St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-24
NEEDED LABOR LAWS
Which Commissioner Powers
Sets Forth at Interesting
Length.
An Employers Liability Law
Is Utterly Worse Than
Useless.
Factory Inspection and the
Placing Of Necessary
Safeguards.
Value to Labor That Organ
iZation in the Cities Has
Proved.

>.
bureau of labor statistics, which is pre-
pairing for publication the last of the
year, will contain many interesting
features and much food for thought
among substantial people. Proof sheets
of his report have been placed at the
service of the newspapers, and much
that the report will contain is, there
fore. known.
One of the laws asked by the labor
unions is an ''employer's liability bill.
Just what the laboring people wanted
such law to comprise was not made
clear at the recent convention
of the unions. Therefore, when
the candidates for the legis-
lature were called upon by the
unions to express themselves upon the
laws asked, they said that they did not
understand wf1at the unions wanted:
but that they could not favor law
which would make the employer re-
SpOnSble in damages for all accidents
to employees whether or not they were
the result of fault on their part. Mr.
Powers, in dealing with this point, says
that employers liability laws have
proved a failure in all countries. In
Germany they made many years study
Of the question, and some twenty years
ago they discarded all laws of this
character and adopted compulsory
accident insurance law. This has
proved satisfactory, both to the employ
er and laborer. The Conservative party
of Great Britain has committed itself to
this idea, and it is likely the German
law will be adopted by the British par
lament in the course of year or two,
MIR. Powers says that large portion of
the laDorng people of Minnesota be-
lieve such law in Minnesota would
prove the only true solution of the
question. BY such law the employer
is compelled to insure every one in his
employ.
Factory Inspection.
The commissioner begins his report
with lengthy statement OF the need of
factory inspection law. The present
law only requires the commissioner Ito
visit and examine factories, workshops
and other places where people are en-
ployed at any kind of labor; to examine
into the methods of protection from
danger to employees and unsanltary con-
dtions in and around the establish
mentS, and make record thereof" The
commissioner is not clothed with power
to compel the pr0prletOrS to remedy any
of the evils he finds; nor is any one in
possession of such power. Mr.. Powers
says that in making his tour of lnSpec-
ton through factories he presented the
matter to Mr.. Wyman, heavy manu-
facturer of Minneapolis, who has been
elected to the legislature, and that he
was so heartily in accord with the idea
that he requested the privilege of intro
dncing the bill in the house. The bill,
which will probably be introduced by;
Mr.. Wyman, will require the proprie-
tors of factories to put safety devices
about dangerous machines, such as buzz
saws, etc.
Another law asked by the unions is
one for the protection ofhuman life, and
is twin to the foregoing. Mr.. Powers,
in dealing with this, cites the present
statute, which was passed in 1883, and
was designed to afford the best means
for the escape of people from hotels,
theaterS factories, ETC., from upper
stories in case of fire. This law requires
that iron ladders shall be placed OH tall
buildings. The commissioner says that
at the time of its enactment it was one
of the best laws in any state; but eXpe-
rience since then suggests the necessity
of some changes.
ga metallic ladder" says the report,
''such as is described in the law of Min
nesota, is utterly valueless as protec-
ton to human life in case of fire. This
was demonstrated in the
Burning Of the Tribune Building
some years ago. This expert
ence has been duplicated in every state
of the Union where such ladders have
had a place on burning buildings. 1t
will try the nerve of the average man,
not belonging to one of the building
trades, to descend perpendicular lad
der so or 100 feet even when there is no
cause for fear and no excitement. But
think of number of women compelled
to descend such a ladder from burn
ing building! In every case where such
an attempt has been made, some person
becomes nervous, misses her hold. and
is precipitated to the earth to meet
horrible fate. This is repeated until
those who are to follow become SO
frightened at the lot OF their fellows
that they jump from windows to meet
certain death below"
The commissioner gives diagram Of
ladders extending through a series of
platforms which are set opposite the
windows of each story, and recommends
that the law be amended so as to re-
quire that these escapes be placed on
all tall buildings. This is the escape. he
says, which the factory Inspector of
New York has approved. A few OF them
are already in use in st. Paul. The
Globe building. Ryan hotel and Metro
politan opera house are provided with
them.
The commissioner details many other
amendments which should be made to
this law, most of which relate tie afford
Ing better means of escape from fires in
the interior of buildings. He mentions
buildings in st. Paul and Minneapolis
which are provided with but one stair
way, and this winding around the ele-
vator shaft. He urges that all tall
buildings should have two or more in
terror stairwayS, extending from top to
bottom. He gives diagrams of Dorn's
fre-prOOf interior StalrWayS, which is
the invention of the chief fac
tory inspector of OHIO, and was
approved by the national con-
vention of factory inspectors of
1883. This escape consists of two brick
shafts set in opposite corners of the
building. Inside these are iron stair
ways. There is no opening tC the shaft
on the inside Of the building, so there is
no chance for the shaft to be turned into
a chimney. The entrance is made from
a platform set outside under the corner
windows OF each story. Mr.. Powers
thinks the law should be so amended as
to require that the Dorm escapes be put
in the very tall buildings, in addition to
the outside platform and stairway es-
capeS before mentioned.
An elevator inspection law is among
tine provisions the unions will ask of the
coming legislature. Mr.. Powers deals
with this subject at considerable length,
.counteriug constantly in tail buildings
through imperfect elevators and poorly
guarded elevator shafts. He gives many
Illustrations and cites many accidents
which have happened from these causes.
These imperfect and dangerous elevat-
ors, are commonly found III factories.
The report contains a long list OF re-
cent accidents to employees III factories
which have resulted from poorly guard