OHAP. 6.—MINIMUM WAGE FOR WOMEN IN UNITED STATES 57

“no.”s2 Replies to a similar inquiry undertaken in Massachusetts
In the same year, by the National Industrial Conference Board,
showed that of 7 knit-goods concerns and 17 concerns making minor
confectionery and miscellaneous food preparations not one had discharged
 any women because of the minimum wage decrees.®* From
the evidence it appears that there have been discharges of slow workers,
 but only to a very limited extent, and that no serious hardship
was created.

In general, it may be said that there have been no evil consequences
of any importance caused by American minimum wage legislation.
On the other hand, the positive influence of the legislation on the
relief of misery has not been very important either, Home work,
So far, has been generally left untouched by this legislation. Woman
Workers living with their families were possibly not in great distress,
but serious hardship has been relieved among female workers living
alone. The evidence shows that that is true even in Massachusetts
(notwithstanding the fact that the law there does not give authority
to fix a living wage if that might lead to consequences detrimental
to industry), where enforcement was only partial on account of the
Tecommendatory nature of the law. In the States where the law is
of a mandatory character, and its principle that of the living wage,
Particularly on the Pacific coast and especially in California, the
benefits to the workers appear to have been great, and many em-Ployers
 state that the law has been beneficial to their own interests.

* Frankfurter, Felix; Dawson, Mary W.; and Commons, John R.: State Minimum Wage
Laws in Practice. New York, National Consumers’ League, 1924, p. 122.
% National Industrial Conference Board. Minimum Wage Legislation in Massachusetts.
New York, 1927, p. 130.