Evening star., 1940-03-04
Mrs. Roosevelt
|Ca||sD.C. Wage
Law a Model
Survey Of 5000
Women Is Cited
To Answer Objections

To Answer Objections
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt to-
day praised the administration Of
the Districts minimum wage law as
one Of the few model things in the
Nations Capital.
She told her press conference the
law was doing good work" after
Mrs. William Kittle, chairman Of
the Minimum Wage Board, had de-
scribed its operation and reported
on the results Of q survey Of 5000
women workers, showing wages be-
fore and after the law went into
effect.
Mrs. Roosevelt particularly asked
Mrs. Kittle to answer two Of the
arguments 1eveled against the law
that 1t reduced employment and
made minimum wages maximum
wages.
Mrs. Kittle's figures in answer to
the first argument showed that Of
5000 women only 1853 were cut of
the pay roll in the first year of the
laws operation, 1898.
Part time Made ull-time.
Mrs. Roosevelt pointed out that
the law had stabilized employment
and put on frll-time many part.
time workers.
Regarding the minimum wages
becoming the maximum, Mrs. Kit
ties figures in eight different fields
Of work showed in each case that
more women we're getting more
than the minimum wage than had
received the higher wage before the
law went into effect, that thousands
were brought up to the minimum
wage and that the number getting
less than the minimum wage was
appreciably reduced-applying after
the law went into effect only to
part-time workers.
In seven department stores where
the survey was made 1858 women
were getting more than the basic
SIT in 1887, but in 1888 total of
1894 was getting more than the
minimum. Seventy-two women were
getting SIT in this field in 1887.
whereas in 1898 a total Of 1905
were drawing the minimum salary.
The number getting less than SIT
was cut to . third, from 3.245 to
l,349, the latter all part-time
workers.
Mrs. Kittle pointed out that the
5000 surveyed were q fair cross
section Of the IS 900 women affected
by the minimum wage law.
Laundry Industry an Example.
Mrs. Kittle quoted figures about
laundry workers, who, she said,
were among the most poorly or.
ganized In the city before the law.
In this field, she explained, the
ruling that If the employer worked
. woman more than 16 hours q week
he had to pay her the basic wage
resulted In an appreciable reduction
In part-time employment.
The survey showed that while
TAI women were getting less than
the basic $14.5O q month In 1887,
only "a were paid less than the
minimum in 1898. The number get
ting the basic wage jumped from
414 in 1887 to 907 in 1898.
Mrs. Kittle said she derived per
sonal pleasure" from the fact that
charwomen. the older women work.
ers and most Of them mothers Of
families. had had their monthly
wages increased in some cases by as
much as $35. They had received
anywhere from $3.50 to $40 month
ly in 1887, but in 1898 this group
received $62.8 80 monthly, with addi-
tional payment for overtime.
Every Decision Unanimous.
She pointed out that every de-
cision Of the board had been unani-
nous and that the year and half
1t took to set the six basic wages
was the fastest work of its kind in
the country, despite the fact that
only II of the 26 States and three
jurisdictions having minimum wage
laws cover more women.
Speaking of the democratic"
methods by which the wages were
arrived at, Mrs. Kittle said. IF
. every labor board in the United
States could be modelled after our
: |
so much dissension."
Wages are set at wage conferences
with three elected representatives of
, the employees, three appointed en-
ployer representatives, three repre-
sentatives of the pubic appointed
by the board, and the three lay board
members.
Mrs. Kittle said her only regret
| was that the basic wages were too
, low to provide for recreation.
, Weather Grounds Plane.
Grounded on the flight to WASH
ington at Raleigh. N. c.. by fog. Mrs.
Roosevelt arrived at Union Station
at 8 am. today and held the press
conference before going to church
with the President.
Mrs. Roosevelt left Florida. where
she had been vaoationing. at pm
Yesterday and reached Richmond
Va, by plane about 9 pm. There
a White House automobile was watt
ing to take her on to washington
the Capital landing having been
conceled by bad weather.
Fog, However, also shrouded Byrd
Field at Richmond and the plane
was unable to land. Returning to
Raleigh. Mrs. Roosevelt was brought
from the airport into the city In
, q State highway patrol car. After
q three-hour wait, she went on to
: Washington by train, arriving in
) time for breakfast at the White
House.
, Mrs. Roosevelt's plane was one
! Of the three Eastern Airlines plane,
bearing almost so people. forced to
return to Raleigh. The planes had
been scheduled to arrive here at
8:45 o'clock last night.