Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-07-06
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION
SETS MINIMUM WAGE.


A new minimum wage rate for ex-
perienced employees over II years of
age was fixed by the state industrial
commission Thursday.
The new minimum rate increases
the present one of p cents an hour to
25 cents. 1t applies to all cities of
5000 or over and in communities
which are part of the industrial area
of such cities. The wage scale be-
comes effective August l.
In other parts of the state the pres
ent rate for experienced employees of
% cents an hour is left unchanged.
The commissions order is the out
come of a petition for the increase
which it has had under consideration
for many months. The petition asked
for an increase in the minimum wage
rates and reduction in the hours of
/ labor of women and minors.
No Change in Hours.
On the matter of hours the COM
mission finds in it's report that the
evidence secured in the series of
hearings it conducted was not suffici-
ent to establish that present maxi
mum hours of labor are injurious to
the health of women or minor en-
ployes.
Consequently, it does not make any
change in the present maximum
hours of labor 1t announces, how
ever, that it will continue to make
Investigations in various industries to
determine whether present regulations
are unsatisfactory or injurious to the
health of women employees.
The beginning rate during the first
three months of the learning period is
reduced from eighteen cents per hour
to sixteen cents per hour. No change
is made in the present rate of twenty
cents per hour for the second three
months of employment in any indus
try, and similarly no change is made
in the present provision of six
months learning period. For minor
employees between Ia and 16 years Of
age the new rate is fifteen cents per
hour during the first year of employ
ment and twenty cents per hour dur
ing the second year, instead of fiat
eighteen cents for all children up to
16. Minors between 16 and II may be
paid sixteen cents per hour during
the first six months in any industry
and must be paid twenty cents there
after.
This new minimum wage order is
almost identical with the new rates
which were put in force in Minnesota
in January 1921.
Petition Failed Last Fall.
The petition upon which this de-
cision Of the commission has now
been made was filed last fall by the
Wisconsin State Federation of Labor,
Milwaukee Council of Social Agencies,
and the Wisconsin Consumers league.
1t is prepared upon extensive investi-
cations into the cost of living of self
supporting women in all parts of the
state and in towns of all sizes.
Twenty-eight public hearings were
held in Is cities of the state and
great mass of testimony was present
ed to the commission.
The commissions decision carries
out the determination which was
unanimously reached by the advisory
wage board at a meeting held in Ma
olson on June Is. This advisory wage
board is constituted of four represen-
tatives of employers selected by the
employers organizations of this state:
Louis e. Heilbronner, Holeproof Ho-
siery company, Milwaukee; Stephen
Gesell, president Campbell laundry
Milwaukee; T. G. Murray, Burdick &
Murray, Madison; Conrad Shearer,
Kenosha Employers association, Ken
osha; 4 representatives of employees
selected by the labor unions of the
state, Miss Irma Hochstein, Madison;
Mrs. G. P. Turner, Madison; A. j.
Linck, Racine; James P. Sheehan,
Milwaukee, and four representatives
of the public who were selected by
the commission after a conference
with the representatives of employers
and emplyes, DR.. Ida L. Schell, Mil
waukee; Prof. John r. Commons, Ma
olson; D. E. Mcdonald, Oshkosh, and
the Rev. James j. Oberle, Milwaukee
State Journal.