The Washington herald., 1920-11-02
OPPOSES UNION
ON WAGE TALK
Easby-Smith Fights Particii.
patton in Laundry Pay
Discussion.

Strong opposition to participation
OF union labor officials in the Dis
trict minimum wage boards Sec
ond laundry conference was voiced
by members of the conference at a.
meeting in the District Building
board room yesterday.
James S. Easby-Smith. local at
torney and chairman of the confer
ence, led an attack directed nrina-
rlly against the National Fedora
tion of Federal Employees. In a
letter to Easby-Smith, the fedora
ton urged the conference ITO set a.
minimum wage of s19 a week for
women laundry workers here.
Calls Letter Improper.
Il resent the attempt Of un;on
labor to interfere in this confer
ence," Easb asby-Smith said. This Is
not a union labor conference. This
ietter is not a presentation of facts,
but of arguments. and believe
the people who presented the let
ter knew perfectly well that IL was
impropr to present it,"
The letter stated that the organ
IN WASH
ington constitute the largest mart
of the public and the largest body
OF consumers in the District of Co
lumbia." Easby-Smith Challenged
this statement. Luther c. Steward.
VINO was present at the meeting,
claimed an approximate membership
OF 22'OOO for the four local unions
of the federation. This number of
wnrkar1 hn
pendents. comprise the major part of
the city's population.
Statement Is Questioned.
In view of the statements and
arguments made here, l don't be.
! lieve that you represent the Iarg.
est part of the public" Easby-Smitt
! told Steward
| In defense of his position. Stew.
/ ard said that although the fedora.
| tion was labor organization, the
( members spoke as citizens of Wash.
| ington. and not in connection witt
I their labor affiliations.
The race question also arose promi.
I nently at the meeting. in relation tc
the labor unions communication
/ In the second paragraph of the fed
/ eration's request, this statement wa!
made:
We protest against difference.
in wage rates as between white anC
! colored workers, since the lowe,
rate which may be imposed on on,
/ color would be employed as an ar
gument to decrease the minimum
/ paid to the other"
Denies Color Discrimination.
The conference accepted this as
! sertion as meaning that the frs
I laundry conference, which urged
/ s14.50 minimum wage subsequent,
! rejected by the wage board. wa,
guilty of color discrimination
Easby-Smith denied this.
The report is utterly and total!
false" he declared. TT has NJ
foundation of fact l am SURPRISED
that anyone would quote or max,
such a statement"
The Rev. George A. Miller. mem
Der of the conference. attempted t,
fix the responsibility for a rumo
| of race discrimination on a repor
on laundry conditions made by tn
wOmen's bureau OF the Departmen n
of Labor.
The report was based on finding
of the bureau. made through exami
nations chiefly of conditions sur
rounding the work and home life o
colored women laundry workers
This, said DR.. Miller. might hav
| created the impression of disCrimi
! nation.
Woman AsssiIs Theory.
Mrs. Mildred J. Gordon, of the wo
| mems bureau, who assisted in com
piling the report, assailed thi
| theory.
Il heard the rumor." she said
before the report was made pub
! lie"
The report, she continued. wa
based largely on Colored workers
because they made up the bulk o
]