The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-03
Hold Demonstration in Other
Towns Over the State.
COURT BUDGET CAUSES ROW
Head of the Welfare Division
Places Blame on Hose.
Three Hundred March Down
City's PetticOat Lane.

ganizing the working girls OF the
city of Topeka. seemed to come to a
head late this afternoon. The reports
that "a big mass meeting for the pur-
pose of organizing and protesting
against the establishment of what
was termed an unfair minimum
wage" were verified in part this after
noon when John Webb. secretary OF
the Retail Clerks association local in
Topeka said:
Il can't make any definite state
ment about the mass meeting as yet.
because we have not got together on
il. We will talk more about it late
this afternoon. I can't say when the
mass meeting is to be held"
The impression is current that the
mass meeting is called in connection
with the demonstration which was
staged Thursday night at the Crosby
Brothers and the Warren NJ Crosby
stores.
i. O. Stevic. labor leader. stated this
afternoon that he knew nothing
definitely about the mass meeting
Il have heard rumors about it, and
have been trying to get to the source
OF them Steyic said ~Whatver there
is to it is from some outside source.
II there is new union to be organ
lied in Topeka. I'd like to be in on it.
and none of US authorized organizers
has called any such meeting"
It was stated that there is a large
y
morrow night at Labor hall. and that
the room could be used for any mass
meeting protesting against the work
ing girls clothing budget in the in
dustrial court
The city auditorium. late this after
noon. had not yet been secured for any
purpose
A girl who took part in the demon
stra:ion Thursday night. and who re-
fused to give her name. stated this
afternoon that If we hold a mass
meeting II will be for the purpose Of
organizing a new national union of
some sort. But we don't know yet
that we are going to hold any mass
meeting. We are going to wait till we
see what the industrial court does for
US"
1t was stated at Labor hall today
that there is already in existence a
union made up of railway clerks with
membership OF more than 500 in the
Santa F'e offices here. and that the
working girls in the Santa Fe offices
are eligible for membership in that
union
Little Interest in Clerks Union.
It was also stated that the Retail
Clerks association admitted women to
membership, but that the women had
not displayed any great interest in the
union and that few of them are men,
The trouble is that the employers
dignity the profession by calling their
clerks 'saIespeople' and the sales
people won't join a union and be
called clerks Stevic said.
There is in Topeka the charter Of
Bookkeepers' and Stenographers'
union, which has apparently lapsed
but which could be made operatfv
afternoon This is the only union that
would take care of girls employed in
the offices OF printing and publishing
businesses in TopekaI
Girls in Demonstration.
Three hundred girl employees of the
Capper publications, the Santa Fe Of
fees. the state printing plant and a
few smaller industries collected after
working hours Thursday evening and
made calls upon the Crosby Brothers
stores in indignation over the revela-
tons brought out at a hearing before
the Industrial court IN which prices
on a court budget We're quoted.
The industrial court prepared a
budget of the articles necessary for a
working girl. Based on present prices
the industries of the state were asked
TO attach costs to the items submitted
by the court. Miss Nell Berger of the
Crosby Brothers company was a wit
ness on behalf of the stores and quoted
prices on the articles as questioned by
the court
AS result of the testimony the in
dignation parade along Topeka's Pet
ticoat Lane was staged late Thursday.
The industrial court was relieved of
the responsibility of the girls wrath.
The girls made their first stop at
the Crosby Brothers store Swarming
in the main floor they demanded to
see the articles on which the prices
were quoted Earle Williams. mana
ger, met the delegation. Assuming one
mans stand against that OF 500 girls
he attempted. between outbursts, to
explain the socalled budget
The industrial court asked for
prices on a budget of living costs It
had prepared" he said. "All stores
called upon submitted these prices.
The items quoted TO the court simply
showed what a girl could get along
with il necessary. These prices were
not intended to limit in any waS-what
n girl should wear"
Miss Alice X. Mcfarland, head of
the welfare division of the Industrial
court. asserted today that persons con-
nected with the minimum wage hear
ing were in no manner responsible for
demonstrations in Topeka by working
girls She said similar demonstrations
had occurred, tho. in Hutchinson and
several other towns.
We always try to conduct an or
derby hearing and felt that the Topeka
investigation was one of the best we
have had" said Miss Mcfarland.
There Were no demonstrations during
the hearing and I believe everyone
concerned tried 90 meet the situation
in broad. fair minded way We old
not ask tho employers TO submit
budgets altho Mr. Williams of Crosby
Brothers told me he thought we could
agree on many items with amend
ments to the budget for clothing.
Hose Prices Cause Trouble.
Il believe most OF the trouble is due
estimates given by employers as to the
price of hosiery which a working girl
may buy. I do not believe il is ad-
visable for either the employers or
employees to offer extreme or extraor-
binary price exhibits Such action
usually results in a reaction and be-
live the protests from girls here have
been due to hostility to what they con-
slider unusually low allowance for
clothing costs There have also been