The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-02-14
EQUAL PAY
 DISCUSSED
 IN SENATE
Evans Says Low Paid Wom en Drive Men Out of
 Many Fields
By BOB DeARMOND

By BOB DeARMOND
 The Equal Pay for Women Bill was given rough ride through second reading in the Senate this morning hut made the grade with out being seriously impaired. It was moved along to take its regular place on the calendar.
 The Senate Taxation Committee turned out three revenpe bills this morning with reports that did little to enhance their chances for pas sage.
 House Bill 4, which would quad- ruple basic license taxes on traps and impose a further tax on excess catches, came out with Do Not Pass" from Chairman Butrovich and Senator Jones. Do Pass" from Sen- ators Rivers and Peratrovich. Senate Bill II, the double the motor fuels tax rate, got Do Not Pass" from Senators Butrovich, Jones and Peratrovich. no recom- menoation either way from Senator Rivers.
 House Bill g, to impose a $500 tax on sailboats, got Do Not Pass tag from Senators Butrovich and Jones and no recommendations from Sem ator Peratrovich. Senator Rivers made the notation that he concurred with the Taxation Committee report, which was to table the Bill
 LABOR POWER OPPOSED | Opposing too much power for the Territorial Commissioner of Labor. Democratic members of the Senate failed this morning to amend out three sections of the Equal Pay Bill. The sections would authorize and enable the Commissioner of Labor to collect wage claims.
 1 Senator Rivers offered the amend nent, commenting that the wages and hours law should take care of most discrimination in the matter of wage rates and that the objec- tionable sections would make the Labor Commissioner office a wage collection agency, paid for by the taxpayers"
 He pointed out that employees, women as well as men, have recourse to the courts for the collection of wage claims, and announced that he will oppose any measures coming be- fore the Senate which would give such powers to the. Lator Commis-
 He was seconded by Senator Frank sioner.
 Barr: This portion of the Bill would make him a Commissar of Labor instead of a Commissioner.
 "The Bill seeks to put legislative powers in the hands of bureau head" Senator Collins asserted.
 The Rivers amendment lost by an 8-8 vote, with Senators Butrovich, Garnick, Huntley, Jones, Mackenzie, MsCutcheon, Peratrovich and Enge- breth voting against it.
 i EVANS IS CALLED Senator Barr secured the adop- tion of an amendment to eliminate "liquidated damages" in the form of double wages for persons secur- 1 ing judgments for wage claims, af- ter which Senator Garnick requested that Leonard Evans, representative of the U. s. Department of Labor, be heard on the Bill.
 Evans reiterated a statement made before the Senate several days ago by Labor Commissioner Henry Ben- son to the effect that lower paid women workers will drive men from many fields of employment. He cited restaurant work, especially waiting tables, teaching and social work as ] fields that have been largely cap tured ty women workers. Senator Collins objected to tho! Bill on the grounds that it provides that women are to get the same pay i as men for comparable work, re- gardless of relative efficiency. NOT APPLICABLE Evans said that if the employer 1 can prove difference in efficiency l the provisions of the bill will prob i ably not apply. He estimated, in an- swer to a question, that 50 percent or more of the employees in Alaska ! canneries are women but admitted | that he is not entirely familiar with ] cannery operations.
 He estimated also that 5000 wom- ! en will be directly affected by the 1, bill if it is enacted. Labor Commis- sioner Henry Benson, when he ap- ! peared before the Senate, estimated