The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-05
DEMOCRACY AND LABOR
Party Of Crane and McDer-
mott the Only Friend Of
Legislation for the
Workers.
FACTS FROM THE RECORDS
Progress of Industrial Legis-
lation in New Jersey--Voor-
bees Calls It "Fool Work"
From the .ATrue American of Yester-

uCCS Oct1lS Ii OO4 w ClA.
(From the '4True American. of yester-
dayD
From 1878 to 1854 the progress Of labor
legislation was slow, but the gains were
important ard ~far-reaehing. During the
Democratic administrations of Governors
Mcclellan and ludlow, the State Bureau
Of Labor and Industries was established,
the shin-piaster system was abolished
and the conspiracy lava dreadful wea-
pom in the hands of INSCRIPTIONS en-
ployers-was repealed.
But 1t was during the one term as Gov
ernor of Robert s.. Green and the two
terms as Governor of Leon Albeit, from
1883 to 1892, that labor in New Jersey
reached the highest recognition and thas
the interests Of the wage workers were
most promoted through legislation. No
other State in the United States can show
greater accomplishments by legislation
for the welfare of the working people
during a like brief period.
The legislation passed in the interest of
wage labor from 1883 to 1882 by the Demo-
cratic party MAJ be briefly summarized
as follows
The child labor legislation Of 1859, which
prohibited the employment of boys and
girls of tender years and provided for the
enforcement Of the law by the appoints
ment of a labor inspector; the law for the
preservation of the health Of female en-
ployes; the law for the better securing
Of wages to workmen and laborers; the
law abolishing the prison convict contract
system; the law providing for the en-
ployment of c~envicts without entering in
to competition with free labor; a law for
the protection of poor tenants; supple
ments to the child labor law, affording
greater protection to- adults as well as
children; the General Factory act; the
compulsory education law, the public
library law; supplements to the General
Factory aets the Labor. Day law; the
law for better school accommodation; the
ballot r~eforIHMlaw; the union label labor
law; the law for the Incorporation of la
Dor building associations; the law making
wages a preferred debt in all eases of IN
solvency; the law reducing the work
hours of street car employees; the law
against compulsory corporation relief as
sociations; the law for the greater pro-
lection Of wages; the law providing for
the stamping of all prison made goods;
the law prohibiting the offsetting of store
accounts against wages.
Under the General Factory act and its
supplements provision is made against the
unjust forfeiture of wages by employees;
women and minors are protected against
the dangers of running machinery; pro-
vision is made for the safety of life by
fire escapes on mills and factories; mill
gearing and machinery, ~hatchways and
hoistways must be provided with ample
projections; the number of factory in
spectors has been increased; dangerous
eombustlbles cannot be stored in places
where they might prevent the egress Of
operatives in case of fire; limo are
forbidden to work over ten hours a day;
oyererowding in work places is pro-
hibited; suitable dressing rooms must be
furnished for females in factories; fans
must be used in establishments where
any process is carried on by which dust is
generated; the sweating system is pro-
hibited; provision must be made for the
ventilation of mines, factories and bake
shops; minors are prohibited from work
ing at ~unhealthful and dangerous employ
ments, and the main doors of factories
must open outwardly.
The laws passed in 1892 and 1893 by the
Democrats gave renewed encouragement
to the working people of New Jersey in
their struggle for a better existence.
They were as follows
A law for the incorporation of trade
unions; a law for the formation of CO.
operative societies of w-orkingmeni a law
for the settlement of labor disputes by
arbitration; a law prohibiting the en-
plovrnent of Pinkerton agents as public