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Show GIRLS "ADRIFT" CAN LIVE ON $8.00 A WEEK Statement Made to Show That Minimum Mini-mum Wage Scale of $12.00 For Women Is Too High Chicago, March 10 William C. Thornc, vlco president of Montgomery Montgom-ery Ward & Company, a mall order house, told tho Illinois vlco commls-slon commls-slon toduy that a girl "adrift" can llvo on $8 a week, thus: Boom rent nnd board, $3. CO. Breakfast, coffee and rolls, 40. Luncheon, 90c. Dinners, $1.40. Car fare, oOc. Clothing nnd Incidentals, $1.70. Tho witness gave tho foregoing stntement to show that tho commission commis-sion idea that there should bo n minimum min-imum wage scale for women of $12 n week Is too high. The figures given, giv-en, he said, wero tho actual expenditures expendi-tures of one of his 1.973 female employees. em-ployees. Another girl employee he said, disbursed her wages as follows: Room nnd board $3. GO. Laundry 20 cents. Carrnro 20 cents. Clothing nnd Incidentals, $3. SO. Savings 25 cents. Five Cent Surplus The statement rails to account ror n surplus or five cents, but this was explained, and Senator Hoall remarked remark-ed that tho girl probably spent It frivolously. fri-volously. The witness today, in addition to Thorne, wero James Simpson, John T. Plerle, E. J. Lehmanu, Henry l Schwab and Albert Klllngcr nil le-presentntlvos le-presentntlvos department stores employing em-ploying thousands of girls and worn-e. worn-e. There were no witnesses from tho underworld. Senator Juul told Thorne that girl af'er girl had been on the stnnd nnd testified to having "gone wrong" be-causo be-causo they could not mako a living otherwise. "Wo want you merchants to Jump In and help stop that sort of thing," snld Senator Juul. "I tell you It's an an awful situation when girl after girl" "Oh yes, but for the most part I don't believe those yarns," Interrupted Interrupt-ed the witness. Tho earnings of Montgomery Ward & Co., for tho last fiscal year wero: $2,376,000, Thorne said, and Juul, having calculated that the expenditure expendi-ture of $75,000 a year would raise tho salaries of the five, six and seven dollars girls to ten dollars, asked If witness did not think the money may well bo spent In that way. "But," camo tho reply, "we already aro spending that much In benefits, old ago pensions nnd tho like. Wo look nfter the welfare or our employees em-ployees very closely, and. If this commission com-mission can show us whero wo fall, wo'll remedy tho defect. If It can bo Bhqwn that our girls need moro money mon-ey they shall hnvo It, although I think $S 1b a fair minimum. Price Would Cost Jobs Thorno said thnt In his opinion a minimum wage scale of $12 a week for women would drlvo half tho factories fac-tories out of Illinois, and cost half tho women their jobs. "Tho law wouldn't bother us much, hut tho factories would feel It nnd they would hlro men instead of women wo-men If they had to pay $12, because thoy can got more work out of tho men" Bald ho. Tho other witnesses rendily gavo details or their payrolls, but they nro a unit In declining to state the pn Its of their firms. Tho commission adjourned until further notice, which probnbly will bo given lato this week. |
