Evening star., 1922-11-05

4 =
ing will he lowered, or, for that mat
ter. there will be any great reduction
| of wages.
where Congress has sole jurisdicti"T
so far as lawmaking Is concerned
/! there was enacted into law an ac'
Establishing a minimum wage board
Ito declare "standardS of minimum
wages for women in the District OF
ICoIumbia, and what wages are IN.
adequate to supply the necessary cos'
of living to any such women Worker.
TO maintain them in good health ano
! to nrotect their morals as well as
standards of wages for minors. Here
vas direct recognition by Congress
! of the living wage question:
| Another measure advanced IN Con
/ eress which undertakes 10 estapias.
| living wage by fixing a minimum
wage was the so-called Nolan Dill
Itch nroposed that all employees OF
tbe government should receive g
minimum of So a day. This olli passeo
the House and the Senate, put recon
sideration was asked IN '"o
and it never became law.
Labor Boards Duties.
In nassing the transportation act
which created the Railroad Labor
po,rd Congress said that decisions
of the board in respect to wages mus
establish rates of pay and stanearos
of working conditions that, in the
oninion of the board, are Just ano
70. .sonable." and that it must. among
other things, take into consideration
..,he relation between wages and cost
of living"
The recently enacted law estab-
fishing the United States Coal com
mission, to inquire into the coal ihoos-
,ry. REQUIRES the commission TO suo-
mit recommendations relative 70 as.
certaining and standardizine ene Gus s
of living for mine Workes az" s,,n.
ing conditions which must pc SUP,
niied or afforded in order to SURROUND
the workmen with reasonable com
forts" ,h.+
Congress has for someN Tune na9 ~
mind that something must pc oone
to assure to the workers OF the cohn-
trv wages that will enable them 10
live and enjoy some of the comforts
The Secretary of Labor. in a speech
delivered a few days ago, declared IN
favor not merely of living wage,
hut in favor of a Saving wage'-a
wage that would enable workers to
put by something for a rainy day.
Criticism IL Probable.
It seems likely that the Railroad
Labor Board will be in for not a lit
tie criticism when the lawmakers re-
assemble here in Washington and be-
gin again a course of speechmaking.
because of the boards fling at 1.-The
living wage" in its recent decision.
The decision probably will be inter-
preted by enemies of the board as
meaning that 1t is not necessary to
nav the workers living wage" AS
q matter of fact the decision does not
mean any such thing, but merely at
tacks "the living wage" which mas
been set up as standard by certain
interested parties.
Any attempt in this country to es-
tablisfi a living wage standard for
any group of people is bound to meet
with difficulties. AS has already been
said, the government had sucn an eX-
perience in attempting to set up 4
standard for government clerks in
Washington. Such a standard IL left
to the workers might we'll be fixed
too high, and II left to the employers
might just as we'll be fixed too low.
Unless the whole scheme of things
is to be upset, it should not be estab-
lished higher than the worker In able
to return in amount Of production.