The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-06-11
new STANDARD
IN WAGE FIXING
official Of Wonlen's League
Urges Passage Of Sterling:
lehlbdCh Bills,

WASHINGTON, June 9.-speaking
in behalf of thousands women service
With the National Womens Trade
Union league, Miss Ethel M. Smith,
secretary of the legislative committee
bf the league, appeared before the
venate and house committee on civil
,ervice to advocate the passage of
The Sterling bills for re-
classification of the federal civil serv-
Ice. Her statement was as follows:
"Women in the civil service want
I new order of things. They pro-
test against the present conditions i'm
posed upon them by congress and the
department. heads. They want new
order, in which the traditions that
pate women's work at lower pay than
mems because it is done by women
shall be discarded for the standard
that requires equal pay for CORE
spOnding work and equal Opportun-
Ity for promotion, irrespective Of sex.
We want the bars let down before
women to any and all positions now
open to men and on equal terms with
men. We look to congress to cor
rect the existing determinations by
means of the proposed reclassifica-
lion law-by which we mean to say
the Sterling-Lehlbach bills, because
they provide for classification and
compensation by duties and work per-
formed, irrespective Of sex.
I'VE say that congress in the max
ing of that law should not be gov
erned necessarily by the standards Of
private employers in fixing women's
wages Congress should definitely
and determinedly depart at this point
from the competitiv principle of
wage fixing, and set a Standards
new standard-of wages and salaries
for women, of the basis Of work per-
formed. That is the only consistent
step for a government that processes
to put women on an equality with
men. Most private employers pay for
labor the lowest prices at which nee
essity force the workers to sell.
Women's handicapped position in So
lower prices than men. But the
United States government should not
buy labor at forced sale-last Of all
Women's labor.
At present there are $4,000 women
employees in the departments in WASH
ington and $4,000 men. that is, more
than half the employees are women
in the District of Columbia. But Is
the sum Of their salaries anywhere
near equal the sum of the mems
salaries? It is nothing like as great,
and the women's average salary is
3s 5000 less than the mems. The
women are massed in the lower grades
of pay. largely without regard to
their work. During two months dur
ing the war. when this question was
studied, and when women were being
appointed in greater numbers and at
better salaries than ever before in
the world. there were 5000 civil serv-
ice appointments Of which 4,600 went
to women and $500 went to men.
But only S per cent of the women
were appointed at more than $1,000,
while 46 per cent of the men were
appointed at more than that figure
There are comparatively very few
women in the service receiving more
than $1,8O0, or in an executive ca
paclty at all. Some department heads
Fix an actual dead line for promo.
tions of women, usually about $1,000
or $1,000. United States senators
have told US in so many words why
$4,000 is enough for woman.
And congress has expressed it.
faith in that idea by writing into Law
the recommendation Of Senator Smoo1
and Representative Wood to requir.
the labor department to limit tn,
salaries Of the women experts in tn.
women's bureau to $1,000, excep,
three at $4,000. while the men en-
gagged in comparable work for tn,
bureau Of labor statistics in the same
department may receive $4,000, $2,70(
and $4,000, and for Is experts in tn.
bureau Of efficiency the minimum
salary fixed by congress is $4,000. 4
number Of these receive $1,000.
There are women employed by tn,
United States government at SO
week, including the so-called wal
oonus.' There are large groups O.
women receiving less for skilled worl
IMAM men receive for unslilled labor
Fhere are forewomen in charge o
large and important divisions who ar.
paid less than men in charge %
e 9 49e l 8 =, tRReItaRt divisions d