Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-09

engaged therein Tor injuries received.
through lack of necessary safeguards.
5.-Ihe recognition, by Incorporation, Of
trades un1Onss orders, and such other assOI
Citations as may be organized by the work
ing masses to improve their condition and
protect their rights.
6-The enactment of laws to compel cor
pOratiOns to pay their employees weekly, M
lawful money, Tor toe IaooF or the preceding
week, and giving mechanics and labOrers a
first lien upon the product OF their labor to-
the extent of their full wages.
z. The abolition of the contract system on
national, state and municipal works
8. The enactment or laws providing for
arbitration between employers and employed
and to enforce the decision OF the arbltra-
tors.
9. The prohibition by law of the employ
ment of children under 10 years of age In
workshops. mines and factories.
10. To prohibit the hiring out of convict
labor.
II. That graduated income tax be-
The first demand was complied with by
the establishment Of this bureau in 1885.
The second was antagOniZed by the con
stitutiOn of the state, which provided in its
bin Of rights that 'inO distinction shall ever
Be made between citizens and aliens IN ref
erence to the purchase, enjoyment or de-
scent Of property" An amendment IS now
pending and VIII be voted upon at the
coming genera election, providing that the
rights of aliens may be regulated by law
thus giving the legislature power to act in
the matter.
The third Reneralizes too much to be an
sWersd cCnciseiy, but 1t may be stated that,
in 1885, a law Was enacted eZeJnptinT three
months personal earnings of a debtor from
punishment where such earnings were re-
quir6 d for the support of the debtors fam
lily. And upon the simple affidavit of the
debtor to this effect, the court Is bound to
release all monies withheld under such pro-
cess. 1t cannot be charged that unjust
Il
aga inst TIE labO-er in the administration Of
justice abound in our Kansas statutes.
Regarding the fourth. in 1888 the legisla-
ture enacted Law looking to the safety of
persons employed IN mines, and this law
was amended In 1885, and 1t is safe to pre-
dict that IN the near future equal provision
viii be made looking to the safety of per-
sons employed IN the manufacturing and
building industries. Railroads are now by
Law made liable for injuries to employees re-
ceived through inCOmpe6enCy or careless
ness of co-emplOyes.
Answering the fifth, 1t is only necessary to
state that under our general Incorporation
law every labor organization IN the state
can become incorporated by simply fling
copy of its charter IN the Office of the secre-
tary Of state. Upon application to that Of
fcer blank will be forwarded which only
requires to be properly filed out and re-
turned to accomplish this result.
In EdditiOn, the legislature at its last ses-
sion, IN 1887. passed a law to encourage CO.
found upon page 319 of the Third report of
this bureau,-by which it was provided that
twenty or more persons might organize
and incorporate a cooperative society, and.
that such society shall enjoy all the rights,
privileges and powers conferred by law on
other chartered companies, and that each
shareholder should have but one vote ire
spectiVe of the number OF shares such share
holder might own.
The sixth asks for weekly payments by.
corporations. This demand was endorsed
by the republican party IN its late state COM
VentiOn, and bids fair to be enacted into al
law at the coming session of the legislature.
Regarding the second demand in this sec
ton, it may be said that mechanics ana la.
borers have long had in this state a first lienl
upon buildings, ETC., which they have aided!
to erect.
The seventh demand has not yet been.
granted. The contract system on state and
municipal works still prevails.
OF the eighth, It may be said that law
providing for method Of local arbitration
between employers and employees was en-
acted In 1886. This law, however, did lot
90 so far as to say that the decisions of the
arbitratOrs should be enforced, as doubts
were entertained as to the legality of law
providing for compulsory arbitration.
Answering the ninth, our mining law pro-
h1DIJs the employment OF children under Il
years of age, or under 16, unless they are
able to read and write aud furnish q certih-
cate from school teacher that they have
attended school for at least three months
during the year. 1t IS the hope of the com
missioner that this law may be extended to
include children employed in work shops
and factories. AS to the tenth and eleventh,
the hiring out of convict labor under con-
tract is permitted, and the state has taken
no action in regard to the levying Of an in
come tax.
To recapituIate. it may be said that the
first, third, fourth, fifth. sixth, eighth and
ninth demands have been wholly or in part
complied with; while it Is highly probable
that way will be made IN the direction of at
least a partial compliance with the second
during the coming winter, and possibly with
the seventh and tenth, in the near future.
The eleventh, requiring the levying of a.
graduated income tax will probably not.
soon meet the appreciation of our law max,
ers, but there is good reason to believe that.
additional legislation viii be had bringing|
the fourth, sixth and ninth into full accord
with the demands made by the Knights
Of Labor, thus complying wholly or IN a
great part with ten out Of the eleven OF
them, a record That viii compare favOrably
with any of the other states Of the union.