Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1900-05-30
LABOR COMMISSION REPORT.
Congress Has No Power tt, Regu-
late Labor
AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT
Congress Has No Power to LegisIate
Directly in the Matter of Regulation
of Hours of Labor.

Washington, d. c.. Specialize in
dustrial commission on its report to
Congress on labor legislation recon-
mends improved legislation TO the
State legislatures. rather than to Con
'gress directly. The subject of greatest
public interest today. says the report
is. perhaps that of the regulation of
the hours of labor permitted in indus
trial occupations and especially in fac
tories. AS Congress has not power tn
llegislate directly in this matter the
, commission recommends that a simple
statute be enacted by all the States reg
'lating the length of the working GayfOr
I;all persons between the ages of Il and
u years, who work in factories hTc
report says in brief: TIE employment
tof children below the ages of IA should
rDe prohibited in factories. The length
'of the working day in all public en-
pioyment should be fixed at eight hours
The same time should be fixed for
.workmen in underground mines. ex-
sept in cases of emergency Employ
ment in the mines of children less than
II years Of age and of all women and
girls should be forbidden. Congress
Tuight well enact that no person under
is should be employed as n telegraph
engineers and switchmen should sub
nit TO an examination for color blind
ness; also that it he made a misdemea-
nor for an engineer or switchman 70 be
intoxicated while on duty. A simple
and liberal law regulating the payment
of labor should he adopted by all the
states, providing that all laborers shall
he paid in cash orders without dis
count, not in goods or due bills and
that no compuision. direct or indirect.
should be used to make them purchase
goods at particular stores. Provision
for the fair weighing of coal at mines
should be made. and the miners should
nav" the privilege OF employing Il check
weiShman at their own expense"
1t is suggested that il might be well
to limit punishment for contempt Of
cou't Imprisonment for brief period
for disobedience of injunctions. but
equity courts must not be deprived of
the power TO protect themselves and
10 make their DEGREES respected Tho
process of awarding blanket iniunc-
mons against all the world. or against
unnamed defendants. as we'll as the
practice Of indirectly enforcing the con
tract for personal service by enjoining
employees from quitting work. should
be discouraged not only by popular
sentiment. hut by intelligent judicial
opinion. Congress should adopt a con-
SiStent code of laws regulating all mat
ters concerning railroad employment.
such A. hours of labor. limitation Of
continuous runs by engineers or con
l!nucuS service by telegraph operators
or switchmen: the enactment of a con
siSten, employers liability code: the
Liability OF the employer or corporal
rOr detective appliances. etc The sta
tutes already adopted in the several
States. discriminating as lie ween union
and nOn-uniOn labor by making il
penal oifense fer an employer to ex-
clude union labor only seem to the
commission TO be unconstitutional. be-
ing class legislation. The statute
should apply to non-union as we'll a
union labor alike if it is to he enacted
at all. The right to be employed ana
protected without belonging to a union
SHOULD be preserved. but every facility
should be given labor to organize If il
desires. and the last vcstige of the no.
lion that trade unions are criminal
use prLagOO Shrdlu cmfwy vbgkoi
con spiracy should be swept away The
use Of private police detectives or 9th.
or hired bodies Of men to be used 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 reports that con.
ciliatOrY laws have been effective bu;
that strict arbitration machinery rare.
ly works well. II is suggested that la.
Dor bureaus or commissions be estab.
lished in all the States