Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-10
Merchants See No Effect on
Present ScaIe-Women
Plan Meeting Here.
SENATOR BORAH SEES
NEED OF AMENDMENT
Legislation to Prevent Close De-
cisions on Constitutionality
Declared Necessary.

A national conference of women's
organizations to be held in Washing
ton to study the effects of the deci-
sion yesterday by the United States
Supreme Court declaring unconstitu-
tional the law fixing minimum wages
of women and girls employed in tho
District was seen today as one ot
the first results of this decision.
The plan for the conference was re-
vealed in a statement from Ethel NJ
Smith, legislative secretary of the
National Women's Trade Union
League
The proposal for an amendment to
the Constitution making it possible
for Congress and the states to legis-
late for minimum wages was foreseen
today by Senator Borah of Idaho re-
publican, chairman of the Senate com
mittee on education and labor, as a
result of the Supreme Court decision
yesterday. Senator Borah is author
of a bill providing that a law enacted
by Congress and approved by the
President shall be held unconstitu-
tional by the Supreme Court only in
the event that seven members of the
court concurred in the decision that
the act is unconstitutional.
The decision yesterday, Senator
Borah said. undoubtedly will strength
en- his contention that there is a de-
mand for such legislation.
Wages Not to BE Lowered.
Meantime, local interest was con-
cerned principally today with the i'm
mediate effects in Washington on the
wages paid women and girls. Brig.
Gen. Anton Stephan, president OF the
Merchants and Manufacturer AS
4 II JX-h lob he "a nrif ~
of local estabkshments effected by
of women and girls will not be low
cred here and that the decision was
what the merchants had expected
from the beginning. He confined his
comment to this statement.
At the same time T. A. Mckee Of
the Metropolitan Hotel, president of
ington, and S. A. Manuel, chairman
| of this body'S legislative committee,
| expressed similar sentiments-that no
general reduction OF wages among
| to follow the Supreme Courts deci-
/ sion.
! Future Status I'm Doubt.
The future status of the minimum
wage board, which enforced the law.
appeared to be somewhat in doubt to-
day. The Commissioners considered
IL
and decided to ask Corporation Coun-
sci Stephens for an opinion as to
whether any part of the law remains
in effect, or whether yesterdays de-
cision renders the entire statute in
valid.
Members of the wage board stated
today that they had not seen a copy
of the courts decision and were not
certain whether the verdict relieves
the board of the duty of regulating
. ha 80 irlc
ton on which the United States Su-
preme Court acted, they pointed out.
involves only the question of fixing
wages for adult women.
Few Are Minors.
However. only a very small per-
centage Of those for whom wages
have been fixed by the board are
and minors in the four industries for
which minimum rates have been 1xed
is 1880 OF this number only 500
are minors.
Aside from the status of the minors
all agreed today that it is certain the
board no longer can fix wages for
women.
Among the organizations that will
be communicated with by the Wom-
ems Trade Union League on the sub
ject of national conference, are
the National Consumers League. the
National League of Women Voters.
the Y. W. c. A, the w. c. T. u,
the Girls Friendly Society. the Ma
tional Council of Jewish Women, the
National Council of Catholic Women.
the General Federation of Women's
Clubs. the American Association Of
| University Women, the National
Congress of Mothers and Parent
Teacher Associations, the National
| Council of Women, the National Fed
| Grafton of Business and Professional
| Women and others.
In the statement she issued today
Miss Ethel Smith said: TSomething