The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Law as to Wages Is Kept Intact, He Tells House Names Firms Cited at Ottawa Probe, and Moneys Paid REGULATIONS UPH EL D Minister of Health is Critical of Other Witnesses Complete vindication was given in the Legislature yes-- terday by Hon. Dr. J. M. Robb, Minister of Health, to ten firms recently accused, before the Stevens Committee at Ottawa, of offending against the Ontario Minimum Wage Act, which governs women workers' pay. One by One. Instance by instance, Dr. Robb de-- nied charges made at Ottawa by A. W, Laver, Toronto Welfare Commissioner. At Ottawa, Mr. Laver had cited the nine cases of girls who applied for relie{, allegedly because they were underpaid by their employers, The list, with Dr. Robb's comments, fo'-- The List. Canada Packers Limited: "This em-- jloyee allegedly received only $9 per week. Investigation made by our in-- to Dec. 20 last, this woman averaged $11.50 per week. Then from Jan. 11 to March 1, 1934, working part time only, she averaged $10 per week. Th: woman was correctly paid, according to the requirements of the Ontatrio Minimum Wage Board." T. Eaton Company, Limited: "The woman in question was alleged to have received $10 per week. Investigation by our inspector discloses the fact that, from July 13 to Dec. 22, the day she applied for relief, this woman received for the 24 weeks an average of $10.65 per week. Out of the 24 weeks she worked only 8 full--tim> weeks: the balance were on short time. This woman was correctly paid, ac-- lcorglng to our requirements." Toronto Feather and Down Com-- pany: "This girl was alleged to have received $5 a week. Our inspector went through this firm's books from June, 1933, to March 15, 1934, and could find no evidence that this woman received as low as $5 a week. Her average earnings for the whole period were 30 cents an hour, where-- as all this firm was required to pay under our orders is 25 cents an hour " According to Law. Midland Whitewear Company: "Au employee was alleged to receive oniy $5 per week. Our inspector reports that this employee carned 25.1 cents an hour from July 29 to March 17, 1934. This woman's weekly earnings only on two occasions from Sept. 1 amounted to less than $7, and on these two occasions she worked a very short week. This woman was cor-- rectly paid, according to our require-- ments." discloses that, from July 27 George H. Hees & Company: "This girl was sister of the girl work-- ing at the Toronto Feather and Down Company, another relief case. This woman was alleged to have received 810 per week. Our investigator found that from September to Jan. 3, this employee received $11.30 per week 'and from Jan. 3 to date $12.50 per | week. This woman was correctly 'paid, according to our requirements." Only Once. Rite--Way Hand Laundry: "A woman was alleged to have received $6 a week. Our inspector visited this plant and found that this woman had been paid $10 a week up till recently and for the last month $12.50 a week. This woman herself, upon being in-- terrogated, said that she had not ap-- plied for relief, consequently could not have made the statement that she was only paid $6 a week. She did, however, admit that her husband had applied for relief, but what her husband said to the Relief Officer she was unable to say. It was ap-- parent that although this woman ap-- pears to have applied for relief she was not interviewed by the Relief De-- partment." C s F. W Woolworth Company: "This woman was alleged to have received $8.50 per week. From September, 1933, to date, this employee only once re-- ceived wages as low as $8.50 per week, and then it was for thirty hours." _ Allen Hairdressing Establishment: "A woman. it was alleged, received $7 per week. Our investigator found that Mr. Allen has a small hairdress-- ing establishment and does all the work himself. For some years he had Before concentrating on Mr. Laver's allegations, Dr. Robb had discussed | the evidence given before the Stevens | committee by Professor Cassidy of | the University of Toronto, acting for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers. The professor, he said, "had intimated that he had had a hard time getting 'his information, -- unverified state-- ments of individual workers." A | strong trade unjonist, Professor CaS» I sidy had reported not much violation "Mr. Laver in his evidence at Ot-- tawa stated that the National Picture Frame Company nrnormally employed twenty girls, that it had discharged seventeen and replaced them with boys. As a mattor of fact, this firm has rever employed as many .as twenty female employees. In July, 1933, they employed nine; in August, six; in September, eleven; in October, thirteen; in November, fourteen; and in December, twelve. "At present they employ nine girls and state that at no time have they replaced women with boys. Whether that be true or not, the fact remains that before the strike in October, they had fewer femal> employees than they have had since." Professor Cassidy's Evidence. of the Min'mum Wage Act in union shops, but elsewhere, he charged, the law was not obeyed and starvation wages paid to needle workers. "I don't know Professor Cassidy's idea," said Dr. Robb, "but he has stood on C.C.F. platforms, and they're arguing against capitalists It is a fair ques-- tion to ask whether he went before the Stevens committee with an un-- biased mind." Dr. Robb suggested that the point overlooked in the pro-- fessor's evidence was whether the women were working on full or part time basis. March 23 Investigations had been undertaken on a number of complaints received. since the Stevens investigation began. Three plants in Hamilton had been given a clean bill after an inquiry on the complaint of one "Well--Wisher." A Welland firm pay--list had been ap-- proved after "Ferven't Liberal" had complained. Further, "a respectable citizen known to 90 per cent. of the members" had alleged an instance of low wages paid girl workers, and con-- ditions below the standard of health. The departmental investigation had revealed compliance with all require-- ments of the law. "In other words," said Dr. Robb, "there was not a word of truth in the statement of one of the outstanding citizens of Toronto.," Act Is Strengthened, Dr. Robb's speech was made on second reading of his mill, tighlening provisions and increasing penalties under the Minimum Wage Act. He explained the difficultiee which con-- fronted the department, but praised R. A. Stapells, Wage Board Chair-- man, for his meeting of those difficul-- ties. He cited figures to show the progress in improving wages which had been made by the board. _ 'The Minister denounced "the irre-- sponsible statements of the Liberal Leader owiside the House when he promises to do away with child labor There is no child labor in this Prov-- ince. 'There is no condition here like in the mining country of Pennsylvania or the cotton industry of the South-- ern United States." Again quoting figures, he showed a declining employ-- ment figure for children in Ontario. Only two below the age of 14 had to be dismissed last year. | [is sw Progressive Leader Nixon asked if ; Dr. Robb had investigated wages paid | in a Stratford packing plant, the cause of the strike there. Dr. Robb assured Mr. Nixon that there had been an investigation on complaints of the Mayor of Stratford. , Dr. Robb recalled the complaint of a Mr Cook, accusing retail and de-- partment stores of unethical practice and low wages. The Minister said he had loarned that Mr. Cook, prior to this, had appealed to the board ask-- ing a reduction in the minimum wage. "His request was refused." The department asks for the co-- operation of the public and of em-- plovyers, the Minister said, in con-- clusion,. and it is only fair to give warning that those who do not co-- opcrate must take the results. "Give us the facts, and wa will investigate," be promised. * s 3 H. &. Colliver (Consorvative, Prince Edward)., although protesting his loy-- alty to the Minister and to the board. mentioned tomato--canning conditions without drawing inferences. The mini-- mum wage, he said, caused disturb~ ances between male and female labor, and bhours in the canning plants were affected by seasonal demands. Mr. Colliver argued that Quebec products, produced under a Gifferent minimum wase law, were flooding the market, and "we cannot compete." Several canning factories, he clai_med. hatz | ment. been moved cheap labor. \ll'_(l}.' EUETUET Praise for R. A. Stapelis was offered by Wilfred Heighington (Conservative, St. Pavid's), who referred to the Chairman's charitable and civic activ-- ities. He should not be criticized un-- less given better legislatin,. the Con-- servative member contended, claiming that at present "even we humble lawyers can Grive a cart and horse throuch it." l L ste C VWelfare Commissioner A. W. Laver stated last night when he was asked to comment on Mr. Robb's statement that he preferred to make no reply until the figures had been checked. R. A. Barker, a former Welfar: De-- partment employee, now emploved by the Federal Government in checking up statements made by Commissioner Laver before the mass buying com-- mittee at Ottawa, refused to make any comment either. He intimated that the statements of the Minister would be sent to the Federal Govern-- ved into Quebec because of