Evening star., 1936-06-06

world Of reality. the only world where
II can actually be tested. What Is the
experience OF this country and other
countries, In the matter Of special pro-
tective legislation for working women?
Is there any proof that 1t has con-
tributed to establishing an unequal
position for them In practice? Has 1t
meant that the opportunities for
women to work have decreased be-
cause Of the legislation? Has 1t meant
that their economic position, under
such laws, has more nearly approx
mated that Of men, or has 1t resulted
in greater divergence? Above all, what
do the groups of women most nearly
affected think of it. For, after all, the
conception of women's rights certainly
must include the right of women who
work to decide for themselves what
are the best means for dealing with
their problems.
Framed to End Inequality.
Now, in the case of the laundry
workers Of New York State, the only
group whose work has as yet been
subject to the law, the evidence seems
to be overwhelmingly on the side of
the minimum wage measure. The
minimum wage law was not designed
to create a special economic position
for women, but instead to bring their
economic position closer to that of
male workers. It was framed to meet
an existing economic inequality. The
48-hour week was already generally
established for men, not by law. but
by trade union action. Women, how
ever. In certain trades were working
for far longer hours. They were doing
so in the laundry business. They
were sometimes being paid as little
as So a week. There are such cases
on record. Today they are being
paid s12.40 for a basic 40-hour week,
and may work 48 hours. There is
only one instance on record that
women have been replaced by men
because Of the legislation. One single
laundry replaced some women by
Puerto Ricans. In the whole indus
try the proportion of women to men
has remained static. One may ask
empirically If women have more equal
ity and freedom on SO a week than
they do on four times that sum.
1t Is interesting that the protest
against the bill has not come from
the women affected by it. The
Woman's party insists that the way
for women to meet their economic
problems is the way men meet theirs:
BY trade union organization. But
the women who are most actively
engaged in trade union organization
the very groups of women in New
York State who are most strongly
unionized, do not agree that this is
SUFFICIENT. The New York State law
has the support of all of the unions
in which women are numerous
chiefly those Of the needle trades.
Their argument, which Is based upon
experience. is that it is extremely diff
flcult to organize workers for self-help
as long as they are being sweated at
starvation wages. The minimum wage
law has operated to change that con-
dition and lift the whole level.
Why Use Mans Methods?
Nor can I. as feminist. see clearly
the logic of the theory that women
must in all cases adopt the same
means as men to meet their problems.
That seems TO me too slaviSh a GER
tainty that the methods of men are
always the right ones. If women pre-
fer the way of law rather than the
way Of the fight, have they not the
right to express that preference?
The experience of other countries
does not appear to indicate that pro-
tective legislation within reason for
women has initiated against their
economic position vis-a-vis men. In
England the first social legislation re-
ferred to women and minors in the
textile trades which were sweated and
had unlimited hours The first laws
limited hours exclusively for women
workers. The result was not to have
women supplanted by men, but to
get hours reduced for both men and
women.
do not see how the question can
be settled except on the, ground of
experience. I am not prepared To
commit myself to opposing the wishes
of thousands of women less fortunately
situated than myself purely upon the
basis of an abstract feminist theory.
I think it extremely unfortunate that
the Supreme Court decision apparently
makes it impossible for the States to
try out such laws and test their social
results. And if it can be proved to
me that such laws in any States have
injured rather than assisted the great
body of women workers, am prepared
to reverse my stand.
(copyright 1850
III ~ Il haf