The Washington times., 1919-10-08

j.. turbances By greater stability OF la
Dor and increased efficiency, minimis-
ing the unemployed surplus Of the
inefficient class, and q consequent eL-
Act upon the cost OF living.
Operation OE the Graded Salary Chart.
5-The youth OF sixteen who en-
ters business at this age Is required
TO serve an apprenticeship Of htteen
months before entering the second
grade OF wage (&ll per week., he
/ will therefore, be seventeen years and
three months OF age. Tho youth OF
seventeen years who enters business
Is required to serve an apprenticeship
OF only three months at which time he
will receive the second grade OF wage,
! being at that time seventeen and q
quarter years old, the same age as the
youth OF hfteen who entered employ
ment az this age and who has served
one and q quarter years 70 receive sec
ond grade.
Il l. assumed that the judgment OF
I the outh Of seventeen is more mature
I than The siXteen-year-old youth, and,
therefore, the scveuteen-year-old youth
will have a shorter apprenticeship
period in which TO prove his value
. than the youth Of sixteen.
The effect OF the long APPRENTICE
Z ship for the younger workers, de-
crsasinE as they get older. iE to re-
move the incentive for young child
! rem 20 leave school and to permit
\ them. if they are compelled 70 leave
/ school. q year and three months try
out ia order that they may prove
I their value. which, OF course, IS meas
ured in terms OF money. Il removes
{ the incentive, or we might say, the
Z necessity, Of the employer to dis
Z charge the younger help because Of
I poor service or ineffcisncy which a
shorter length Of appFcnticeshlpD for
/ younger workers would surely in
cur.
The youth Of sixteen years and
three months OF age who enters en-
pIoyment is presumed to have what
might be said three months D better
judgment or maturity than the youth
OF sixteen. and IS. therefore, entitled
TO his second grade OF wage three
months prior to that OF the youth OF
sixteen. Il will, therefore, be seen
that the second grade Of wage and
the third grade and the minimum
wage is reached by all Junior workers
when they are OF equal age, which
assumes that q year OF schooling pro-
duces more mature judgment and is
y
for the young junior worker in busi-
ness employment.
The second and third grades Of wage
10 will be noted are also equivalent
and reached at the same age in each
youth. The tendency here will be
not to employ the younger children,
or II through necessity they are en-
ployed, IL will prevent their summary
discharge, in most cases, for a period
of one year and three months, which
should be sufficient time to prove
their ability.
After one year and three months
"tryout" on the part OF the employer
for the worker OF sixteen, it IS pre-
sumed that the employer will have
no objection whatever to granting
the additional increase, and it, there
fore presents an incentive to the
worker to work up TO the third grade
more 50 than II the periods were
equally divided.
Recommendation.
6-The Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association, therefore, recon- /
mends that your ruling with respect
TO minors be amended as follows:
A minor under the age Of seven
teen years and three months shall re-
Ceive a wage OF not less than $40 per
week; at seventeen years and three
months the wage shall be Sl1 per
week, and at the age OF seventeen
years and six months the wage shall
be 3l3 per week; then at the age OF |
eighteen, provided the adult period |
OF seven months experience has been |
served, the wage shall be $3.50 per |
week.
COncIuBIOn.
The value Of education cannot /
said that the fundamental cause OF 1
labor turnover and instability is lack /
OF education.
The incentive to leave school Is /
probably the largest problem, and /
therefore, must be carefully avoided. 1
The labor turnover in its staggering /
figures is unuuestionabIy a large /
factor in the cost OF living. Steady i
employment must be consistently /
striven for, and is dependent upon 4
education, the most stabilizinE in
huence known to man.
It might be well TO note the report 4
Of the Federal Reserve Board for Sep
tember. in which il 10 stated, Public /
opinion appears to be awakening to /
the reaction which increased wages
and decreased output may have upon
the commodity price and the vicious
circle which may result" Industrial
stability can be achieved only when
labor parties, Industries, educational
institutions and entire communities
cooperate.
New Minor Ruling Asked.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
Association respectfully requests the
minimum wage board OF the District
OF Columbia to issue a supplemental
ruling on minors setting forward six
" DAYS from November 1 next the
date that what we trust will be a
new and more reasonable minimum
wage for minors shall go into effect.
since we have appealed the matter
Of minors, business will require all
Of the time above set forth 10 set its
affairs in order to meet any minimum
scale for minors which shall go into
effect. This period OF time is asked
in order that business may do the
minors, the public and itself the FULL
est measure OF justice
we appreciate the big sacrifice Of
]