The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-27
WANTS OF LABOR MEN.
The State Federation Takes
Action on Matters Now
Before the Legislature.
Especial to ..The Jersey city News."l

RS
TRENTON, Jan. 81, 1S9S.-Resolutions
adopted by the Essex Trades Council,
calling upon legislators to pave the way
for a Constitutional Convention to make
reforms in the State Constitution, were
submitted at a meeting of the Executive
Board OF the New Jersey State Federation
Tuesday.
1t was decided by the Board to submit
the resolutions to local unions affiliated
with the central body in all parts of the
State, for consideration, and copies of the
resolutions will he forwarded to member
of the Senate and the Assembly and to in
fiuential men in all sections of this State.
The Executive Board nave bills ready
for presentation to the State Legislature.
One bill requires that mercantile estab-
lishments shall provide seats for female
employees and clerks and for all minors.
This is really an amendment to the old
law, which made a violation of it's pro-
visions a misdemeanor, while the new one
provides for an action to be taken in any
circuit or Justices court having jurisdic-
ton.
Another bill is an amendment to the
Factory Inspectorship law, and it pro-
vides for the appointment of two female
inspectors. These two bills have met
with no opposition from several legisla-
tors to whom the provisions have been
explained. The object of the bills is the
protection of the health of employees of
both sexes and all ages.
The reports of organizers. particularly
from South Jersey, were very encourag-
ing The building trades reported a boom
in rogress. North Jersey is also active.
The Trades Counci of Elizabeth, COM
prising twelve separate organizations, in
Guiding the building trades, affiliated with
the State Federation at the meeting yes
terday.
These members of the Executive Board
We're at the meeting:-Chairman H. j.
Gottlob, 7. J: McHIugh, J. Howell Reeves,
Mcdonnell. Chairman Gottlob will look
after the legislative work in Trenton for
the Federation during the present session
of the State Legislature.
Appended are the plans on which the
Executive Committee will secure the sem
timent of affiliated bodies
One-The rumored attempt to abol-
ish or modify the official labor de-
partments of this State.
Two-The filing of the offices con-
nected with these departments.
1t is the opinion that all attempts
to destroy the efficiency of the labor
departments are acts directly hostile
to the labor interests of the State,
and that it is an insult to the com
mon SENSE OF the country TO talk OF
economizing the few dollars annually
spent on these departments when as
many thousands are wasted in other
directions. 1t took years of hard and
earnest work to persuade our legislat-
ors to establish official ways to inves-
tigate and protect the interests of the
laboripg men, women and children of
New Jersey. The same hard struggle
has been going on all over the world,
and especially in this country, and
with success
Over two-thirds of the States of the
Union now lave departments of labor
investigation. factory inspection and
arbitration. To undo the work in New
Jersey is a step backward which will
most surely be resented, and resented
vigorously. The effort should be to
increase the efficiency of the work of
the departments by not stinting the
appropriations and by the appointment
of competent men to undertake this
work.
Wherever there is any ineficieney it
is the result of legislative %niggardli-
ness. legislative tinkering with some
thing not understood by those who do
the law making, and the appointment
of incompetent or ignorant officials,
whose only qualification was their po-
litical pull" We desire the depart
ments to be let alone. and the appoint-
ment of officials who have trained
knowledge and are familiar with the
labor interests.