The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-09-02
WOMEN WORKERS
AIDED BY BUREAU
Battle for Principle of Equal
Wage Crowned With
Success.

The most inspiring labor activity O
the United States government is un
Questionably the women's bureau O
the Department of Labor. Wome1
workers may well look to this bureau
with enthusiasm. During Its brief ca
reer 1t has achieved real betterment
In the lives Of the great army of won.
en- wage earners. 1t has moved noun
tains Of abuse.
Inc bureau was created by congress
on June 8, 1920. Representative Camp
bell of Kansas and former Senator
Kenyon may be considered its legisla-
tive daddies Its functions, as de-
lined by the original Campbell-Kenyon
Dill, were ito formulate standards and
policies which shall promote the well
fare OF wage-earning women, improve
their working conditions, Increase their
efnciency and advance their opportuni-
ties for profitable employment" An
ambitious program, 1t must be admit
ted. The field which this bureau
reaches, according to the census Of
1920, embraces over $4,000 working
women.
One of the first tasks which the bu-
reau assumed was the fight to win req
ognition Of the principle Of an equal
wage. Women workers have for years |
contended for an equal wage for men
and women for equal work. This prin-
elpie was laid down for Industry dur.
Ing the war by the war labor board
at the time Chief Justice Taft was IT'S
chairman. With the passing Of the
war labor board the struggle for the
equal wage was taken up by the wom-
ms bureau.
In the way Of this principle lay the
traditional belief, still unfortunately
PREVALENT, that women workers are
My pin money" workers. that the
roman worker at best Is supplement-
ag the income Of the family and that :
er wage is not essential to the SUD- /
ort OF anyone else or even of her +
Elf exclusively. It is obvious that so f
ing as the public was beset with this +
eier no effective progress could he n
ade toward the equal wage consum- r
alton.
This pin money" fallacy the wom- h
rs bureau has punctured with facts II
survey Of 1000 representative wom- m
workers was conducted. This sur- NJ
y disclosed the fact that dependants r,
ere supported wholly by 8 per cent C
the women studied; by 1874 per cent la
women whose weekly wage between e,
and $l7.5O; by 1877 per cent Of gr
'men whose weekly wage was be- ar
cen $3.50 and $40; and by IL nor IN
ut OF women whose wages were $40 III
: week or over. ~
another activity of the bureau IA to sh
'mote the enactment of uniform tic
te legislation governing conditions GU
Ter which women work Unfortu- mi
ely. much of the legislation regu. iu,
ng women In Industry has been on de,
ed on the hit-or-miss basis. and tis
It Is permissible In one state Ia II. mr.
Il In another. To take piarinp str
ance, III Ohio woman Is forbid fro
to lift core and core box the of
bined weight of which Is over TX of
nds. In New York, on the other sen
q. women In the core rooms Of rui
ldries are prohibited from lifting hon
than rs pounds There is a very trat
I difference between Is and * cha
Ids, and 1t Is obvious that II IS mac
IDS Is all that 4 woman can safely who
- Vio tne women OF New York not
being permitted to injure their chat