Evening star., 1919-10-15
CHANGES MINIMUM
WAGESFOR MINORS
District Board Fixes Store
Pay at SIG After Eight
cen Months.
TEXT OF NEW ORDER

today modified its order fixing the pay
OF minors in mercantile establishments
Of the District.
The original order Of the board made
the minimum for minors 1850 a week
after a year Of service, which is the
same as the minimum set for women
in the stores. The modified order
makes the minimum for minors SIS a.
week after eighteen months.
Text of Old and New Order.
The original order, against which
the merchants protested through their
association. was as follows:
Learners. male or female, entering
employment under eighteen years Of
age, shall be paid a weekly wage of
not less than $40 for the first f,ye
months of employment. of not less than
$12.5O for the next three months of
employment, of not less than Sl4.6O
Tor the following four months OF en1-
pioyment, and thereafter shall be con-
sloered experienced workers and shall
De paid not less than $3.50. A minor
girl who, upon reaching the age Of
eighteen years, is still learner. shall
be paid not less than the rates speci.
fed for adult learners"
The new order adopted today provides
that:
Learners. male or famale, entering
employment In the mercantile industry
under eighteen years Of age, shall be
PAID weekly wage Of not less than $40
Tor the first four months of employment,
OF not less than $11.50 for the next four
months OF employment, Of not less than
Sl3 for the next four months Of employ
ment. OF not less than $145O for the fol-
lowing six months Of employment and
thereafter shall be paid not less than SIS
until the age OF eighteen is reached,
provided that for any minor now en-
ployed time served in the industry prior
to his or her sixteenth birthday and prior
to October %. 1919. shall not be consid. .
cred as experienced in DISCRIMINATING
entitled.
"A minor girl who upon reaching
the age of eighteen has had seven
months experience shall be paid A
weekly wage Of not less than $3.50.
A minor girl who upon reaching tho
age OF eighteen years has had less
be paid rei less than the rates speci-
ned for adult learners"
Not as Low as Merchants Wanted.
Although tho new order gives tho
minor less than tho original ware
fixed. 1t is not az low as the mer.
chants recommended at the hearing
held last week. The recommendation
OF tho Merchants and Manufacturers'
follows:
"A minor under the ago of seven
teen. years and three months shall
receive wage Of not less than $40
per week. at seventeen years and
three months the wage shall be 31l
~ nr1@
teen years and six months tho wage
shall be S13 per week; then at the
age of eighteen, provided the adult
period OF seven months' experience
has been served. tha wage shall be
1850 per week
the merchants that the new scale for
minors he not made effective until
January ].
Minority Report Submitted.
Miss Ethel Smith. the workers rep
resentative on the wage board, voted
against the changes ordered today
which she expresses II is her belief
that the reductions made by the board
will invite the merchants to employ
! as many children as they can in COM
petition against women
! Her minority report reads in mart
! as follows:
LAS the member of the board an.
| pointed to represent the woman work
| ers- j could not vote to lower the
| minimum rates the board had fxed
| for minors. because to do SO. in nv
judgment. would jeopardize the mini.
| mum wage We have fixed for women
| of eighteen years or over by makine
| the minors their cheap competitors
The new order of the board. which
voted against, seems to me to be sim
ply an invitation to the merchants n
seek out the children Of sixteen year
and younger, and employ as many OF
them as can be induced to leave school
Just 80 far as this is done, IT will
1t seems to me. tend to replace the
woman whose wages are raised by our
order fxing minimum of 1850 10,
women, and it will. Of course. to the
same extent in3ure, in the long run
the minors who are taken out n,
school. Therefore. l could not vote fol
the compromise accepted by nv asso.
ciates. ' 0o
Would Protect Women.
, "If. on the other hand. the minors
| minimum wage were the same as tn,
minimum wage for women eiEhteet
years Ola or over. the merchants
Wouid nave no inducement to emplo,
tne minors In preference to the WON
en- .ne women would thus be protect
ca against the cheap competition o.
cnlidrSn. and the children themselv
would oe left in school. These are tn.
un pa,ncipies pres ! believe the board shoult