Evening star., 1937-04-13
PAY RULING SPURS
STATELEG|SLAT|ON
Enforcing of Present Laws
and New Proposals
Widespread.

Supreme Court valuation of the
State of Washington minimum wage
law for women has precipitated in
tensive efforts in many States to enact
such statutes or to enforce and bring
up to date such laws already on their
books, 1t was disclosed today by the
Women's Bureau of the Labor Depart
ment.
Supporting this renewed interest
also was the circulation by the bureau
OF results Of a study recently COM
pleted on the benefits of such legis-
lation. In brief the study showed that
minimum wage laws resulted in in
creases in earnings of women, did not
cause a lowering OF high salaries
toward the minimum, did not have
the tendency Of making the minimum
also the maximum and did not cause
any permanent of material displace-
ment Of women by men.
Women's Wages Still Lowest.
This latter finding, of particular in
terest to the District in view of some
expressed fears that women would be
displaced by cheaper male labor in
certain enterprises, contains the fol-
lowing statement:
There are two reasons why mini
mum wage laws do not tend to cause
displacement of women by men. First,
women's wages, even after they are
increased by minimum wage laws,
tend to be considerably lower than
mems. AS rule, women's earnings
are from 35 to SIS per cent lower than
mems. Seldom have wage orders
increased women's earnings more than
20 or 80 per cent, leaving them still
we'll under those of men, and pre-
serving the economic advantage for
the employer who employs them.
The second reason is that
women seldom compete directly with
men. Men and women do different
work. Their jobs are often similar,
but almost never Identical. Women
are employed for the work they do,
not only because their wages are lower
but because they are particularly we'll
fitted for those jobs.
In many manufacturing estab-
lishments women would be employed
at the work they are now doing even
If their employers were compelled to
pay them more than they pay men,
because OF their superior dexterity,
lightness of touch and patient atten-
tion to detail. Both men and women
are employed as clerks in department
stores, but seldom in the same de-
partments. Experience has proved
that women are far more successful
than men in selling women's wearing
apparel and merchandise used almost
exclusively by women Women would
be employed in these departments in
preference to men, no matter what
their wages. The same thing is true
Of laundries, of tea rooms and restau-
rants where attractive appearance is
featured as part Of the service, and in
the housekeeping departments OF
hotels"
Report of 1922 Board.
OF even more pertinence to the Dis
trict were the findings of the Minimum
Wage Board in its annual report OF
1922.
The District of Columbia minimum
wage law has not resulted in the dis
placement of woman workers by men,"
the board stated fatty.
Citing then survey of five classi-
fcations Of industry, the board dis
closed that total employment OF wom-
en- had increased by 02 of / per cent
between 1919 and 1922, the period of
effectiveness of the law. During that
time the only appreciable drop was
in the restaurant classification, where
woman workers decreased in number
from 469 to 359. In contrast, there
was an increase in non-commercial
printing and publishing employment
for women from 422 to SOB, a jump Of
429 per cent.
Offlcials of local trade organizations
said there is possibility of displace-
ment of women in some occupations
but that no movement in this direction
has yet been observed.
Circular Letters Sent Out.
In its effort to further stimulate in
terest in this type of legislation, the
Women's Bureau today directed to
State labor commissioners a circular
letter reciting developments in this
field since the court decision on the
Washington law two weeks ago.
Signed by Miss Mary Anderson, bu-
reau chief, the letter contained the
| following:
Minnesota, whose law was declared
invalid in its application to adult
women in 1925 by the state attorney
general, has asked for a new ruling
from the Attorney General.
wisconsin has introduced a bill to
restore the cost of living provisions OF
its old minimum wage bill.
THE District Of Columbia minimum
wage law declared unconstitutional in
1923 has been re-established.
New York has introduced bill
providing that a minimum wage shall
equal the cost of living, as well as
the fair value of services rendered.
Colorado is making an attempt to
have its act amended to bring it into
conformity with the Washington law
and to secure an appropriation for its
enforcement.
Bill Offered in Missouri.
I'm Missouri a minimum wage bill
was introduced in the Legislature at