| Show G Dm COYM 1 l 0 I S. S i i CHICAGO 1 I Two of City's Leading Merchants Merchants Merchants Mer Mer- chants Undertake to Look Into Environment of Girls Employed in Their Stor Stores s I PROFESS DESIRE TO PAY LIVING W WAGES Minimum Wage of Juveniles Raised in One Department Store Store legislators Legislators Gratified at Attitude of Employers March t arch 1 8 8 S.-As S. As a 3 result of ot the sessions of tho the state senate vice vic co commission which has been hearing hearing hearing hear hear- ing employers of female Jab labor r with v tb aview a aview view ie to to l learning whether ber wages hn have an any bearing upon social evil conditions condi- condi ti two o of the l largest merchants in the city CIty employing thousands thousands' of women today women today took steps to 0 enter into the tho very ers ry homes hoines o of employees to learn if the if-the the home conditions were ere such ll as might augment the temptations su surrounding surrounding sur sur- rounding working girls The two merchants are arc Edward Hillman an and I E E. F. F Mandel They said that in order to make certain that no employee of theirs can over c justly claim that the downward path was tak jaken laLen ll because cause the they were not paid a a. living ng wags wage ag individual cases will kill he be studied d and compensation paid in accordance accordance ncI ac nc- with the individual n needs cds I A letter letter was received recel by Chairman Barratt t OHara O Hara f from om E E F. F Mandel pre president l ent of ot Mandel Bros who was a ar 1 witness ss yesterday sta that stating ng h he had ad f rallied ei the the- t tto he minimum wage of Juveniles Juveniles' to 4 4 The Juveniles are girls be b between tween the a altos ages oB of ot of 13 and ana 15 y years rs who ho are arc employed on small errands Wh Wherever r v r. r p possible ss ble b by reason of ot th thA aptness or general fitness fitness' of ot th the girl the wage will wUl be over 4 Mr Ir Mandel said Glad to Get Ideas Idea It was like Uke going to an old old-fash revival was the way way a Edward Hillman referring to tho the meeting with the vice committee A busy man mangels gets gels c careless sometimes He Is Is' busy malting making mane money I always thought t we did everything under the tho sun for tor our p people o le but the revival you call it It H. gave me somo some Ideas of ot responsibility 1 I never dreamed reamed of before I wouldn't have missed It for a a 3 thousand dot dol I mars lars rs Hillman was tho first witness of ot the dR day His saleswomen he ho said re received re- re an average of a a. week al although although al- al though there aro tiro some errand girls girla who ho receive as 35 low 10 as 3 When Wen asked as to the mor moral l standards standards stan stan- dards da of at the girls In his store Mr Hillman said they sized up pretty gt brood bOOd od but Invited the commissioners to size sire em cm up for tor themselves Senator BeaU Bean known as tho stork mayor of or Alton a member of ot th the commission n accepted but when h he entered the store ho walked through al aisles without looking to tho the right or left Agrees With Chairman OHara Do you OU think that a woman would sell her virtue before she sho would starve 1 Go Gov OHara O'Hara chairman of or the commission asked asked- Mr Hillman Yes res I do came camo the prom prompt t answer answer an an- an the first of ot the kind from em j cm-j i plovers thus thus' far tar heard Thank you ou said OHara O'Hara apparent apparent- apparently I ly surprised at at- atthe the thc admission Hillman said eald that girls and nod women wanton are employed at his store O Of these six forty girls sins receive 5 tr 1 n- n four ty-four get 4 twenty three earn earn 3 50 and six receive 3 3 These Thes last are arc errand girls most mostly brought In by their parents who want them to learn Continued on Page P 2 2 Col Column mn 1 I 1 GOOD COMES FROM VICE INVESTIGATION J Chicago Employers Undertake to Improve Condition of Working Girls 1 Continued from Page ge I. I the business so they n-a n iray ay advance to tc higher higher salaries he said If t one ono of ot your our 3 53 girls lost her virtue virtue vir vir- vir tue would it hurt your our conscience n asked ed OHara Ol Yes certainly Would Woud you ou hold yourself responsible II ble 0 Well now flOW lets let's think would I t 11 r Hero's Heros eros ero's a girl 1111 brought In b by her parents parents par par- living at home home should should I be he re responsible responsible responsible re- re I think not I think the thc parents arents would oud be responsible The witness said salil ho never ha had L heard of ot a 0 girl bein being being- blacklisted t d for forbad oz bad conduct but did know leno of or a floorwalker floorwalker floorwalker floor floor- walker who had suffered Buffered that fate tate for tor immorality Started at 2 2 n a W Week eek eV admitted that he was U a self made man n. lIe He started work ork at Rt 2 2 a week a as a a. cash boy Could you live on on It inquired tho thA chairman of oC the commission Well my father tather earned 14 14 and my 2 2 helped out I walked to and from w orl Readiness 5 of ot the big biS' merchant to I agree greo with tho the commission surprised and tn delighted the thc legislators For in- in OHara O'Hara a asked ked if Ir it had ever eyer oc occurred occurred oc oc- to him to Investigate ate applications for tor positions to ascertain i if It the I 1 applicant would live Iho on the sal salary r inI In InI I 1 I pro prospect It had never or occurred to him l but said caid he its a good idea Mr Jr Ir Hillman will In you promise this committee to hiro hire uch such an en Investigator tor j Yet Yes certainly glad Idad to tt's a n. good i Id idea ideL a and the tho stocky witness s nod nodded ed his bIB Iron gray head emphatically llY A Asked lc d what he thought a girl could support herself on Independently HUlmAn Hillman Hill Hill- man said 8 8 S to 9 9 a 8 week I X I could live 11 on 12 myself yes es esI I could squeeze through on 10 I 1 think he lIe ad added ed So 8 3 or 9 would sustain a n girl In InI I Chicago but It tt Woul wouldn't nt leave much t I for tor the movies and soda would It G observed Senator Juul No guess g you cant can't get frivolous on that laughed Hillman Off Offer r to Hook Books J James Jamas Simpson on of ot Marshall Field FJeld t. t t Leo Co who declined yesterday ester a to dhu lo the profits of or hi his firm offered the 1 commission private access to tho the books j I of ot the company Hillman also i to do the same i i Senator BeaU Beall addressing addressing- Hillman u ss uI i a self made man asked If It ho gave his I. I j employees ees the same chance chanca to advance nd t that lat he had bad You bet replied the tho merchant merch We want em eta to advance Wh Wily Why i theres there's a 3 sign In m my office Grow or orso got so got gotI r. r I- I Secretary TOI Tossy asked It if th there re was waa 88 j t R It tacit agreement among among- tho the retailers I f whereby ono one would not outbid theother the tho other her to obtain A desirable clerk Tho The answer was an emphatic denial Ho lie said Bald clerics clerks were vere always leavin leaving one firm to go with another Personal Controversy Controversy- Aired Alred I John M. M Glenn secretary of ol the Il Illinois II- II lInin ls association and owner O of the thc Manufacturers No Nowr- Nowr the organ of or the association wis w-is also lao a witness He took toole Issue with the tho allegation alle alle- gation gatlon that there are girls em cm- in Chicago at a wage 9 of f 5 55 or under Glenn said that the last lant census showed that all tol told 1 there thero W ver r only about female wage earners rs In tn Chicago He did not think It could be he possible that only vero getting getting get get- ting over 6 Much uch time was consumed with a l personal matter between OHara O'Hara and I Glenn OHara O'Hara threatened to go 0 into I Ithe the courts anent an editorial in the Manufacturers News stating that it was the publishers publishers' judgment that the vice Ice inquiry was as duo due lar largely largely- l to 1 a l desire desire de de- de sire Bire to force the great grent retailers of ot tho the ci city t to give gi a n newspaper ne on which OHara O'Hara was was waSI formerly employed a R. greater quantity of ot ertl advertising Glenn insisted that the editorial re reflected ro- ro his Judgment t and rca read reada a Q sweeping s denial Into tho the le record lr Girl Tells TeU o of Downfall Don Only on one g girl gIn rl witness was heard She was 2 25 years of ot age an and was known n as aR L r W. W only as ns th the names I of ot women witnesses are not made mado public L r W. W who ho wore a a. cap with a R. red bow and who vho looked much less ks than her ago ngo was a S servant rant at Oregon City Ill III silo she said A malo I friend brought her to Chicago o but on her tier first night when sho she didn't earn enough to satisfy him he beat me mc up an and I shook hook him Where her is 18 he now inquired S Senator Senator Sen Sen- n- n ator Juul Hes serving si six months in the Bridewell came tho reply vindictive vindictive- ly h- The prisoner ma may be called oa os a a. witness later Inter I |
