San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-15
Nav Call Conference to
Work Out Plan to Main
tain Standard.
COURT RULING SCORED
Minimum Salary Law Held
Essential to Heath and
Efficiency.
Washington. ID. c., April IA

Working women in no less than
twelve states are thoroughly aroused
over the decision rendered this week
by the United States Supreme Court
declaring unconstitutional the mini
mum wage law of the District of Co
lumbia.
The fear is expressed that as re-
sult of this decision similar laws IN
the twelve states will fall and that
the earnings of the million and a hall
women workers in these states Will
suffer reductions.
With a view of trying to work out
some plan to maintain the standard OF
wages for women the National Wom-
ans Trade Union League has lnl-
tiated a movement for a conference OF
the various national women's organl-
cations which it is proposed shall as
semble in Washington, probably early
in May.
Those which will be invited to par
ticipate are: The National Consum.
ers' League, National League OF
Women Voters, Y. W. c. A, w. Z. L:
u. Girls Friendly Societies, National
Council of Jewish Women, National
Council of Catholic Women, General
Federation of Women's Clubs, Amerl-
can Association Of University Wom-
en-. National Congress of Mothers and
Parent-Teachers' Associations, Nation
al Council of Women, National Fed
Grafton of Business and Professional
Women. as well as others.
Twelve States Affected.
The states whose minimum wage
laws are believed to have been vitiat-
l.. Gnnrf 1aaIClnn
Massachusetts, California, Washing
ton, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arizona,
Kansas, Arkansas, North Dakota,
Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addi-
ton the decision is believed to bar
enactment of similar measures in Mis-
souri,, New York, Ohio and New Jer-
sey.
In q statement issued this week,
Miss Ethel NJ. Smith, legislative sec
rotary of the National Women's
Trade Union League, and who was
the labor representative on the mini
mum wage board of the District OF
Columbia, declares something should
b, done to humanize the courts or
e.sa the Constitution.
Continuing, she asserts:
The women of the country have
seen two child labor laws invalidated
;in.l now the minimum wage law for
women, which they have worked for
nearly twenty years, have been in
validated. Their other recent statute,
the Sheppard-Towner act, is also
awaiting a decision from this same
Supreme Court. There is little encour-
agement for supporters of the Shep-
pard- Towner law now that the court,
with its new personnel, has added an
other decision leaving out of consider
alton the social point of view, the
public interest and the human ele-
ment.
aIn that decision, Justice Suther-
land and his four associates declare:
In principle there is no difference
between the selling of labor and the
case of selling goods By that proc
lamation the highest court in the land
puts human labor on the basis Of a
commodity, and the labor contract on
the basis Of barter and sale. 1t could
not have gone backward more decis-
lively"
Law Is Essential.
1t is the contention of minimum
wage law advocates that this meas
ure represents the modern social con-
cept which would make industry bear
its own cost, including the upkeep of
the human factors as well as the
machinery. 1t is insisted that the
minimum wage is essential to the
health and efficiency Of the worker
and that il this is not maintained by
the industry served, society in general
is forced to pay the difference for
public charities and taxations to
maintain public institutions for those
who, under a strictly competitive sys-
TEN, cannot earn enough to support
themselves. It is contended that in
dustry which does not pay living
wage is exacting a subsidy from the
community and the families Of the
workers.
The interest Of women has been par
ticularly directed towards the enact
ment of minimum wage laws be-
cause the wages Of women generally
are lower than those for men in cor
responding positions. This is due to
the general assumption on the part
of employers that women workers are
more or less dependent upon husbands,
fathers or brothers and will work for
less:
1t is urged that during the time the
minimum wage law has been in ef-
feet in the District of Columbia it
has resulted in raising the wages of
women workers from an average of
$40 TO SO week to $3.50 and
S-i.l0 per week, with more than 80
nor cent receiving more than the min
iminn.