For Release Monday September 4 , 1944

PR-51

Inactive

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Wage and Hour Division

165 West 46th Street

New York 19, New York

4,000,000 Still Get Less Than 40 an Hour

Although a minimum wage of 40 cents an hour has been established for all the 21,000,000 workers protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act, over 4,000,000 of the workers outside its protection still are paid less than 40 an hour, L. Metcalfe Walling, Administrator of the Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Divisions, said today in a Labor Day stateinent.

Actually, there are more workers without its protection than are covered by the Act, Mr. Walling said. Parallel state legislation is needed to provide a similar bulwark against post-war wage slashing, deflation and consequent unemployment. Here is an opportunity for those who advocate state, rather than Federal, action to demonstrate the sincerity of their stand.

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(02106)