The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-28

In his campaign for reelection, President Roosevelt declared that minimum wage legislation was es- sential. Early passage of a new law to meet the approval of the high court is assured.
 At least three minimum wage bills have been sponsored in the legislature. Supporters urge the Desmond -Brownell bill asserting:
 ITO be constitutional, any ni- nimum fair wage law must include men.
 2-Men need the protection as much as do women and minors.
 3-Women and minors will not be protected by g minimum fair wage law applying only to them.
 Want No. Discrimination
 Minimum fair wage legislation for women alone is a detriment." says supporters of the Desmond Brownell bill.
 If New York state wants to in- sure minimum fair wages for its workers without lengthy and doubt full efforts to amend the state and federal constitutions, it will adopt this minimum fair wage bill."
 The states minimum wage con- ference organized by Elmer P. An- drews, industrial commissioner, rec commended amendment of the Fed eral Constitution "at the earliest possible date" and the enactment of s yoav,, ,,~ s,, i,,&,,,r, "a {,, xvto eve Ia xr
 The conference called upon An- drews to appoint an organization committee" national in scope, to work for the amendment.
 The committee is to organize forces throughout the country and to obtain common action to attain quick passage of the amendment by the Congress and ratification by states"
 Wage Cutting Bar Stressed
 "We are agreed that a state mi- nimum wage law should be re-enac- ted" the conference said. That if the law is limited to 'sweated' in- dustries both men and women should be included; that the in- portant thing is to build a floor against wage-cutting and to pre- vent discrimination in the employ ment of women.
 Fair trade practice has been suggested as a basis for a minimum wage, but the majority of the com- mittee believe cost of living must not be abandoned"
 A report by the division of wo- men in industry and minimum wage obtained in the Fall of 1896 showed that under the minimum fair wage law declared unconstitu- tional, the median weekly wage for approximately 22,000 women and minors employed in the laundry in- dustry in the state increased from $10.41 to $13.42; that in the hotel and restaurant industry to which the law was next to be applied, me dian wages of $8.44 were paid for work weeks as long as 70 to 30 hours, and that 8 1886 survey of | the beauty shop industry showed need for g minimum fair wage.
 Report Covers 10,000 Jobs
 The divisions report include a study of 10000 women in New York city engaged in packing, bottling and labelling in the food industries and in the cosmetics and drug in- dustrieS.
 For these women," said the re- port. "the median wage was 31.5 cents an hour and the median work week 4O.7 hours. However. the ex- tremely low wages were reported for large proportions of women work CTS and much of the work is high ly seasonal so that the annual earn- ings. are low"
 The study showed that almost half the women covered in New York city were earning less than 31 cents an hour, "the admittedly low rate set under the minimum wage law as the minimum to be paid to women employed in the laundry industry"