Montana labor news., 1949-08-25
Here's Why Wage
Law Is Needed
Nhy does America need 4 IS
cent an-hour minimum wage.

cent an-hour minimum wage:
liberal Con ic,sman answered
tins question repeatedly during
House debate Oh the bill TO increase
the minimum wage from 40 To- Is
,eut> an hour.
Excerpts from the debate follows
Ray ]. Madden Cd, Ind.) Food
has advanced approximately 10
per cen above the cost OF food in
1888. clothing at 90 per cent and
other necessities have increased al
an unreasonable rate for our
lowest income families, the pur-
chasing power OF a 75-cent mini
mum wage is below the relative 10
cent minimum wage Of 10 years
ago"
Adulph J.. SABBATH 3D.. IllD. 1T
must be realized By all that a min
imum wage Of IS cents an hour
only amounts to $50 a week il a
worker i, fortunate enough to be
ga%iniully employed all week
In view OF ,he prevailing high cost
al living and i'll view Of the pas
sage of the Gore agricultural bill.
which further increases the cost of
food tu the consumer. no one can
honestly and justly maintain that
the minimum asked herein is too
high Of that the wage Garner will
earn too much"
lohn I.eSinski Cd, Mich.): 80
dollars a week will hardly give a
man enough to buy food and shell
tel Tor himself and his family
cleveland NJ. Bailey ID. w. Na..)
This legislation is democrac>'s an
swer to lhc cry OF millions OF under
paid. underprivileged and. in many
instances. mndernourished Ameii-
can working men and women"
Thomas J.. Lane ID, Mass..). rs
it not 4 contradiction to have a
$40 a week minimum wage on the
books lor those who are working
when We provide $50 a week aud
more Tor those who collect uncin-
plu>mcnt compensation.
Carl y Perkins d., KY There
is no better way to maintain a high
national income than to stabilize
our economy by putting a floor
under wages"
Peter w. Rodino, Jr. o., MY:
Il shall vote for the 75-cent min
imum wage because | believe ele-
mentary social justice requires this
-. No human being can support
himself or herself and maintain
sound health and live under de-
cent conditions at a wage of less
than Is cents an hour"
Augustine b. Kelley d., Pa /:
"Workers who are covered by law
aud are now getting less than Is
cents an hour and are trying to
make ends meet in Birmingham and
i'll Chicago-yes, ever in Philadel-
phia and Pittsburgh. -. Hundreds
Of thousands Of workers getting
these shockingly low wages are
married men trying 10 support fam
lies"
The House Ways and Means com
mittee reported ont fayorably leg
islation adding nearly 100000
workers under Social Security, with
increased benefits and slightly in
creased payroll taxes to finance
the proposed expansion.
This is a big step forward, al
though the committee-approyed bill
does not cover all workers the Pres
ldent proposed for coverage. Action
on the floor is expected very 500
II finally approved by Congress-
Old Age Insurance benefits would
increase from SO per. cent TO as
much as $50 per cent, in some cate
gories. The Social Security Tax,
now per cent against employers
payrolls and employee pay, would
, Jump 10 and one half per cent
against each the first of next year.
and would increase TO ? per cent
on January |, 1852.
This is a complicated bill, which
we will reduce TO simple elements
after final Congressional action.
The minimum wage problem is get
ting action i'll both the House and
the Senate. Debate on the admins
l%ration's 75-cent minimum wage bill
IS going on on the floor OF the
House this week, and continues as
this issue oi Capital Comment goes
To press.
he final action taken will be fully
covered Tor you as soon as compile
ted, probably in next weeks issue.
The Senate Labor Committee ha,
already approved a wage bill, with
a report urging that the national
minimum wage be raised To Is cents
an hour to bolster purchasing
power against recession"
Thus we move along toward iul-
filling promises OF progressive leg.
i%slation Tor the benefit Of more