The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-05-05
WOMEN'S BUREAU PROVES
WORTH TO EMPLOYERS AS
WELL AS EMPLOYEES.
Created by Republican Congress to
Promote Welfare of Wage-Earn-
ing Women.

| Ing women.
The Women's Bureau of the De
partment of Labor is rapidly win
ming cooperation of employers in it
'constructive work of industrial pro
lection for women wage-earners. Tn
bureau has no mandatory powers; SC
whatever influence 1t Yields ant
whatever cooperation it enlists il
due solely to the recognition upol
the part of employers of its meri
torious work.
The Women's bureau was created
by an act of the Republican Congress
elected in 1918. The bill to create
it was introduced in the House by
Representative Campbell, Republican
of Kansas, and in the Senate by Sena
tor Kenyon, Republican, of Iowa
Both the Senate and House were Re
publican, and under Republican lead
ership the bill was enacted into the
law, which became effective on june
5, 1910. According to the act Great
ing it, "it shall be the duty of the
bureau to formulate standards and
policies which shall promote the well
fare of wage-earning women, i'm
prove their working conditions, in
crease their efficiency and advance
their opportunities for profitable en-
ployment." The far-reaching effects
of such work is easily realized when
it is known that between 100000
and 100000 are at present engaged
in gainful pursuits.
One of the tasks at hand which the
Women's bureau is effectively hand
ling is that of winning recognition Of
the principle of an equal wage for
men and women engaged in like
work. This principle was laid down
for industry during the war by the
War Labor board at the time Chief
Justice Taft was its chairman. With
the passing of the War Labor board
the work for equal wage was taken
up by the Women's bureau.
The chief barrier to the consum-
nation of this work is the tradition
al belief so prevalent that women
workers are DESTROYS of earning mere
ly pin money" and that at best they
are supplementing the income of the
family and that their wage is not
to the support of anyone
else or even of themselves altogether.
Too many employers have assumed
that women workers had only them
selves to support at the most, where
as the average man had to be paid a
wage sufficient to support not only
himself but family Acting upon
his assumption, women's wages were
Kept abnormally low.
The Women's bureau has compiled
lata to refute this assumption. This
lata was compiled from survey of
200 women workers. This survey
disclosed the fact that dependents
we're supported wholly by per cent
# all the women in the survey; but
"a per cent of women whose week
Y wage was between $500 and ST.
o; by 1871 per cent of women whose
weekly wage. was between $3.50 and
5000, and by 13 per cent of women
yhose wages were $4,000 or more a
yeek.
Approached from another angle, !
he survey showed that SO per cent |
all women employees contributed |
II their earnings to the common
amily expenses and SO per cent con-
ributed a part of their earnings.
UGH statistics put a very serious
base upon the question >of wages
or women and have been very in
,rumental in persuading employers
} adopt the policy of paying equal
age for like work, regardless of sex
{ employees.
Another activity of the bureau is
,rm state legislation governing con-
tions under which women work.
Unfortunately, much of the legisla-
on regulating women in industry
as been enacted on a hit or miss
asis and what is permissible in one
ate is illegal in another. This has
roved a detriment to those en-
Ioyers in states which have more
gid laws because the product of
lch employers entering into inter-
ate commerce in competition with
roducts in states having tax laws
Re at disadvantage on account of
lie difference in production costs.
he efforts of the bureau is being
irected to standardize legislation in
lie 48, states.
The bureau has proved its worth to
9TH employee and employer. Woman
Ibor, as a whole. is standing solidly
ehind the work of the bureau,
hich is steadily gaining support
I'd cooperation from employers who
'e realizing that as result of the
lreau's work higher standard of
Dor is being obtained and with it
etter spirit among employees.