The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-07-19
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- 80 BAL - " Doc INV ~ lNAk
VA A cheap skirt, theT -
often runs too narrow for r
avery slim person to wear n
fort The women asked vi6Sfse5
such suits we're always in stoclsis
Gil sizes. They asked girls Is 4 \
on the coats because it Wae<ss
planned some garments thatsass
al right on rack are badlr ~.
ored.
The same thorough tactics -.
carried out with the different IN. /
cles Of Z girls wardrobe. S6srs
stockings, serge dress, '.dreasdos
Dress" coat, shirtwaists, gloves 81
summer dresses were ali sp6rfif.
ted to . third degree examinsti6s
AS cross examiners OF the buyeSr
the women members OF the cohfef.
ence put the men in the shs1s
They expressed expert. based-op.
experience opinions as to which
garments shown were good yaIue.
and which were attractive kut
shoddy.
Must Shop for Bargains',
A representative of the wumsn,s
bureau, who approved the yal,fe AZ
. good many Of the articles exhih.
tied. pointed out that one factor
should be considered, and the fac.
tor was one that wage boards hsya
not generally thought of. She sAid
that she believed most of the salts
factory exhibits to be the best buty
Of the particular stores from which
they came. That is, only one stor9
showed shirtwaists at $1.50. AZ.
other store exhibited a silk dress Il
$3.50. But the store employe with
little time for shopping ought hot
to be asked to make a complets
round of the stores to hunt out
these exceptional values, the e1pert
explained.
The minimum wage employe d
expected to buy as cheaply as she
can without sacrificing wearing
values. But her budget should not
be made up from exceptional cases
Of unusual store values, nor IRON
bargain prices. The clerk. oan
rarely attend bargain sales. ShA
has no surplus funds to buy vim
ter coat cheap in May for use neyt
winter. And such bargain count
ers as she does reach are apt to-
be piled high with plaids and gay
colors which employees are not al
lowed to wear in most shops. These
things women bring up at the wage
hearings. AZ
The encouraging feature Of mini
mum wage legislation to the per-
sons working for it is that broad
er viewpoint is prevailing. Small
amounts, very small OF course, are
being allowed for vacation, dentzt
and doctors bills, recreation and
i carfare. -
The carfare item, eight round
trips a week, was contested in this
city. The girls could and should
walk to work. an employer on the
board held. A public health WON
an doctor answered that while
walking might be healthful exer-
else it is impossible to force peo-
pie to take exercise by cutting
down wages.
"A girl, or you, or t. she said,
Twill ride to work TO save her en-
ergy and skimp on her lunch.
The public health doctor also
| scored sandwich and pie lunches
and advocated substantial lunch
con for the woman who must 30
back to work all afternoon. To the
suggestion that government work
ers who make higher salaries aver
age 10 cents for lunches in one bu-
reau the doctor retorted that no
girl should be kept from buying .
substantial lunch by lack of mon
ey. She may choose to save the
money for something else, but The
should have the chance to take care
of her health.
The discouraging side Of the min
| imum wage legislation, as pointed
out by the labor department. is that
in almost every case such legisla-
ton represents a compromise. In
consequence, the wage set is never
quite as high as welfare experts
wish it. 80
In California the minimum wage
for some industries has recently
been reduced from SIG to SIS. end
the general tendency is for en-
ployers to seek reductions. They
claim cheaper living costs. The
woman's bureau reports that whils
some items. clothes, for example,
may be cheaper. other expenses re-
main at high levels, and the best
minimum wage schedules now IN
force are none too liberal. but II
they can be maintained without re-
duction few years and if the cost
Of living drops the employees may
I.have a real minimum living wage.