Evening star., 1920-02-21
S16,5O A WEEKPUT
ASPAYFOR MAIDS
AND MATTRESSES
Amount Is Approved by Board
as Minimum Pay in Hotels
and Other Public Places.

The District minimum wage board
announced today it's approval OF Sle.9o
week as the minimum wage for
women employed in hotels, restau-
rants. apartment houses. clubs and
hospitals.
The board also approved the recon-
mendation of the conferees who con-
sidered the question that an employer
may charge a woman employe 81 a
week for room and 30 cents Ior each
meal furnished the employe
xsshliep .laearinG March 2.~s--7.
1rhe board announced that in ac-
cordance with law, it will hold pup
lie hearing in the boardroom OF the
District building at 2:30 o'clock Mon
day. March %, to hear arguments
either for or against the wage limit
set. - :.
If after that hearing the board is
still in favor of this decision IL Will
issue a formal order. and the wage
will go into effect sixty days from
the issuance of the order. This means
that the wage, If approved a1ter Ihe
hearing, will probably become erec-
tive about June l.
Board Issues Statement.
The board estimates that between
. $40 and 5000 women will be al
fected by this wage order.
statement issued by the board
today reads in part as follows:
The difficulties attached 70 me
determination of just minimum
wage were greater in this conference
than in either of the previous con-
ferences because of the prevalence
of the system of paying money
wage and in addition providing room
or board or both for the efhpios es;
should this system be recognized. ana
If so. in what way? The representa-
tiyes of the employees stated from
the beginning that they preferred an
aIl-cash wage. Then they would pe
in position to eat and live Where
they chose. The employers opJect.u
tn this method of payment on the
ground that it would be practically
impossible to prevent the employees
who were handling food from eat
ing what they wanted or II.
This large group of workers wouio
thus get their meals at the expense OF
the employer and have the money al
lowed in the minimum wage rate Tor
food for other purposes. Ihe EN-
Movers, however. We're willing to pay
an all cash wage provided that they
could charge their employees TOT 1000
and room-the amount of the charge
TO be a matter of individual bargain
ing between the employer and the
employe. The workers objected to
this scheme on the ground that the su-
perior bargaining power or the em-
blower would leave the actual deter
mination of the charge laVely in his
hands.
Question mt Issue.
1.-THE employe would either have to
accent the terms offered or look else
where for work. The proposition
which met with general approval was
that the minimum rate should be de-
termined and also the maximum
charge which an employer who fur
nished accommodations to his en-
ployes should be allowed to charge
for them. The question at issue then
was upon what basis should the fixed
charge be determined-cost to the en-
ployer or value to the employe.
"If cost to the employer were the
basis. inequalities in the kind of food
served employees would make it diff
ficuit to arrive at figure which
would be fair to all parties concern
cd IT was pointed out that the large
hotels served three grades Of f.;od,
the rank and Ale of the work ,rs get
ting the third or poorest grade. The
women contended that this food was
often unpalatable and even inedibie
and why, then. should an employer be
allowed to charge the price of i
wholesome meal for food which did
not come up to the standard? On the
other hand, in the small restaurants,
tearooms and cafeterias only one
grade of food is served.
1.-The cost to the employers in these
instances would be considerably more
than in the hotels. Therefore a fixed
price for meal served employees
would in some instances work hard
shin on the employer and in others
on the employe. Where could the
line be drawn SO as to secure a
maximum of benefit with a minimum
of hardships? Finel agreement was
reached on 80 cents a meal, $3.50 for
twenty-one meals a week and 81 a
week for rent. These figures represent
compromise between the cost to
the. employer and the value to the
employe, as measured by prices for
which standard accommodations could
be secured outside of the establish
ment."
The conferees who recommended
the wage, which the board approved
were: Rev. DR.. Abram Simon, DR..
Frank OHara. Mamie Burroughs
Margaret b. Ryan, Bessie Hood. Helen
Gray and Ethel. NJ. Smith.