The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-06-25
Short ROasts Hart For
Fixing" Industrial
Welfare Commission

The Industrial Welfare Commits
sion failed on Tuesday, June l6 to
fix the wages of women in industries
at $1S per week. minimum, there
being a tie vote of two to two. The
rate of $1S agreed upon in recent
conferences for women working in
manufacturing establishments is none
too much to give them a living in
minimum comfort.
President Short jumps on Gov
ernor Hart with both feet for his
political Juggling in fixing" the
commission, and his language is
none too drastic. Commissioner
Younger deserves just as bitter
dose as was administered to His
Accidency, Gov. Louis F. Hart. Pres-
dent Short said:
"Well the cards are at last face
up on the table. The women of our
state now know the political Jug
glery that has been practiced to per-
vert the State Industrial Welfare
Commission and make it subservient
to the interests of the employers and
against the interests of the women
wage workers of our state.
"Some time ago | issued a public
statement in which l charged that
the governor at the behest of the
employers, planned to change the
entire personnel of the commission
so that the SIS minimum that had
been established for our women
workers could be discarded. The gov
ernor issued a statement denying
that he planned doing this. My for
80 ,nnio+oI tbat
tain appointive office holders under
the control and direction of the gov
ernor had changed their attitude
towards a fair minimum and were
now working against the interests of
the women wage workers.
"State Labor Commissioner Young
er Immediately issued a statement
denying that any pressure had been
brought to bear on him by the gov
eInor and denying that he was
against a fair minimum. His vote
yesterday confirms the charge that
/ made in the former statement, and
which | knew to be true. | charged
that Mrs. Griswold had been removed
because of her human sympathies
and desire for justice, and that her
successor would be one who would
vote and work against the interests
of the women wage earners. The
vote of Mrs. Redpath conforms that
also. The vote yesterday was tie
vote, DR.. Marvin and Mrs. Kennedy
voting in favor of the decent mini
mum, and Mrs. Redpath and c. II.
successor to Mrs. Hardgrove of Spo-
kane can be found the vote will then
be to against the women workers.
The vacancy created by Mrs.
Hardgroves resignation has not been
filled as yet, due to the difficulty the
governor is having in finding one
other woman in the state who will
betray the interests of the women
wage workers. But he eventually
will find one.
The women of our state, from
every walk Of life, are incensed and
outraged at the perversion that has
been practiced on our state mini
mum wage law and the injustice
being done our women wage workers.
Those responsible for this betrayal
are going to find it pretty hard sled
ding in the few months Immediately
ahead. Meanwhile, there is only one
way out for the women wage work
ers and that is organization in the
trades union movement, where their
interests can be permanently con-
served without being subject to fic-
kleness and trickery of politics.
Governor Hart has perverted his
office as no other man who has ever
been honored with the position has
dared to, and his day of reckoning
will be the 14th of September of this
year. The State of Washington
needs a governor, not a lackey, and
the people of Washington can be
depended on to nominate one on the
above named day"
mimi. of II Ronnnnn hon, III