Evening journal., 1919-03-04
HEARING ON BILL 70
FIX MIkINUM wage
Both Sides Present Argu-
ments With Senators
Not Present
OPPONENTS RESENT
INQUISITlON TERM
taR Correspondent

'taH Correspondent
STATE HOUSE, DOVER, Del. Ma.
The Minimum Wage Bill for women
Nas a feature Of the session OF the Del
lware Legislature yesterday afternoon
There was a joint hearing on the bill
allied for Senate and House member.
the House chamber for O'Clock yts-
erday afternoon
Most OF the House members wer,
present. hut few OF the Senator's nut in
an appearance at least 10y the time the
learing was called for and none of
them occupied chairs that had been
brought IN and reserved for senators
The Dill was introduced in the Senate
by senator Robertson. Most of the sen
3t0rs claimed that there was a misun-
Ierstanding and that they understood
lhe hearing was Tor instead or (
,'clock, and that was the reason they
we're not present when the hearing
started.
This failure OF the Senators 10 ha on
'he job did not stop the advocates %.
The measure. mostly members Of the
Consumers League of Delaware. from
making a strong presentation OF ihei,
on.
The bin has been made a special or
der for the senate at o'clock this
afternoon.
Speaker Corbit gave the advocate,
md opposition 90 the measure limit
I'd time in which to speak and Mis-
Mary Gawthorpe, legislative secretary
OF the Consumers League was intro
duced as The first speaker 10y Attorney
William I. Smallcy. Miss GaWthrope
paid her respects 60 the Wilmington
Morning News In no uncertain terms.
'eferring especially Go the editorial
which appeared I'm that paper this
morning entitled Army OF the lnqu.si-
ton 90 Invade Dover What does the
editor mean by indictng us as the
army Of inquisition?' she demanded.
declaring that the term nquisit on
would imply that 70 was an arbitrary.
meddlesome bin. and That the minimum
wage bill Was anything Jut that. She
declared that the bin did not come
before the Legislature 20 be killed but
VII continue 10 come up until it Is
passed because 10 is a just measure II
have been told That it Is too good IN
affirmed III it is too good 20 comes
straight from God she added
Miss Gawthrope plainly inferred that
if the women OF this state were entitled
20 vote they would receive more con-
derlt.On at the hands VI the members
of ihe Legislature. DO you think that
the members of the senate would have
been absent this afternoon II this dele
cation had a large number Of votes be
hind it?' she asked. NO. the legisla-
tors would be topping over each other
20 ask us what we want and how We d
ike 20 have it done II we had thc
vote"
Miss Gawthrope quoted statistics to
show that The women in industry are
not receiving sufficient living waSe
at the present time, and made a strong
plea 90 the Legislators TO act fav0rably
upon the measure as a measure Of just
ice and fairness.
Rev. Charles l.. Candee Was the
next speaker. Talk about the inquisi-
ton" De exclaimed. why the Morn
ing Ncws IS not giving Us an opportun-
ly 90 say what We desire 90 say. It
ll, its back against The wall, because
. cannot answer the argument We have
PRESENTED 90 H.
ilc then read a number OF letters ana
.oIegrams from Wilmington business
md professional men urging the pas
age Of the bin. lie declared that labor
= not q commodity, not property 20 be
lartered and exploited, but is life, and
hat money cannot be compared with
ifc.
Secretary Fred Sterle, OF the Central
.abOr Union, also made a strong plea
'0r the bill as a representative Of the
aboring classes. Declaring that the ad-
.ocates Of the measure do not seek
Ugh court OF inquisition but were only
.eeking fair play The House or Sen
ate should not be swayed by news
paper editors. '0ne-day eXcursionists or
committee reports" De declared, but
The bin should be decided upon its
merits. whether IL is a benefit or a de-
trimcnt" lie quoted an example OF
two working women in Wilmington 10
show the necessity Of such legislation.
speaks For Opponents.
William @. Jones was then given the
lIlAlIfAt OF AlI MNuA W shNaA ANA AtA~
opposition. He pointed out that he
appeared for counsel for the Manufac-
turers' Association Of Wilmington,
which is composed Of all the larger
and employers Of labor
Of Wilmington, and that he was not a
lobbyist as had been intimated by some
of the advocates Of the measure.
Mr.. Jones declared that the members
# the LEGISLATURE should ask them
selves whether or not the proposed leg
islation is necessary. and II 1t is not
then the bill should not receive their
support. Referring to the remarks that
lad been made relative TO the explolta-
ton Of labor, he stated that this might
apply in some state where there are
sweatshops and much mill labor, but
it was the last thing in the mind OF
any Delaware employer today to ex-
ploit labor, but on the contrary they
all wanted TO pay well.
He objected 10 the feature in the bill
that provided that the Board OF Arbi-
iration should be composed OF one rep