Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-08
EQUAL WAGES FOR EQUAL WORK
J. THIS IS C1IVALRY, SAYS WHITE
Assistant Labor Secretary
Urges Women to Demand
=. -. Rights in Industry.
He Thinks Economic Read
iustment Gives Marriage
=, Richer Meaning.
BY CoRINNE FRAZIER.


Chivalry Is not dead.
Assistant Secretary Of Labor Carl
Robe White unwittingly demonstrating
this fact yesterday, not only agreed
readily that women should have equal
opportunities with their brothers In the
field Of labor and equal pay for equal
work, but held out q helping hand to
guide them toward this goal. Putting
his finger upon what he believed to be
the root of the differing wage scale To-
day, Afr. White offered as his suggested
remedy equal pay for women for equal
work In al fields Of industry and pro-
fesSion. /. i.
'This should be dons without ques-
tion," he declared, commenting upon
the recent release from Miss Agnes 4.
Peterson, assistant director Of the WonI-
ans Bureau Of his department, In which
she pointed out, that the double wage
standard does exist and is working Q
hardship to many women today. while
1t Is true that many Of the women in
industry are burdened. With family re-
sponsibilities, this Is entirely beside the
issue. Common fairness demands . sin
gle wage scale, regardless Of sex or
family burdens. A woman who ILLS any
given position should be paid exactly
the same salary as the man who filled
1t before her or who might follow in
her wake.
Women Must Demand Equal Pay. :
How can this single standard be
established? think at the root OF the
matter is the failure Of women In seek
ing employment to set q high enough
price upon their 'labors. My advice Il
them would be to study carefully What
the average pay for the job they seek
has been when men have filled it, Then
in applying for it themselves, Let them
state that as their minimum. II they
organize and demand it, I know they
can get 1t. r.
we are going through a period oi
readjuStment today naturally coinci-
dent with the entrance of women into
the economic field-wage problems are
q part OF that readjuStment, which Is
being made as rapidly as possible. Mod
ern woman, with her educational and
economic opportunities, demands more
Of her husband, perhaps, than did the
woman Of the past; modern man asks
more Of his wife than he used to ask
economic conditions demand more Of
both Of them. The result ie-women
In industry. It Is Q new order Of things
which has come to stay and with It has
come . new relationship between men
and women-the coMradeship Of under
standing. A man no longer asks his
wife to cling. He asks, and expects her
to understand his problems as well "a
those Of the home"
ChivaIry Tfuer Than Ever.
But you don't believe that chiyalry
Il -dead-tflat niAn no longer wants Il
protect hiSa wonaanfoik? Mr.. Whit
was askedes ,ps~< 49, --.se ',S-a.-
"Chivalry gomez" When I, am forced
to believe that cfiValry Is dead. Their
will I cease to believe In future fol
the human race! When chivalry dies
ambition dies also. And without am
bition. sproeress ceases, With = few in.
evitahle exceptions, the men OF the
world are striving to 60 forward today
a. they have always done, with but one
aim in view-the protection Of Their
homes. the safety and comfort Of Their
women. It is my earnest belief that Il
q day should come when men left
women and their homes entirely out OF
their thoughts In planning their work
in dreaming their dreams Of success
that day would see the end of ambi.