The Washington times., 1923-04-10
. no ES I
WAGES
RULE
vvomen's Organizations. and
Progressives Call Conference
to Fight Decision.

A nationwide protest against
the minimum wSge decision Of the
supreme Court of the United
States will be organized by the
National Women's Trade Union
League immediately. =
Announcement was made today
that 3 conference will be held IN
washington to which the National
Consumers, League, the National
Tseanue of lg0uAear oters, the
Y gF. %. AL. the W.. c. Il. ", the,
Giris' Friendly Societies, the Ma
tional Council Os 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 Women.
the National Congress of Mothers
and Parent-Teacher Associations,
and the National Federation Of
Business and Professional Women
will be invited to send representa-
tives.
Wants Courts Humanized.
Something must be done to hui
mamie the courts or the Constitu.
tion," declares Miss Ethel M, Smith,
the labor representative on the Dis
trict Minimum Wage Board, and the
legislative secretary of the National
Women's Trade Union League. 1.-The
women of the country have seen two
child-labor laws invalidated, and now
the minimum wage law for women,
which they have worked nearly
twenty years to put on the statute
ooks of fourteen States, goes by the
board.
THE women's other statute, the
Sheppard-Towner maternity law. is
also awaiting a decision from this
same Supreme Court, with the least
possible encouragement now that
he court, with its new personnel.
has added another decision which
leaves out of consideration from start
to finish the social point of view, the
public interest, and. in fact, the
human element.
LIN principle there can be no
difference between. the case of sell
ng labor and the case of selling
goods, says Justice Sutherland and
his four associates Of the majority.
court in the land again puts human
labor on the basis of a commodity,
and the labor contract on the basis
of barter and sale. 1t could not well
have gone backward more decisive
ly."
Must Depend on Unions.
Officials Of the American Fedora.
ton Of Labor also expressed them.
selves today in emphatic terms re-
garding the Supreme Court mini
mum wage decision. They regard
it as an end to the long campaign
TO stabilize or adjust wages through
the process of the law, and that
labor hereafter will be forced to
depend exclusively upon the eco
nomic weapons at it's command in
the defense of it's rights.
The District Commissioners today
directed Frank H. Stephens, Dis.
trict Corporation Counsel, Ito give
q legal opinion of the effect of
the decision of the Supreme Court
of the United States in declaring
the minimum wage law unconstitu'
tional.
There was some talk today that
the board might seek to continue
its work, regulating salaries OF
minors. One member of the board
declared that she was of the
opinion that the decision, did not
change the law so far as it az
fected minors. However, District
lawyers, 1t IL said, think the law
affects both women and minors.
Stephens will be asked to inform
the Commissioners whether there
is any further work for the wage
board to do. If not, the board 5
work will be ended and it's office
in the District Building closed.
CunO H. Rudolph, president OF
the Boar Of Dist let Commissioners,
expressed the opinion today that
the action of the higher court
would not materially affect the
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