Evening star., 1937-05-19

3bdCOy. ollC Noo
Mrs. Gertrude A. Perry, who was en-
ployed as a laundress by the Fairfax
Hotel, 2lOO Massachusetts, avenue,
from February. 1886, to March, 1887.
She was represented by Attorneys Ir-
win Bolotin and Samuel B. Brown.
The other plaintiff, Miss Ruth Cor
nett, waitress. who is suing Dicks
Grill, was represented by Warren E.
Miller and C. L. Dawson.
Claims of Women.
Mrs. Perry claims 1913 and Miss
Cornett $685. as additional amounts
due them under the $3.50 weekly
minimum wage fixed by the old Mini
mum Wage Board in 1920 Their
lawyers argued that the old orders of
the board have been in effect since
disbanding of the board in 1923.
Judge Raedy, in reserving decision.
asked counsel for both sides to submit
written briefs covering their arguments
and citing in detail legal cases men,
toned tn the oral arguments. The
small court room was crowded with
spectators, many of whom were rep
resentatives Of hotel, restaurant and
laundry interests.
Joseph c. McGarraghy. attorney for
the Washington Hotel Mems Associa-
ton, represented the Fairfax Hotel,
and Samuel L. Boyd was attorney for
Dicks Grill.
Opposing counsel agreed that the
chief point at issue is whether the
old minimum wage law has been con-
tinuously In effect during the decade
and q half intervening between the
Supreme Courts invalidation Of the
act and its recent reversal of the 1923
opinion, reviving the law. The pend
ing cases, it was pointed out, do not
involve a question as to whether the
old law is prospective" or whether a
new law must be passed.
Fears Economic Disaster"
Boyd declared economic disaster"
would threaten many businesses if the
law were ruled retroactive. It was he
who made the assertion that half of
these businesses would be forced into
bankruptcy by such an Interpretation.
44O och10 A1OOSAo, dllVS dllU SINH.
lar employers Of women in the lower
wage classes entered into contracts on
1.-The basis Of the 1923 invalidation of
the act and that these contracts,
'made in good faith" would be i'm
paired If the law were made retro
active. The wages paid employees, he
'Neaid. were fixed in accordance with
charges made customers.
McGarraghy stressed that thousands
OF other employers in Washington will
be affected by the outcome Of the
pending cases. Regardless Of whether
the act is restored by the recent Su-
preme Court ruling, he stated, the
bona fiide contracts entered into under
the previous ruling must be protected.
He cited several court decisions in
nlpport Of his argument.
Insist Law Was In Effect.
Attorneys for the two women cited
bther cases in support Of their con-
tentdon that the courts reversal Of its
original ruling reinstated the original
law Is of the date Of the first ruling.
They insisted the act and all orders
promulgated under it by the defunct
Minimum Wage Board remained in
force during the long period of In
activity resulting from the original
decision.
i One of the orders of the board which
thus has retroactive effect, they as
serted, was the one fixing the mini
mum weekly wages for women in ho-
tels and laundries at $3.50.
Attorneys for both sides indicated
the test cases are headed for higher
courts, regardless Of the ruling to be
smade by Judge Raedy. The issues
involved are "too far reaching" not to
he passed on by high tribunals, they
pointed out.