The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-20
FOUR WAGE CASES
Industrial Court to Make Sur.
vey of Living Costs.
Much Trouble Experienced in
Changing Conditions in State.
WOMEN TO INVESTIGATE
Miss Alice Mcfarland Is Now
on Tour of Kansas.
Merchants VIII Be interviewed
as to Food Costs.

The question of determining what
is fair living wage under changing
industrial conditions is the principal
problem Of the Kansas court of in
dustrial relations just now.
In addition to the Wolff packing
company wage case which was de-
cided by the court May 2 and which
is pending on appeal before the
Kansas supreme court, four wage dis
puteS are now before the industrial
court for adjustment.
Trackmen of the Kansas City,
Leavenworth and Western railway
complained to the court that their
| wages were reduced January 1 from
40 cents to 80 cents an hour. The
the Wichita Railway and Light COM
pany, both owned by the Mckinley
syndicate, have asked the court for
permission to modify former orders
of the court by reducing wages OF
motormen and conductors cents an
hour or approximately 1 per cent.
The fourth case, just filed, is by
| chicken pickers employed in the
| Swift plant at Parsons. The scale
| for picking was cut recently from i "
to cents a fowl to II to 31z cents
| a fowl, which the employees claim is
| too low to permit a reasonable stand
ard of living.
Investigate Living Costs.
In each case submitted the indus
| trial court has sought to determine
| the cost of living as having an i'm
| portant bearing on a fair wage. In
! the Wolff case the court decided
/ that a reduction of approximately IL
! per cent in wages gave scale equiva-
| lent in purchasing power to the wages
! liShed as the minimum for common
labor with scale ranging up to 72 u
cents for various classes of work.
| In one of it's earliest cases the in.
| dustrial court defined a fair wage tc
be: "a wage which will enable the
workers to procure for themselves ano
/ their families all the necessaries ano
a reasonable share of the comforts Of
| life. They are entitled to a wage
: which will enable them by industry
and economy not only to supply them
selves with opportunities for intel
/ lectual advancement and reasonable
recreation. but also to enable the par
ents working together to furnish tc
the children ample opportunities fol
| intellectual and moral advancement
| for education, and for an equal oppor-
| tunity in the race of life. A fair wage
will also allow the frugal man to pro
vide reasonably for sickness and ole
age
! Women to Make Survey.
Independent of the data gathered
| in individual cases presented, th'
women's department of the industria
court is carrying on an investigation
to determine the cost of living O.
women in industry. Miss Alice Nc
Farland, factory inspector, is now OF
a tour of the state, interviewing er
j chants and others to find out foo(
costs in various sections of the stat'
in relation to a model budget prepared
| by the court.
The information gathered will b'
| used as the basis for possible revision
| of the minimum wage orders for WON
en- workers issued by the old industria
welfare commission, now consolidated
under the court. One of these order
fixes the minimum for experienced
| women clerks in retail establishment
| at $3.50 a week. A similar order fix
ing Sf1 week as a minimum TO
women factory workers has not -bee1
enforced because of a court injunction