Evening journal., 1919-03-04
MINIMUM wage BILL
KILLED BY SENATE
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CONTINUED from FIRST pagc)
which she declared some Of the legis-
lators were asking. as 20 why a COM
mission should DE created. she declar-
ed that the best results could only be
obtained by having commission 90
carry out the provisions OF the bill
She compared a minimum wage law
without commission 60 enforce 10
With O iahlc without legs tc hold 10 up
Miss Gawihorpe then quoted figures
complied bv the Consumers League In
am INVESTIGATION of working conditions.
showing that out OF NJ cases inVestigat-
ed 6i OF the women were receiving less
than Sii a week She declared that
there Is q mistaken impression that. be
cause Delaware is small state and
Wilmington Va small city I'm comparison
90 the big cities. the cost of living is
cheaper, but pointed out that on
the contrary the cost Of living In vii
mpgt0n Is higher than 20 is in Wash
ingltN quoting from her personal cX-
perienNs as a resident OF both cities.
This bin stands for decent women
hood, laughing children and happy
homes" she declared. "lf / was mar
/ ried woman ] would think 20 good
ground for divorce II my husband paid
I less than a living wage 90 his women
employees"
Referring 20 bills that have been in
troduced i'm the senate 90 abolish the
I whipping post and capital punishment
Miss GaWthOrpe declared That the min
imum wage BIN was intended 10 pre-
went living deaths and sufferinvs as
great as any that could be inflicted
/ by the whipping post. She declared
/ that the bill was one purely of simple
Justice and urged the Senators not 90
vote automatically, we submit this
bill with pride 20 the honorable con
science Of every gentleman present. She
concluded
senator Bennett remarked that he did
not believe anyone was opposed %
living wage for any person. but that
everyone comedies that this is not the
time 10 pass legislation that provides a
wage for one class Of employees only In
the face Of the period OF reconstruction
which we are about 90 enter. "The
time is coming when we arc all going
90 have time on our hands 10 set a.
living Of any kind, as well as a living
wage" he declared. Il am opposed 10 .
enacting such a law at this time
Senator Alice, speaking for the can
ing interests Of lower Delaware, adj +
yanced a series Of arguments as 60
why the bills should not be passed,
claiming that its cnaction would work F.
a hardship upon Delaware industries.
He said he had two reasons for TAX
ing such a stand because practically all
the female labor i'm Kent and Sussex
counties is employed in the canning fac /
tories. and that those industries We're
therefore. vitally interested In the pro-
posed legislation. Senator Alice said Il
was a proposition 90 regulate and ham
per private business by a commission.
He said that in itself. at this time, is
bad proposition. He pointed out that
he did not oppose the theory Of a mini
mum wage for women. and that II he
was a member Of Congress he would
vote for a Federal minimum wage bill.
which would give all states an equal
chance in labor competition, provided
a high tariff wall was erected about
the country as a protection against
cheap foreign labor
He declared that such laws were not
needed in this state at this time. and
the statute books with them, claiming
working women in Delaware are better
paid than the women in a great many
other States. lie called attention to the
fact that there are no sweat shops In
this state He also pointed out that the
bulk Of the women employed in the two
lower counties is imported from other
States, where they have no minimum
wage law.
Senator Alice laid emphasis upon the
point that Delaware canhers are re-
Guired TO compete with Gamers from
other States. and that they are already
at great DISADVANTAGE in competition
with the middle western states, as tue
packers i'm those STATES can get tnelI
raw materials at much lower cost. u.
explained that last season the DelaNut
canhers were required 10 pay $50 70"
for tomatoes. while the canners IN ~
diana secured them for SIS a ion' oNlH
Al tbe fact that the land IN thtl - 4
nroduced a much larger tohu'5 - D.,
iomafoes 10 the acre than bi.,
sou Tbis gave indiana packers Go !
advanfage I'm competing ass'ils ls,,.lct
neiaware packers i'm the opc1, q, niace
and senator Alice deciaI'a ~ t errtber
~ Delaware Packers at W. i,s 49, ns,. )
disadvaii,sss ,,.oses for labor than the
higher We ,be other states, would
cI,,.,,iy Gamers " nut them out Of busi-
praclo4uEo' ~ said only a small margin
~ s'' profit per dozen rl.,., cans was was
% % ,,,zed BY the Gamers. necessltating
. large pack to realize much proht. and
a. vine out this margin would spell
.,,,, for Delaware packers.
TIc also claimed that the minimum
yage law would discourage efficiency
.mong employees. He objected TO the
act that the commission created by
he bill would have the poweS to pry