The Washington times., 1919-10-11


without complaint the decision Of the Minimum Wage Board
that they shall pay and in their employ wage
Of at least $3.50 week.
The minimum wage was based on investigation into the
cost Of living Washington It is the result Of scientific
study and earnest effort by honest and unbiased board
Employers Of the District Of Columbia be feCi
taed at their reception Of the ruling The wage established
here is $3.50 week higher than that in any Of the twelve
States which have passed such legislation District en-
poyer many Of them facing increased pay rolls result
Of the order made protest They recognized that the
wage fair and just far the board was able to
Their attitude in this matter should give increased
weight to their recent statement TO the board setting forth
the injustice shown in the rates set for labor Of minors
They show that the scale adopted for nOnadults pro
vdes such short period Of promotion to the adult wage
scale to seriously affect The wage relation between skilled
and unsEdlled workers.
The merchants and manufacturers Of the District are in
favor Of longer period Of apprenticeship for the younger
workers the theory that they do not absorb knowledge
as rapidly as the older minors
They protest and rightly, that boy Of Fxtetn cannot
learn business as quickly and thoroughly boy at
seventeen Therefore, there should be difference in the
wage scale Of these boys The Minimum Wage Board Tu
ing does not provide for such difference
wage scale for minors which provides for promo
0n too fast be equitable the minors themselves and
disturbing reasonable relationship to the adult scale viii
have the tendency to discharge Of these minors when
they reach that point in the scale at which wage greater
than labor value
One immediate result Of this situation would be con
slant labor turnover The minor would be shifted from one
kind Of employment to another rejected By other employers
in the line Of business His experience instead Of
being Of value to him, would prove temporary handicap
Proponents Of the short apprenticeship period assert
that ia large minor turnover should develop would
tend to create surplus Of such labor and send the boy or
girl back to school But the establishment Of wage sys
tenn whereby boy Of sixteen could much boy
Of seventeen would certainly prove incentive for the
minor to leave school at an earlier age.
Labor turnover is expensive An expert Of the Curtis
Publishing Company has determined that it costs at least
S5 merely TO hire worker In industries it costs
Il is costly to the worker the employer, and the
public
In many the original wage to worker is far
more than he is actually worth
Cost Of education Of beginner in any business requr
given BY the employe For several months the worker
instruction The wage paid to him is direct loss to the
wage for time after he has reached the point when he
such amount Obviously, short apprenticeship
period adds to the injustice Of this situation.
The Merchants and Manufacturers Association has
filed with the Minimum Wage Board scale Of wages for
minors based upon their Judgment Of justice in treatment Of
employees here in Washington.
They accept without wTangle protest a scale for
adults onehd higher than any other in the nation They
do not Wsng and protesting about labor costs and
the loss Of They accept their increased expense as
matter Of justice They ask revision Of the minor wage
scale as a matter Of justice
And a matter Of justice they entitled to full
consideration.