The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-01
LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED.
synopsh Of Report OF Industrial Com.
49, mission Submitted to
r. = Congress-.

: Washington, May 26.-The INDUS
trial commission, in its report to con-
gress on labor legislation, recon-
mends improved legislation to the
state legislatures rather than to con.
gress directly. T.
"The subject Of greatest public interest
to-day" says the report, 'is perhaps that
of the regulation Of the hours of labor per-
mitted in industrial occupations and espe-
cially in factories
AS congress has no power to legis-
late directly in this matter the com
mittee recommends that simple
statute be enacted by all the states
regulating the length of the working
day for all persons between the ages
of. IA and FL years who work in fac
tories.
The report in brief says:
''The employment of children below the
age of IA should be prohibited in factories.
The length of the working day in all pub
lie employment 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 than IA years of age. and
all women and girls should be forbidden.
Congress might well enact that no person
under IL should be employed as telegraph
operator upon railroads, and that all en-
gineers and switchmen should submit to
an examination for color blindness, also
that 1t be made a misdemeanOr for an en-
gineer or switchman to be intoxicated
while, on duty. A simple and liberal law
regulating the payment of labor should be
adopted by all the states, providing that
aH tlabOrers- shall be paid in cash orders
without discount, not in goods or due bills,
and that no compulsion, direct or indirect,
should be used to make them purchase
goods at any particular store.
1.-THE question of the enforcement of the
labor contract by injunction or contempt
In equity process is a very difficult one,
mainly made so by the abuses which have
arisen from injunctions carelessly issued.
1t is suggested that it might be we'll to limit
punishment for contempt to imprisonment
for brief period, but equity courts must
not be deprived of the power to protect
themselves and to make their DEGREES re-
spected The practice of awarding blanket
tnjunctions against all the world, or
against unnamed defendants, as we'll as
the practice of indirectly enforcing the
contract for personal service by enjoining
employees from quitting work, should be
discouraged not only by popular sentiment.
but by intelligent judicial opinion"
mission is Of opinion that congress should
adopt a consistent code of law regulat ting
ell matters concerning employment, such
as hours of labor, limitation of continuous
1uns by engineers or continuous service by
telegraph operators or switchmen; the en-
actment of consistent employers liabili-
ty code; the liability of the employer or
corporation for defective appliances. etc.
The statutes already adopted in the sew
eral states. discriminating as between
union and nonunion labor by making it a
penal offense for an employer to exclude
union labor only, seem to the commission
to be unconstitutional, being class legisla-
ton. The statute should apply to nom
union as we'll as union labor alike, fit is
to be enacted at all. The right to be en-
ployed and protected without belonging
to union should be preserved but every
facility should be given labor to organize
If it desires, and the last vestige 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 to be used in connec-
ton with labor troubles has aroused con-
siderable attention, and congress probably
has the power to enact reasonable fegis-
1ation to prevent abuses in this direction.
In a general way the commission reports
that Cancellation laws have been found
effective, but that strict arbitration ma
chlnery rarely works well. 1t is recon-
mended that labor bureaus or commissions
be established in all the states
Commissioners E. A. Smyth and G.. J.
Harris unite in minority report, in which
they express the opinion that it would be
both unjust and impracticable to attempt
any uniform laws regulating labor in all
the states, If labor and capital are to have
their full development. They say the right
of private contract should be allowed to
bOth laborer and employer, and therefore
the limitat ton of hours of labor would be
fraught with danger.
Commissioner John w. Daniel in a sep
arate report concurs in the spirit of the
views expressed by Commissioners Snlyth
and Harris.