Evening star., 1960-08-26

LtOH. IOoC UOL USCu Uttb OC
returned only Uhen accom-
panied BY Selt-dddressed,
stamped envelopes.
precious bigotries, beyond all
else. then communism will
surely defeat democracy.
Patricia Croce.
Minimum Wage View
The editorial Political Re-
alists at Work" does a dis
service to low-wage workers
in stating that the mini
wage legislation ap-
proved by the Senate in
PRODUCES a concept Of inter-
state commerce that will
surely invite later abuse"
This is a mistaken argument,
used as a refuge by oppo-
nents Of minimum-wage re-
quirements who are afraid to
fight openly on the true is
sue. which is whether en-
ployerS should be required to
observe some decent mini
mum wage standard or
whether they should be per-
mitted to pay as little as
they can.
The fact Is that the SEN
ate passed minimum-wage
bill does not introduce a new
concept Of interstate COM
merce. 1t merely adopts the
same concept of interstate
commerce already embodied
in other Federal labor legis-
lation and upheld by the
Supreme Court as we'll within
Federal constitutional au-
thority.
The largest group Of en-
ployers involved in this ques-
ton are retailers. One glance
at the products on large
store shelves should make
anyone aware that retailers
distribute products originat-
ing in all parts of the coun-
try and are clearly in the
stream of interstate COM
merce. Retail firms are, of
course. already covered by
the Taft-Hartley Act and
other Federal legislation, so
that extension of minimum
wage requirements to them
hardly represents a new Fed
eral approach on interstate
commerce.
AS tor Kennedy
stated very simply in the de-
bate on Aug. 18 (Congres-
sional Record. page 15494) ::
These people are in inter-
state commerce. They have
been for the last 20 years
(since the minimum-wage
act enacted. However, we
have exempted them from
the coverage of the act until
now for economic reasons,
not for constitutional rea-
sons"
1t is true that the Senate
bill will not extend coverage
to all who should be covered.
The decision to continue the
exemption for large hotel
and restaurant enterprises,
many of which still pay as
little as so and 80 cents an
hour, is particularly shame
full capitulation to employer
pressures. But further delay
for reconsideration in future
Congress. as suggested by
The Star. will only deny re-
lief needed by low-paid
workers now without reason
able assurance of a better
bill in later years.
Passage of the Senate
adopted minimum-wage bill
is a must this year. for, as
Senator Kennedy put it
Congressional Record, page
15524: "All things consider
ed, l think this is a good bill,
and I believe it will make a
real difference in the lives of
many hundreds of thousands
of persons who will be at
fected beneficially by it,"
Seymour Brandwein.
Editors note: The con-
cept of interstate commerce.
written for the first time
into minimum wage legisla-
tion approved by the Senate
is by no means a mistaken
argument" against broaden
ing the coverage of the law
or increasing minimum pay
Those who opposed this con-
cept as a dangerous depar-
ture at the same time ia
vored increasing the cover
age and the rates of mini
mum pay. If the Senate
passed bill fails of passage
at this session of Congress II
will be because of this new
concept of interstate com.
merce - not because of the
increased protection to low.
Wape workers