Evening star., 1923-05-18
CR|T|C|zES COURT
FOR WAGE DECISION
Social Conference Speaker
Says "Necessary Law Has
L. Been 0bIiterated."

"A sharp criticism Of the recent Su-
pfeme Court decision on the minimum
wage case in the District of Column
bia was made by Mrs. Florence Kel-
Icy Of New York. general secretary
or the National Consumers League.
In an address at the opening session
this morning of the National Con-
ference of Social Work. devoted to
Industrial problems. at Calvary Bap-
tist Church. Miss Grace Aabott. chief
OF the chfldren's bureau, Department
Of Labor: John 4. Lapp. National
Catholic Welfare Council. Chicago,
and Samuel McCune Lindsay of CO.
lumbia University. New York. also
spoke on the general topic OF so
ctal Standards in Industry" Rev.
Jphn A. Ryan of the National Cath
olic Welfare Council here, chairman
or the committee on industry. pre-
sided
Characterizing the opinion of the
nigh court as new Dread Scott
decision" and progress Backward"
Mrs. Kelley declared that under the
pressure Of competition in American
industry at this time it establishes
in the practical experience OF the
unorganized. the unskilled. the illit-
crate. the alien and the industrially
subnormal woman wage earners the
constitutional right to starve."
Continuing, Mrs. Kelley said:
Decision "PrOgress backward"
THE progress of labor legislation
w hA ,,T
upon public opinion. not upon Con-
gress and the states. not upon the
needs OF the Wase-earnerS or the de-
vslopment of industry. The progress
OF labor legislation depends. in the
last analysis. upon thte personnel cf
the Supreme Court of the United
States and the social and economic
opinions of five judges The recent
adverse decision in the minimum
wage case in the District of Column
oiate effect was confusion in ali of
the state legislatures in session on
April IL and since that date.
The decision obliterated a work
able and necessary law for freeing
wage-earning women in the District
OF Columbia from the lash of starva-
tion.'
Since this decision social workers
are confronted by the question. How
can the Constitution and the court he
most quickly and effectively modern
iZed to meet the needs of industrial
life in the United States at the close
OF the first quarter of the twentieth
century? Compared with the urgency
or this question. all other discussion
demic.
DR. Lindsay. who is professor OF So
cial legislation at Columbia Cniver-
slty; urged the addition of an indus
trial reia tions topic to the standards :
promulgated by the National Confer
ence of Social Work in 1912 This
topic would be a newer method for
conferences between recognized rep
resentatives Of employers and EN-.
p!oyes concerning working conditions
and for the prevention OF industrial
disputes and the better cooperation
in the joint tasks of workers and
management IN industry, he said.
Discusses Social Insurance.
The Present Status of Social In
surance" was discussed by MFR. Lapp.
he declared that If complete sys-
ter Of social insurance were In opera
ton 1t would decrease dependency and
destitution by fully IS per cent.
when the great spectres of lfe
sickness. accidents, old age dependen-
cy. death of the bread winner, and
unemployment. cease to be the great
fears In lives of men, said he land
when the ranks of the destitute are
recruited in only slight degree from
Utilization has been fully developed
for the victims of accident and dis
ease. social workers may turn their
attention hopefully to the care of
the diminished mass
social insurance will to a con-
siderable degree stabilize conditions
and stop the recruiting Of the ranks
Of the destitute. When the program
is entirely rounded out 1t will prac
ffcally stop up the main channels by
which people pass from economic in
Gependence into precarious living.
restitution and pauperism II we
conceive of complete scheme OF
social insurance in operation in anv
state, we might reasonably expect
the new cases in the files of social
organizations would decrease fully T5
per cent" ~