Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-20
Mrs. KttIe Credits Cooperation
For Wage Board Success
Luncheon to Honor
Ex-Choirmon, Soon
Leaving Capital

A kindly, soft-spoken woman, who
has spent years Of her life in
volunteer work for wage earners,
will leave here shortly for her new
home in Minneapolis, convinced that
the hopes of many for District
department of labor are nearer
realization than ever before.
She is Mrs. William Kittle, who
has resigned as. chairman of the
District Minimum Wage and Indus
TRIAL Safety Board. Mrs Kittle has
headed the board since 1887, after
the old Minimum Wage-Hour Act
declared unconstitutional IN 1928
WIS revived by the, Supreme. Court
when it upheld the minimum wage
law of the State Of Washington.
During the five years the scope
OF the board broadened considerably.
When Mrs. Kittle first took. up her
datles-as the representative of the
ppblic-jurisdiction Of the board was
OVER wages for women and minors.
Since that time has come the ad-
ADMINISTRATION of the eight.flour law,
wages and hours of the Federal
Wage Act, and, finally, this year the
safety Industrial Act established a
new unit OF the board, industrial
safety. -
Citizens Served.
Today, Mrs. Kittle estimates that
with the new unit somewhere be-
tween 100000 and 100000 workers
come within the scope of the board.
zone of the interesting things in
the work of the board" Mrs. Kittle
said, rs the volunteer service by
cltizens IN the administration, In
setting up wages we did 1t by con-
ference boards, representing en-
poyers. employees and the public.
Upward of IS persons acted as con-
ferees at meetings which ran for
over year"
Mrs. Kittle also praised the work
OF volunteers in setting up codes for
the industrial safety unit. Twelve
or Is men, representing all of the
District public utilities, have worked
for months, meeting two or three
times a week in the evening, in de-
v1eing the codes, she said. Hearings
nave started on the basic "underly-
Ing CODE" Mrs. Kittle said, and
eventually there will be Is or 80
codes.
Senator McCarran, chairman of
the Senate District Committee;
Renah F. Camalier, former counsel
to the Senate District Committee,
and Representative Schultz, Demo-
Graf, Of Indiana, took great in
terest in the passage of the Safety
Industrial Act" Mrs Kittle said.
Praises Cooperation.
Modest In discussing her part in
the work of the board, Mrs. Kittle
talks of the past in terms of what
others have done She praised the
"co-operation of officials at the Dis
trict Building" "the wonderful CO.
operation from employers and en-
ployes," the excellent services OF the
executive secretaries, Miss Gwen
Coach former secretary and Miss
Eunice Broyles," and the "excep-
tional staff"
But her greatest satisfaction"
Mrs. Kittle revealed, was that while
the wage of charwomen was $40 a
month I'VE got 1t up to $50 or more
a month"
Before coming to the District more
than IL years ago, Mrs. Kittle rep
resented the public for 10 years in
Wisconsin at all hearings affecting
women's hours and wages.
II made inspection of IS cities.
visiting the homes Of $4,000 working
girls" Mrs. Kittle said.
Although the State paid her ex-
penses, she worked as a volunteer
under two women who are now with
the Childrens Bureau of the Fed
eral Government. Miss Emma o.
Lundberg and Miss Katharine Len
root.
II could say from my knowledge
Of other minimum wage States and
attendance at national conferences
of wage and hour administrators
fhof tho nictriof looa eo};e