Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-12-23

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attorneys on complaint of employees,
and now all employees receive their
wages regularly, the vast majority
weekly, many semi-monthly, aud
only few corporations adhere to
monthly payments, which will like
ly be changed as soon as practicable.
The latest case under the law is the
Republic Iron and Steel Company,
controlling five plants and employ
ing 5000. The company objected
to weekly payments because of the
labor aud expense, but agreed to
semi-monthly payments, which their
employees declined to accept. The
matter has been compromised by
the company agreeing to twenty
eight pay days per year. 50 arranged
that not more than one weeks pay
will be held back, this to be effect
i've for the present working year to
the fall of 1900, when approved by
majority of the employees, as it
likely will be. During the contro-
versy all employees continued at
work, and there has not been the
least interruption or i'll feeling.
Under the school, or truant law,
as it is commonly called, every one
of school age must attend school
until they have attained at least a
common. school education, and the
child labor law prohibits the en-
ployment of children under sixteen
years of age in factories, foundries,
mines or at hard labor. The rigid
enforcement of these two laws has
about abolished child labor in the
State, since children are being edu-
Gated, and an educated boy of six
teen is ambitious and capable of
something more than the drudgery
at which child labor is usually en-
ployed to the detriment of health
and morals. Child labor, over six
teen, allowed by law is therefore
scarce article in Indiana. An effort |
to evade the law by bringing boys |
from outside the State was defeated |
by a decision that when children
come into Indiana they are subject
to the law of the State.
Another effort by glass works to
fill the boys places with women
and girls, though not prohibited by
law, was abandoned because of pub
lie protest against the employment
of women and girls at labor insult
ed them and injurious to their
health.
What contrast to this we have
in Kentucky Though we have
laws, confessedly defective, on these
subjects, wages are paid at any old
time; children who ought to be at
school grow up in ignorance and
vice; child labor is carried beyond
slavery to the verge of barbarism in
its disregard of every feeling of hui
mainly, and female labor is allowed
that is not only improper and de-
structive of health, but in places
and under circumstances and asso-
Citations that are destructive of de-
cency and morals as we'll.
Indiana organized labor has RENE
died these evils by thorough organ
ization, competent leadership and
thoughtful action, through its State
Federation of Labor. We can and
should do likewise in Kentucky.
The move to form State Fedora
ton is step in the right direction.
It should meet with hearty appro-
val, the best and most conservative !
men selected as representatives,
hat it may be promptly organized, /.
tremendously managed and effec- {
lively represented at Frankfort in s
bringing to the attention in proper :
hape labor's wants and securing /
he needed legislation. We are far
'ehind Indiana and other States in !