Evening star., 1923-04-26
ORGANIZE WOMEN,
IS D. c. WAGE CRY
A. F. L. Officers Say Pay Has
Been Cut 80 to so Per Cent
Since High Court Ruling.

Claiming that there have been from
go to so per cent cuts In salaries of
woman workers in the District since
the Supreme Court declared the mini
mum wage law OF the District uncon-
stitutional, a conference of the ma
tional officers of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor and other trade
union organizers, presided over by
Samuel Gompers, today decided upon
an intensive campaign to bring these
women into a permanent organization
as organized labor's reply to the Su-
preme Court decision.
This executive conference adopted
a resolution declaring for an inten-
sive campaign of organization, to be
known as the permanent conference
for the protection Of the rights and
interests of women wage earners.
Weekly meetings are to be held on
Thursdays. and such other meetings
will be held IS a campaign committed e
Of five may deem desira BILE. The COM
mittee IN charge OF the organization
campaign are: Frank Morrison. secre-
tary of the American Federation of
Labor: Miss Ethel Smith. secretary of
the Women's Trade Union League:
Miss Rose Forester, representing the
clerks in railway Offices: Newton
James, secretary of the Central La Dor
Union, and C. c. Coulter. representing
the retail clerks.
To Meet in Indiana.
The executive council of the ma
tional organization of retail clerks
is to meet in Lafayette. Ind. on May
I, and Immediately following that
| conference the national president of
| the retail clerks organization is COM
| ing to Washington with several of
their best organizers.
The American Federation of Labor
and all Of the other trade union or
eanizations affected have announced
that they will bring organizers here
| for the intensive campaign.
| A conference has also been called
by the National Women's Trade
Union League, to be held here May
| IA and Is, with view to assisting
| the drive for organization or the
woman workers left unprotected by
the Supreme Court decision that the
minimum wage law Is unconstltu-
"That this conference of women and
men trade unionists of the city or
Washington in emphatic protest
against the reductions of wages I'M
posed upon women and girls wage
earners Of the District OF Columbia
whether by direct reduction or subter-
fuges having the same purpose. insist
upon the restoration of cuts in wages
Of women and girls already made.
THAT the conference pledges It's CO.
| operation in the movement TO or
eanize the women wage earners or
| the District of Columbia in bona fide
| unions to protect and promote the
rights and interests and to establish
| the best possible relations with en-
! ployers and business houses.
| Organization Urged.
THAT the conference urges upon
| woman wage earners to organize into
such unions;
| "That the American Federation of
Labor, the Washington Central Labor
| Union, the Women's Trade Union
League and all other organlzattons sa or
| wage earners will cooperate with the
| movement to hold a conference In the
| city of Washington on May IA and 15
| for the further and fuller consloera, a,
! tion of such action as may be oeemeo O
improve the standards Of life and
work Of woman wage earners, ano
| call upon the enlightened American
public opinion and the sympathy OF
I the residents of the city OF WasnlnE,
| ton for their full cooperation and
deterioration Of the standards OF the
woman workers of the District; and
..That we call upon the employers
In the District of Columbia to main
tain at least the rates of wages pro-
| yided under the minimum wage law
even though the law has been an
| nulled by the Supreme Court Of the
! United States"
| In fiat denial of the charges made
| at the labor leaders executive con-
4 ference, Z. F. Sewers, secretary or the
Flat Iron Club. representing the
laundry Industry. which never recog-
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