Editing Marshall Field's (section)

===1913 Illinois State Senate investigation===
In 1913, representatives of Carson Pirie Scott and Marshall Field's were called to the [[state capital]] of [[Springfield, Illinois]] for the [[Illinois Senate|State Senate]]'s investigation of the low wages of female employees at major department stores. At Marshall Field's, women were not only typists or other types of clerical workers, but also had a major role in the sales department. Female sales clerks were trained in etiquette and acquired a thorough understanding of the merchandise.<ref>Weiner, Lynn W., "Work Culture", Encyclopedia of Chicago, Chicago Historical Society, 2005, December 5, 2013</ref> The presence of saleswomen was a crucial part of the success of Marshall Field's, as they made female customers more comfortable and therefore made shopping at the store more enticing.

The opportunities available for women at Marshall Field's created a subculture of working women. During the early and middle decades of the 20th century, many women migrated into the labor force, often becoming adrift in a new city with new opportunities. Many of these women lived apart from family and relatives, were young and single and came from varied backgrounds and ethnicities. This subculture of women was greatly affected by wages and opportunities offered through Marshall Field's.<ref>Meyerowitz, Joanne J. Women Adrift: Independent Wage Earners in Chicago, 1880–1930. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1988. Print.</ref>

However, the wages of the female employees were not representative of their role in the company, and therefore became the subject of the 1913 Illinois Senate investigation. Women were paid very low wages, the average being $5 to $8 per week. The "testimony at an Illinois Senate investigation in 1913 from spokesmen for the [[Illinois Manufacturers' Association]]; banks; [[Sears, Roebuck & Company|Sears, Roebuck]]; and Marshall Field's revealed that most major employers paid women workers as low as $2.75 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US|value=2.75|start_year=1913}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}})."<ref>Cornelius, Janet, Martha LaFrenz Kay. Women of Conscience: Social Reform In Danville, Illinois 1890–1930. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 2008. Print.</ref> Even in 1913, that was not a living wage. During the hearing, Marshall Field's revealed that it could double the women's salaries, but refused to do so. Furthermore, women faced more mistreatment within the company, such as sex segregation, which limited their mobility within the company.