CHAP. 7.—INTERFERENCE WITH WAGES IN CANADA 39

Minimum Wage Legislation
Beginnings and Development

FROM entirely different motives and from entirely different examples
 has sprung up, since 1917, minimum wage legislation for
women in various Canadian Provinces. Such laws have been passed
wn Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta,
and British Columbia. - Women alone are protected, except in British
 Columbia and Alberta.
The Province of Alberta provided in 1917 for the appointment of
an advisory committee to propose minimum wages for females and
minors. The lieutenant governor is authorized on the basis of that
Information to issue one or several minimum wage orders for the
Province.®
The Province of British Columbia established in 1918 a minimum
Wage board of three members, one of them the deputy minister of
labor and the other two to be appointed by the lieutenant governor
of the Province. The board was empowered to call conferences of
Tepresentatives of employers, of employees, and of the public for industries
 where female workers are employed at unduly low wages.
The board may ask for recommendations from these conferences as to
Proper minimum wages, and then fix such minimum wages as it
deems fit.
The Province of Manitoba in 1918, made provision for a minimum
Wage board, composed of two representatives of employers, two
representatives of employees, and one disinterested person, all to be
appointed by the lieutenant governor of the Province. The board is
2uthorized to issue minimum wages for female workers.’
The Province of Saskatchewan also provided for the fixation of
minimum wages.® Nova Scotia took the same step ® but omitted to
Appoint a minimum wage board. There are no minimum wage
Provisions in force in that Province. Ontario promulgated in
1920 a mimmum wage act. The minimum wage board of that
Province may take the advice of representatives of employers and
of employees but remains free to establish minimum wages for
female employees of the Province as it deems fit. In practice the
Wage board has established cost-of-living budgets as the main
basis of its orders.* The Province of Quebec enacted in 1919 a
Women’s minimum wage act.** That legislation, however, was
effectively applied only in 1926.

® Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada as existing Dec. 31,
1920. Ottawa, 1921, p. 648.
° Idem, p. 791. A'law of 1919 (idem, p. 720) provided for the establishment of a coal
miners’ minimum wage board, but that board has not actually operated.
"Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada as existing Dec. 31,
1920. Ottawa, 1921, p. 513,
§ Idem, p. 575.
2 ldem, p. 234.
Logg etter from Prof. 8. H. Prince, of Dalhousie University, Halifax, dated Mar. 24,
o-Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada as existing Dec. 31,
1920. Ottawa, 1921, p. 448. }
90g 2Rada (Ontario). Minimum Wage Board. Fifth annual report, 1925. Toronto,
, P. 6,
© Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada as existing Dec. 31,
1920. Ottawa, 1921, p. 331.
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