Evening star., 1937-08-11

petitors.
But will the Federal Government
be able to ignore the rule that all
American citizens must be treated
alike? Will not a citizen be able to
go into court and enjoin any decision
of the Federal board which discrimi-
mates against him on account of color
or against woman on account Of
sex?
For long time a group Of women
leaders have been trying to get an
amendment to the Federal Consti-
tuition which would safeguard the
rights of women in getting equal pay
along with men. They have made
considerable headWay with the pro-
posal and President Roosevelt favors
it, Now when one of his boards starts
permit violation of the principle
no discrimination against women?
Effect on Women.
The dislocation Of Jobs which is
bound to result to some extent from
the minimum wage and maximum
women more than men. There are
many factories and business places
where women get perhaps Sl2 week.
When minimum of SIG is estab-
lished, an employer may feel that a
young man Will be physically stronger
and yield an output of product which
would make up for the 81 of increased
expense.
Then there is the case of the per-
sons of advanced age. Employers may
feel that some Jobs are worth S12. but
when it comes to paying SIS they will
want younger men. Dismissals by the
hundreds Of thousands may result.
Naturally the relief rolls will have
to take care of some of these persons
displaced but in the transition period
there will be hardShips felt by persons
who now have jobs and by their rela-
tives to whom they will first go for
support. 1t is true the law is supposed
to grant special licenses to persons of
advanced age or those who have some
partial physical incapacity which is
supposed to make it possible for them
to earn wages below the fixed mini
mum. But it will take much red tape
to arrange all this and many employers
no doubt will prefer to hire younger
and more able bodied persons.
Benefits Seem Small.
The full economic benefit, namely
increase in the national purchasing
power is questionable. Much of the
so-called underprivileged labor. as
on the farms and in rural districts
generally is not to receive the benefits
of the law So Mr.. Roosevelt's cry
about one-third of the population
being ill-cIad. ill-housed and ILL
nourished, probably will have to be
repeated. Certainly the number of
persons to be benefited by the act is
relatively small, and the proposed
legislation may also operate to in
crease the cost of living for many
Of the persons who now receive above
the minimum scale.
There is also the problem of finding
the money in the budget of marginal
businesses so as to pay the minimum
wages required by law and the in
creased expense Of time -and-a half
overtime where longer hours are nee
essary for special kinds of work in
which Interruptions are not feasible.
Will employers feel that they cannot
advance the wages of those above the
minimum because they must use what
ever margin they have available for
pay roll increases so as to meet the new
expenses caused by Government inter-
vention for the minimum classes?
That's what happened under the N.
r. A. in not a few businesses. 1t will
happen again.
Whenever the people indifferently
let the Federal Government fix their
wages, their cost of living and run
through the whole economic structure
the reckless hand of bureaucracy,
there are bound to be repercussions
There are some observers here who
think the proposed Federal board will
find its task so circumscribed by
difficulties that it will take a year to
get single ruling very much as the
Wash -Healey act has thus far oper-
ated or rather failed to operate except
In the most indirect way.
Certainly the Federal power over