National Affairs: Raised Floor

The national minimum wage was raised from 40¢ to 75¢ an hour last week. The bill signed into law by the President will give an estimated 1,500,000 workers a raise of around $300 million a year. Harry Truman called it “a major victory in our fight to promote the general welfare,” and said it “should result in the virtual elimination of the evil of child labor.”

It wasn’t quite as much a victory as it seemed. By the time the lawyers finish with its loopholes, it will probably cover at least 200,000 fewer employees than the old Fair Labor Standards Act. The old bill affected workers “necessary” to production of goods in interstate commerce; the new one applies to the approximate onethird of the U.S. working force which is “directly essential” to production in interstate commerce. Specifically excluded are farm laborers, newspaper carriers, small telephone, telegraph, newspaper and logging operations; employees of most local stores and laundries.

Among the union leaders at the signing ceremony at the White House was President Emil Rieve of the C.I.O. textile workers. As he left the White House, he announced a new goal: his 450,000 members will ask Congress to raise the minimum wage to $1 an hour.