B han living wages, there are no goo reasons why rates of pay shoul , ha 1OWared After all a living waz