The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-23
OF MINIMUM Wo.
MAN WAGE LAW GENERALLY
DISAPPRONED.

pISAFFHONEOs
! Coincident with the renewed activitie:
Il the National Women's Party to secure
he repeal Of all legislative discrimina-
ion against women comes the decision
f the court of appeals, Of the District
# Columbia, invalidating the District
minimum wage law which, as one writer
| Expresses it, gives point to the pro-
ests'' against this effort of the ultra
feminist group. IN the decision The
court "argues, in effect" to quote the
New York Times, that since women are
politically equal with men they must
re treated physically and economically
quail" thus, the Philadelphia Bulletin
points out, denying justification for
preferential economic legislation 1or
yOmen."
While the decision challenges as well
the essential fairness and justice Of
minimum wage laws" it is its political
spect that receives most attention in
ditorial discussion, although the eccno-
mic theories put forth by the court are
lso attacked and, in few papers, sup
,orted.
This opinion Of federal court says
he Boston Traveller, Sounds more Ike
n attorneys brief for one side OF q case
han an opinion of the BENCH for. the
oittsburg Leader adds, when the high
,st court of review picks out such phTas-
IS as indiscriminate legislation I'd
judicial jugglery' the man on the c;:rb-
stone may be pardoned for absorbing the
impression that exalted judges, after all.
ire not essentially different from the
citizens of common clay. The departure
rom judicial calm and pcise too pro-
bounced to be ignored"
AS editors all point out, minimum
wage legislation has been declared con-
,titutional heretofore in every case
rhere the issue has been raised. and the
Sew York Globe notes that the decision
4 the district court of appeals rs the
irst announcement that any high Ameri-
AN court considered the minimum wage
aw impossible under the Constitution"
this decision is sustained by the
Tnited States supreme court, to which
he matter will now go, the Boston
transcript points out that 1t will de-
troy all minimum wage legislation" and
hat on 1.-The contention that mon and
vornen are now on an equality before the
lw."
The theory that because women have
oeen accorded equality in political and
commercial fields they no longer need
special protection" is, the New York
Globe says. "a doctrine preached with
equal vehemance by irreconcilabie fem
jnists and die-hard tories" but in the
opinion of the Newark News lit is some
what to be doubted whether the entry
II women into industry has been carried
far enough to disassociate them from
their old relationships and changed the
more OF less casual @nature Of their EN-
ployment to such an extent that it can
De argued that the welfare OF women is
adequately guarded by the fact that they
have been given political rights" The
Manchester Union regards the decision
was being 'In the very spirit OF eigh-
teen century !ndividualtsm with its in
sistence upon the unqualified right Of
individual contract, ana women is re-
garded as being on precisely the same
plan economically as man because she
is on the same plane politically" The
fallacy of that argument inspires the
Boston Globe to satire. Perhaps. it says.
the nineteenth amendment gave
women commercial equality with men
in the District of Columbia.
But in other important industrial and
districts Of the nation she
has not Vet discovered the equality.
Her victory in winning the vote concerns