The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-18
RESTRICTIONS GRIPPING WORK
Or RfIREAII

Legislative restrictions are Gripping
the work of the women's bureau of the
u. S. department of labor, according
to the third annual report of the direc-
tor of that bureau. Although the
agents of the bureau must be skilled
experts, with wide experience, congress
has limited their salaries to $500 a
year except for three, who may be
paid $1,000. The result of this restric-
ton is, according to the report, "a dis
elimination against few highly
trained women who are doing most
valuable work at a rate Of pay con-
siderably less than that paid for sim
liar work in other departments and in
other sections of the department of
labor itself. Unless this restriction is
removed it will be impossible to recruit
highly trained workers for the work of
the bureau. There is no way in which
the bureau could be more completely
crippled than by eliminating the pos
sibility Of employing expert workers.
and it is earnestly recommended that
every effort be made to relieve the
bureau of this restriction.
Figures gathered 10y the women's bu-
reau have shown that, contrary to pub
lie impression at the present time less
than living wage is being paid to
very large groups of women in indus
try. These figures have been gathered
during Investigations Of wages, hours,
and working conditions for more than
$4,000 women in three states, and for
hours and working conditions for more
than 10000 women in two other states.
Studies have also been made of work
ing conditions for women employed in
two departments of the federal gov
eminent.
The state wage investigation showed
that in Kansas 90 per cent of the
women in industry were receiving less
than SO a week, and 80 per cent less
than $12 q week. In many cases the
women who were earning these low
wages were also responsible for the
support of other members of their
families In Rhode Island wages were
higher, one-haf of the women receiv-
ing less than S16.S5 a week, but in some
industries wages were very low, no
tably the ) and 10 cent stores, where
half the women received less than
$119 a week In Georgia half the
white women were receiving less than
$500 a week and Sab a year. Very long
hours also prevailed in Georgia, where
1873 per cent of the women worked So
hours a week or longer In Iowa,
which is one CT the five states which do
not limit daily or weekly hours for
women, it was found that some women
were working as long as IS hours a
week in a candy factory, and "a hours
a week in a food factory.
AS a result of three years contact
with nation wide problems regarding
the employment of women, the director
of the bureau emphasizes the need for
a more extensive program of work for
the bureau, so that consideration may
be given to some pressing questions,
such as the effect of special legislation
upon the employment of women, the
effect of piece work. posture, lifting
weights and employment in hazardous
industries. Other subjects which the
bureau wishes to include in its pro-
gram are compilation from the new
census Tor 1920 of special MARTIAL re-
lating to women in industry a codifi-
cation of laws regulating conditions
for women in industry, and an extern
sion of its educational work.