Evening star., 1937-04-08

Back in the dim days OF 1922 the
Minimum Wage Board of the District
of Columbia decided that $3.50 per
week was sufficient to keep woman
workers in mercantile occupations "in
good health and to protect their
morals"
Their model budget for this income
was broken into three main classical
tions, with $3.50 allotted for room and
board, 81 for clothing and $500 for
sundries
Shortly after milady of 1922 found
her fiscal affairs thus outlined for her,
however. the Supreme Court. feeling
itself not concerned primarily with
protecting the morals Of feminine mer-
camille workers, declared the Districts
minimum wage law unconstitutional.
Some 10 days ago the Supreme Court
changed its mind and declared the
moral-protecting law was all right
Is $3.50 Enough?
The immediate issue, therefore. is
the determination of minimum wage
level at which the working girl of 1887
may maintain her health and morals
at the same safe standards as those
of 1922 In other words, will $3.50
do the job?
Directing every resource to The
problem, Star reporter found a work.
ing girl who confessed to good health
and morality.
She roomed and boarded, she ad-
mitted, but she didn't do it on $3.50
per week Instead. after several in
stances of jeopardizing both her health
and her morals, she had located an
establishment where she could live for
$40 per week, but without lunch, a
feature Of the 1922 subjects board and
room arrangement. Her lunches, the
1887 girl informed us. cost her at least
$3.50 per week, even when she slept
late on Sunday or went to lunch at
least once with the hoy friend"
Balks at Clothing Budget.
1t was on the clothing budget that
the 1887 model waxed most informa-
tive. In fact, when she was shown
study made by the Woman's Bureau
in 1922 with list of clothing articles
needed by the well-dressed minimum
wage girl of that year Miss 1887
threatened to become hysterical.
She choked hardest over the stock
ing analysis of 1922, which reads as
follows:
"It has been very difficult to judge
stockings because the budget only al
lowed lump sum of IS without speci-
flying numbers, kind or quality. Fifty
cents will buy a durable cotton stock
ing 1t is too warm for Summer wear
and the dyes in some makes are not a
good black Seventy-five cents will
buy fairly lightweight Isle stockings
of even texture, durable and good
looking. Two dollars will buy good
looking silk stocking with Isle garter
tops and no noticeable weighting."
No girl, she explained with dignity,
ever wears cotton or Isle stockings
any more And the cheapest silk or
rayon hose that will last through a
days work costs 40 cents per pair.
Furthermore, she added. 1t requires
an average of one pair per week, with
few extras at slightly higher cost
for ar occasional social event. Con-
servatively, that meant S25 per year
for stockings.
Accepts Some of Items.
Although she shifted somewhat con-
temptuously at some of the selections,
she said she would accept the idea of
wool suit and could buy it for $50
instead of s3975 as in 1922, she would
take wool dress for $40 instead OF
s25 and cloth Winter coat at $40.
Having to make "dress-up' dress
last two years aroused her indigna-
ton and she insisted it would cost
| $50 rather than s25 She didn't want
any ST wool skirt, she said, but would
, find it necessary to pay SO for an
, imitation Harris tweed.
The girls thoughts on the 1922
underwear budget were unprintable
!. She didn't wear union suits, she ex-
planned quietly, nor envelope chemises
nor underskirts, nor petticoats. Neither
did she wear outing flannel night
gowns in the Winter nor cotton ones
in the Summer.
She admitted, however, that her
present day substitutes, brassieres,
:. pants, slips and rayon nightgoWns,
were cheaper by individual garments
than their predecessors, with the total
cost being about the same.
Hat Standard Lifted.
On the subject of hats, the 1887
model admitted that three per year
might be sufficient, but that the 1922
piece at $395, designed to last two
years, could have no place in the pres
ent scheme of things. If she has to
make hat last two years, our friend
explained, it would have to be some
durable and "classic" sports model
It would cost more than $395.
All in all, 1887 explained, her cloth
ing was going to run closer to IS per
week than the 81 allotted in 1922.
Turning to the sundry budget, Miss
1887 admitted a willingness to scrape
along on most of the items given there
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