Cecil A. Partee Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

those wbich you were primary spgnsor on. So I don't have any continuation
on that. Do you recall any further action in 1975 and 1976 regarding the
FEPC?
A: I don't remember. I know, in 1975, I had to pass a bill to increase the
salaries of the members af the commission, ,
Q: Both in 1974 and 1975. You had a bill in each year that increased them.
A: Yes.
Q: Why did you feel that they should be increased, str?
A: Well, their loads had become a lot heavier and they spent a great
deal more time with the cormissiqn. I just felt that they were justified in
getting a raise. It wasn't a big raise, like for--1 think it finally went
to $10,000 or something Like that, I don't know what they get now but it
was just to, I think it was from.$5000 to $10,000 or something like that,
The ahairman had been getting $7500 or,~omething like that, so we raised
them all.
)' ,
Q: Yes, sir, Once the bill was passed, was it effective?
A: I think it had its effect, yes. X've not handled many personal cases
under it. I've had a couple of cases under it but I think a ll in all it
had its effect. And more than that, I don't think it was as onerous and
as devastating to industry as they had claimed that it would be prior to
its passage.
Q: Sir, in regard to fair labor standards acts there was an attempt over a
period-of-years in order to get this established and it seems that in all
cases it failed in passage. One part of that was the business of women's
wages being equated with those of men. In 1959, Representative Kaplan and
you and 32 others were involved in a bill which prohibited discrimination
in wages because of sex. Do you recall that bill?
A: No, net except just conceprually. I don't reqember anything about the
bill as it went through the legislature. It was an idea that I agreed
with and that's why I agreed to co-sponsor it, but I just really don't
remember anything else about .it.
Q: What do you remember about Representative Kaplan?
A: He was a very fine representative. He later became a judge in Chicago.
A very conscientious man and a thoroughly and well-prepared man on any
subject he would bring up. ,
Q:,Do you know why he was particularly concerned about the issue of women's
wages?