The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-05-31

Washington. May e5.-The Industrial
commission in its report to Congress
On labor legislation recommends i'm
proved legislation to the State Legisla-
lures rather than to Congress directly.
The subject Of greatest public in
terest to-day, says the report is per-
haps that of the regulation Of the hours
OF labor permitted in industrial occu-
pations, and especially iii factories. As
Congress has no power to legislate di
rectly in this matter the commission
recommends that a simple statute be
enacted by all the States. regulating the
length of the working day for all per
years who work In factories.
The report says in brief: The en-
ployment Of children below the age of
IA should be prohibited in factories.
The length Of the working day in all
public employments should be fixed at
eight hours. The same time should be
fixed for workmen in underground
mines. except In cases of emergency.
Employment in mines OF children less
and girls should be forbidden. Con
gress might we'll enact that no person
under Is Should be employed as Il tele
graph operator upon railroads, and that
all engineers and SWitchmen should
submit to an examination for color
blindness: also that it be made "a mis-
demeanor for an engineer OF switch
nan to be intoxicated while on duty.
A simple ard liberal law regulating
he payment of labor should be adopted
by all the States, providing that all
laborers shall be paid in cash orders
without discount, not in goods or due
oils, and that no Compulsion, direct OF
Indirect. should be used to make them
purchase goods at any particular store
Provision for the fair weighing Of coal
at mines before passing over a siren
should be adopted and miners should
have the privilege Of employing a
check Weishman at their own expense.
The question of the enforcement of the
labor contract by injunction or con
Tempt in equity process is a very diff
,ult one, mainly made SO by the abuses
which have arisen from injunctions
,arelessly issued. 1t is suggested that
t might be well to limit punishment fol
contempt to imprisonment for a brief
period. but equity courts must not be
deprived of the power to protect them
selves and to make their DEGREES re-
;pected. The practice OF awarding
alanket, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. all the
As well as the practice Of indirectly en-
forcing the contract for personal ser
vice by enjoining employees from quit
ing work, should be discouraged, not
,nly by popular sentiment, but by intel
igent judicial opinion.
Congress should adopt a consistent
>Odo Of avg ,apulatinp all matters
concerning railroad employment. such
IS hours Of employment. Limitation of
continuous runs by engineers or contin-
lous service by telegraph operators or
;witchmen; the enactment Of q consist
INT employers liability code: the liza
oility Of the employer or corporation
.or defective appliances, etc. The sta
tutes already adopted In the several
States discriminating as between
lnion and non union labor by making
t penal offense for an employer to
exclude union labor only, seem to the
commission to be unconstitutional be-
ng class legislation. The statute should
Apply to non-union well as union
abOr alike, il 1t is to be enacted at all.
The right to he employed and protected
without belonging to union should be
preserved; but every facility should be
given labor to organize II 1t DESIRES
and the last NeStfge or the nOt1On tnat
:rade unions are a criminal conspiracy
should be swept away. The use Of pri-
vate police detectives or other hired
bodies of men to be used in connection
with labor troubles has aroused con-
siderable attention. and Congress prob
ably has the power to enact reasonable
legislation to prevent abuses in this
direction.
In general way the commission re-
ports that conciliation laws have been
found effective, but that strict arbi-
tration machinery works we'll. 1t is
recommended that labor bureaus or
| commissions be established in all the
| States.
Commissioners f. A. Smyth and G. j.
! Harris unite in a minority report. In
which they express the opinion that II
! would be both unjust and impracticable
| to attempt any uniform laws regulating
| labor in all the States. II labor and
| capital are to have their full develop
ment. They say the right OF private
contract should be allowed to botf
laborer and employer. and therefore the
| Limitation of hours Of labor would bt
fraught with danger. Commissioner
(Senator) John w. Daniel. in a separate
minority report, concurs in the spirit OF
the views expressed by Commissioner.
Smyth and Harris.