Show INSIDE OF MINIMUM WAGE DEFEAT EXPLAINED EXPLAIN ED Gardner Thinks American Federation of Labor Caused Bils Bil's Death MONEY FOR RIVERS Failure to Pass Postoffice Appropriation May Cripple Service By GILSON GARDNER V WASHINGTON A March 13 Legis Legis Legislation lation looking to the tho est establishment b nt of or a minimum wage for tor women in inthe In Inthe the District District of or Columbia was WOoS de defeated defeated de- de during tho the closing hours of ot the late congress A small appropriation appropriation of or had been asked by bythe bythe the bureau of or labor to study the cost of oC living among mong working famIlIes families fam fam- In the nations nation's capital This would woul 5 serve r as the basis for minimum minimum mini mini- mum wage legislation which bas has been promoted promote l b by the tho National Consumers Consumers' Consumers Consumers' Consumers Consumers' Con Con- sumers' sumers league and other organizations organizations The Tho District has an eight eight- hour law for tor women but without a minimum wage act the hour eight-hour law has haa proved in some Borne cases cales a hardship The paragraph appropriating for tor forthe tho the investigation had been placed Inthe in inthe inthe the bill in the senate and went to conference where it was supported b by five out of oC the six conferees The friends of oC the measure were hopeful At this point the unexpected and unexplainable unexplainable un- un explainable happened According to Congressman man Joseph T. T Johnson of oC South Carolina chairman of oC the house conferees the representative of oC the bureau of oC labor Ethelbert Stewart when asked about this item told the conferees the amount was insufficient and thee appropriation ridiculous This of oC course was a 1 sufficient excuse for tor tho conferees interested in other things and anxious to cut the total to drop out tho the Item The remarkable thing about the Incident is IH found round In the fact tact that the recommendation recommendation recommendation of oC for tor this purpose was based baRed on an estimate made by Mr Stewarts Stewart's own bureau in the department of oC labor It had the Indorsement in indorsement In- In dortu ment of oC the head of oC the bu bureau bureau bu- bu reau Dr Meeker Why Sto Stewart art should characterize it as ridiculous and ond thus secure its ItH defeat in Is a matter matter matter mat mat- ter of ot surmise It might be lie ex explained ex- ex b by the fact tact that President Gompers of ot the American Federation Federation Federation Federa Federa- tion of ot Labor Lobor is opposed to minimum minimum mini mini- mum wage wage legislation his contention being that a a. minimum wage would set tho the precedent for tor a maximum wage Tho The Federation of ot Labor Lobor iu la lavery very strong in tho the department of oC labor Altho Although gh ss did not have time to pass Ss the postoffice appropriation appropriation atlon and the Indian appropriation bills the dear Southern senators did find time to elpi over worth of oC river liver and ond harbor work The Tho river and harbor bill Itself called for to con continue existing projects ts but ut tho the canny pork grabbers grabbers grab grab- bers did did n not t forget to slip into other bills Items for ter instance In Inthe inthe inthe the sundry civil bill for tor river and harbor work and provisions provisions pro pro- visions for tor making available some left over appropriations which ral raises es tho the total to all to tobe tobo tobo bo be dispensed under the auspices and at ut the discretion of ot the tho chief of ot en engineers engineers en- en which means at the discretion tion of oC Southern senators who got the pork bill paused passed Incidentally they slipped in a provision authorizing ing tho the chief of ot engineers to make mako surveys ys of or no less than 07 new f projects all of or which will clamor at atthe tho the next congress congre s for tor appropriations to tu b begin gin work In addition th they y I authorized resurveys resurvey on en the following following follow follow- ing projects to out whether r ItIs it itis itis is worth while going on with them Inland waterway from Norfolk to Beaufort inlet and the Coosa Coo sa Brazos Bra Bra- zoa zos Red Arkansas Tennessee Ten Ten- Missouri rivers n Fox and Walter editor of oC th the Courier Herald ld of at Lincoln Ill predicts predicts pre pre- a 0 terrific revolt of oC Illinois Democrats against Roger Sullivan which will wrest the tho control of ot the tho party from Sullivan the Chicago bas gas boss with Assistant Secreta Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- ta tary of at Agriculture Carl Vrooman was at ot the head of ot the revolt re which turned progressive Democrats against Sullivan in th the last campaign and defeated him for tor the United States was wall the first Illinois editor to come out for tor woodrow Wilson WIlan and wants to ace see men of ot the Sullivan stripe kicked out of ot the party porty The Tho failure of oC the postoffice appropriation appropriation n. n bill bUl to pass and the substitution substitution of oC a resolution continuing last Jast years yearn appropriations is sure Bure to re result result result re- re sult in Sn a deficit and to cripple the postal service eer The estimates for the coming year were The pill which failed would pave have e a appropriated The existing existing- appropriations ap ap- which are continued based on last years year's expenditures are only Every year the normal normal normal nor nor- mal business of ot the postoffice in- in 4 per Pr c cent nt There is no provisIon provision pro pro- vision for this Increase nor for tor an any improvement in the son service al although although al- al though Postmaster r General Burleson turned back into the treasury treasury treas- treas of ot ury this of unexpended funds at the end endot fiscal year In recommending an appropriation to R remedy th the illiteracy in the United states Statu the commissioner of oC education dUca- dUca tion n reports Port that there are approximately approximately men women and children ov over r 10 years of or age wl who cannot read or write Of Ot thee these OOOO are over 20 y years yeara of oC age ago |