The Advocate and news., 1898-10-19
REVISION OF THE LABOR LAWS.


A very important part of the Populist
platform now before the people is that
Of which the least is being said--the FIVE
demands for the rights Of labor.
The first Of these has been ably ex-
planned through the Advocate and News
by G. G. Clemens. The need of assist
ance for the man who is hunting a job
ought to be apparent to every one. He
is not only not earning any money, but
is obliged as well to spend something
to maintain himself and family while
seeking employment. The plan proposed
would hunt out work for the wage-earner
instead Of compelling him to drift about
almlessly in search of It. II he lived IN
Kansas City, with no work to be found,
and there should happen to be demand
for him in Wichita, he could find it out.
It would be done, too, without compell-
ing the State to add anything to the
present expenditures.
The second and third demands practi-
cally 60 together as one. The greatest
need Of revision as regards the mining
laws is a change that will give the min
ers satisfactory inspection service. 1t is
away beyond the ability Of one or two
men to do the work that is now required
of the Mine Inspector. If he is inclined
that way he finds 1t very easy to evade an
enforcement Of the laws, and IL he is
inclined the other way he finds innumer-
able difficulties in his path. The Mine
Inspector ought to be responsible to the
miners, not to the Governor. There
should be an inspector in each county
producing fixed amount of coal, who
should be elected as a county officer. In
the other counties the work Of inspec-
tion could be performed from the Labor
Commissioners Office. These county in
spectors should be within the jurisdiction
of the Labor Commissioners. The Bureau
of Labor and Industrial Statistics should
be made department worthy OF it's con-
stltuency. 1t should be placed on an
equal footing with the Office Of State
Auditor, Superintendent, Secretary Of
State, etc, and, like them, made an cleo
tive Office. The workingmen of Kansas
have q right to demand this; they are
entitled to II because Of their present
strength as we'll as for their future pro-
lection. The railroad brotherhoods in
themselves are strong enough to ask
this, to say nothing of the other organ
lied and unOrganiZed wage workers.
The work OF the bureau has grown so
that 1t should have a frmer foundation
and more fitting point of view.
The fourth demand is easily under
stood, 1t seeks to secure workmen the
payment Of their wages without putting
them to excessive expense therefor.
The fifth is not properly labor law.
The output Of coal at the penitentiary
mine has not interfered with the market
Of the free miner to any appreciable ex-
tent though the practice is wrong in
principle. The output Of the peniten-
tlary mine should be confined to the
needs Of the State institutions, but the
mine should be operated by free labor
and the cOnvicts be set at work in some
line that will not bring them at all in
competition with those who are not in
good shape to stand 1t. This is probably
unconstitutional, but so is most every
thing else that is proposed for the relief
Of labor nowadays.
THE GROWTH OF PUBLIC OWNERSHIP.