Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-09-12
Legislative Committee Report.

The X. of l.. Legislative Committee
has at last issued a report of its work at
the recent session of the legislature
The committee, which was appointed
by convention of Knights held at Har-
risburg in January, was composed of
VIM. H. Lewis of Harrisburg, N. II. A.
217 Chas. j. Andrews of Titusville, ID.
A. 1885, and Hugh McGarvey of Beaver
Meadow, d. A. 81. The report states
that the committee decided to carry on
its work by appealing to the member
through petitions, circulars, etc., rather
than resort to the button-holing and
other methods peculiar to lobbyists. 1t
further says:
Separate petitions were gotten up for each
bill and forwarded to the local assemblies for
signature. As these petitions were returned to
the committee, signed by hundreds of thou
sands of petitioners praying for the passage of
this that or the other bill, the passage of which
would relieve them of the wrong and injustice
to which they were subjected under the exist
ing laws, they were handed personally or sent
by mail by this committee to the member or
senator of the district from which the petition
came. 1t is but fair to say of the members of
the organization in Pennsylvania and our sup
porters outside, that if there was any virtue in
petitions not "a single bill asked for by the K
of L. committee should have been defeated
The official vote of each member on
the final passage of the following bills is
also given;
An amendment to the act providing for the
semi-monthly payment of wage workers, ap-
proved May %, 1887, and providing Il penalty of
fine and Imprisonment for its violation, which
was reported negatively by the judiciary gen.
eral committee of the senate after passing the
house.
An act prohibiting mining and manufac-
turing corporations from engaging in the busi-
ness of carrying on stores, known as company
stores or general supply stores, by direct or in
direct means of requiring their employees to
trade at any particular store or stores, which
was lost in the same manner as the bill Just
mentioned.
An act Qknown as the factory inspection bilD
to regulate the employment of women and
children in mercantile industries, manufactur-
ing establishments ETC., and to provide for the
appointment of inspectors to enforce the same,
which became law.
An act to regulate the doclzage of coal in the
anthracite coal fields, which was defeated.
An act to provide for the examination of
miners and mine laborers in the anthracite
region of this commonwealth, and to prevent
the employment of incompetent persons as
miners and laborers in the anthracite coal
mines, which became law.
An act known as the employers, liability bill,
which was lost in reconsideration in the
house, the vote being yeas, ~; nays, 81; absent
and not voting, 100; less than constitutional
majority voting for the bill. The report says:
''The committee feel the loss of this bill very
much from the fact that it was with much diff
Guilty we succeeded in getting it ON the senate
calendar, where it passed third reading and
final passage with a creditable vote and from
the kind manner the members of the house had
so far treated us, no serious opposition was ex-
pected, but we were disappointed. The above
is a correct vote, so that the constituents may
draw their own conclusions of their members
conduct. This bill, more than any other of the
bills entrusted to the committee, presented an
opportunity to those members who so often de-
clared their allegiance and friendship for the
working classes of this state to place them
selves on record rs such by supporting and vot-
ing for the measure, inasmuch as the bill was
more general and far-reaching in its provisions
than any other. There was not shadow of
class or special legislation in its provisions, but
it was intended as u benefit to all the working
cltSseS oI tne suute, no inatter Wnere OF now
employed. The call for the yeas and nays on
the question for final passage was the signal
for general stampede of the members to the
water-cosets, ante-rooms, corridors and lob
bes, and glance at the record of the vote will
show that nearly as many were absent and did
not vote as there were yeas and nays together
Necessity, no doubt, caused many to be absent
on this as other occasions, but when 100 gentle
men out of 204 simultaneously remember that
they have forgotten something in the ante
room, or they want to see man in the lobby,
it savors of there being something rotten in
Denmark Much more manly and apprecia-
tive would have been the members conduct
had they kept their seats and voted against the
bill, and, when called upon by their constit-
uents to explain their vote, to do so like men,
and not shirh the issue as they did in this
case"