Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-19

Iley submitted.
The Woman's Bureau believes that
two women representatives or the
public should be in every wage con-
ference, rather than two men and
one woman. 1t also says that more
women should attend the hearings
of the wage conferences, because
women know more than men about
buying and what a girl a live on.
For instance a Woman's Bu-
e "a representative says, Mrs. New
ton Baker was once on the WASH
ington minimum wage board. She
was the first person to bring up the
point that If a girl is expected TO
wear a suit two years some provision
should be made for reclining 1T. NO.
girl, she said, could wear an mex
pensive suit steadily for two years,
| without a repair bill. The men at
the conference had never thought
of this and one was inclined politely
but firmly to discount the idea. But
any woman would uphold Mrs.
! Baker,
Washington has for several weeks
been debating the question whether
the minimum wage for store en-
ployes should be reduced from
$16.50 to $15.25. The conference
has submitted it's recommendation
hat the rate of $3.50 be contin-
ued, and this is practically sure OF
being confirmed by the wage board.
At a hearing the other day low
priced suits were exhibited by buyers
from different department stores.
The men fingered the material and
said that the suits looked pretty
good The women around the con-
ference table held up the skirt to
see how wide each was. A cheap
skirt, they said, often runs too mar
row for my but a very slim person
to wear In comfort. The women ask
ed whether such suits were always
in stock in all sizes. They asked
girls to put on the coats because 1t
was explained some garments that
look all right on a rack are badly
tailored.
The same thorough tactics were
! carried out with the different arti-
cIes of a girls wardrobe. Shoes,
stockings, serge dress, "dress-up
| dress, coat, shirtwaists, gloves, and
summer dresses were all submitted
| to a third degree examination. AS
| cross examiners of the buyers the
women members of the conference
| put the men in the shade. They ex-
pressed expert, neutrality-suspicious.
| opinions as to which garments
| shown were good values and which
were attractive but shoddy.
Must Shop for Bargains
A representative of the Women's
Bureau, who approved the values OF
a good many of the articles exhibit
ed, pointed out that n factor
should be considered, and the factor
was one that wage boards ave no
1- tl~,rIt Af Cha cot6 thu
she believed the satisfactory exhibits
to be the best buys of the. particular
stores from which they came. That
is, only one store showed shirt waists
at $3.50 Another store exhibited g
silk dress at $3.50. But the store
employe with little time for shop
ping ought not to be asked to make
a complete round of the stores &c
hunt out there exceptional values
the expert explained.
The minimum wage employee Is
expected to buy as cheaply al she
can without sacrificing wearing val.
ues. But her budget should not be
made up from exceptional cases oil
unusual stores values, nor from bar
gain prices. The clerk can rarely
attend bargain sales. She has no sur
plus funds to buy a winter coat
Cledp III May lOT USE itkt NllltVii
And such bargain counters as she
does reach are apt to be piled will
plaids and gay colors which employ
es are not allowed to wear in mos
shops. These things women bring
up at the wage hearings.
The encouraging feature of mini
mum wage legislation to the persons
working for it is that a broader view
point is prevailing. Small amounts
very small of course, are being al
lowed for vacation, dentist and doe
tors bills, recreation. and carfare.
The carfare item, eight round
trips a week, was contested in this
city. The girls could and should
walk to work an employer or
the board held. A Public Health
woman doctor answered that while
walking might be healthful exercise
it is impossible to force people to
take exercise by cutting down wages.
"A girl, or you, or l." she said,
will ride to work to save her ener.
gy and skimp on her lunch"
The Public Health doctor also
scored sandwich and pie lunches and
advocated a substantial luncheon fol
| the women who must so back te
work all afternoon. To the sugges.
] ton that government workers who