The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-26
LEGISLATION ON
LABOR QUESTION
Should be Left to State Legislatures
Rather Than to Congress.
RECON- M EN- DATl0NS MADE
Employment OF Children Under Four
teen Years of Age i'll Factories
Should Be Prohibited-Minor-
ity Report by Sen. Daniel,

WASHINGTON, May 25.-The Industrial
Commission. in its report to Congress on
labor legislation, recommends improved
legislation to the State Legislatures rather
than to Congress directly. The subject
of greatest public interest to-day, says
the report lis, perhaps, that OF the regC-
lations of the hours OF labor permitted III
industrial occupations, especially IN fac
tories
The Commission recommends that a
statute be enacted by all the States fesu-
Iating the length of the worhins-day for
all persons, between the ages Of II and u
years, who work in factories The report
says in brief:
The employment Of children below ths
age OF IL should be- prohibited IN factories
The length of the workius-day in all pub
lie employment should be fixed at eight
hours The same time should be fixed for
workneu in underground mines, except
in cases of emergency. The employment
in mines of children less than IA years
of age. and of all woman and girls, should
be forbidden. No person under Is should
be employed as d telegraph operator upon
railroads, and all engineers and switchmen
should submit to an examination for
coIor-blindness. 1t should be made a mis-
demeanor for an engineer or switchman to
be intoxicated while on duty.
SHOULD PAY CASH.
A simple and liberal law should be
GtOpteu ny All StiteSr pLOFiu4N5 NA|'L t.is
laborers should be paid in cash orders
without discount, and that no compulsiou.
direct or indirect, should be used to make
them purchase goods at any particular
store.
Provisions for the fair Weighing OF coal
at mines before passing over a screen
should be adopted, and the miners Should
have the privilege of employing a check
weighmau at their own expense.
The question of the enforcement of the
labor contract by injunction or contempt
in equity process is a very difficult one
1t is suggested that it might be we'll TO
limit punishment for contempt 10 i'm
prisonment for a brief period but equity
courts must not be deprived of the power
to make their DEGREES respected. Ths
practice of awarding blanket injunctions
as well as the practice If indirectly en-
forcing the contract for personal service
by enjoining employees from quitting work
should be discouraged. Congress shouia
adopt consistent code of laws regulating
all matters concerning railroad employ
ment, such as hours OF employment, iirni-
tation of continuous runs by engineers
or continuous service by telegraph opera
tors or switchmeu: the enactment of a
consistent employers liability code; thu
liability of the employer or corporation
for detective appliances. etc
ARD UNCONSTITUTION-
The statutes already adopted in the
several States, discriminating as between
union and non-union labor by making it
a penal offence for an employer to ex-
clude union labor only. seem to the Com
mission to be unconstitutional, being
class legislation. The right to be en-
ployed and protected without belonging TO
a union should be preserved, but every
facility should be given labor to organize
if it desires, and the last yestige of the
notion that trade unions are criminal
conspiracy should be swept away The
use OF private police detectives or other
hired bodies Of men In connection with
labor troubles has aroused considerable
attention, and Congress probably has the
power to enact reasonable legislation to
prevent abuses in this direction
In a general way the Commission re-
ports that CANCELLATION laws have been
found effa tive, but that strict arbitration
machinery works well. It is recommended
that labor bureaus or commissions be es-
tabshed in all the States.
Commissioners E. a. Snyth and c. ].
Harris unite in a minority report, in which
they express the opinion that it would DO
both unjust and impracticable to attemps
any uniform laws regulating labor in all
the States, IL labor and capital are TO
have their full development They say
the right OF private contract should rs
allowed to both laborer and employer.
Commissioner John W. Daniel. IN sep
arate minority report, concurs In the
spirit of the views expressed by Commits
a,,I