The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-26
IN INTEREST OF LABOR
PORT OF THE INDUSTRIAL
COMMISSION
REGULATION OF HOURS FIRST
Employment of Young Children in
Factories Should Be Prohibited
Contract by Injunction
Considered.

WASHINGTON, May 25.-The Industrial
commission in It's report to congress of
labor legislation, recommends improved
legislation to the state legislatures rather
than to congress directly.
''The subject of greatest public interest
today" says the report, 'is perhaps that
of the regulation of the hours of labor
permitted In industrial occupations and
especially IN factories"
AS congress has no power to legislate
directly 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 persons
between the ages of fourteen and twenty
one years who work in factories. The re-
port in brief says:
1.-The employment of children below the
age Of fourteen should be prohibited in
factories. The length of the workday 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. Employ
ment in mines of children less than four
teen years of age and all women and girls
also forbidden. Congress might as well
enact that no person under eighteen
should be employed as telegraph oper-
ator on railroads, and that all engineers
and Switchmen should submit to an exam
ination for color blindness; also that it
be made a misdemea7ar Tor an engineer
or SWitchman to be in tOXicated While on
duty. A simple and liberal law regu!at-
ing the payment of labor should be adopt
ed by all the states, providing that all
laborers 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.
Provisions for the fair weighing of
coal at mines before it passes over a
screen should be adopted, and the miners
should have the privilege of employing
check weigher at their own expense"
The question of the enforcement of the
labor contract by injunction or by con-
tempt in equity process is 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 a brief period but
equity courts must not be deprived of
the power to protect themselves and to
make their DEGREES respected. The prac-
tice of awarding blanket injunctions
against all the world, or against un-
named defendants, as well as the prac-
tice Of indirectly inforcing the contract
for personal service by enjoining employ
ed from quitting work should be dis
charged, not only by popular sentiment.
but by intelligent judicial opinion.
RAILWAY LABOR.
On the subject of railway labor the
commission is of opinion that congress
should adopt a consistent code of laws
regulating all matters concerning en-
ployment such as hours of labor, limita-
ton of continuous runs by engineers or
continuous service by telegraph operators
or switchmen; the enactment of a con-
sistent employers liability code; the
liability of the employer or corporation
for defective appliances. The statutes
already adopted in the several states dis
criminate as between union and non
union labor, by making it a penal offense
to exclude union labor only, would seem
to be uncons titutional, being class legis-
lation. The statute should apply to non
union and union labor alike, If it is to
be enacted at all. The right to be en-
ployed and protected without belonging
to union should be preserved, but ev-
cry facility should be given labor to or
ganize If it desires. and the least vestige
of the notion that trade unions are a
criminal conspiracy should be swept
away The use of private police, de-
tectives or other hired bodies Of men to
be used in connection with labor troubles
has aroused considerable attention, and
congress probably has the power to en-
act reasonable legislation to prevent
abuses in this direction.
In a general way the commission re-
ports that conciliation laws have been
found effective, but that strict arbitfa-
ton machinery rarely works well. 1t is
recommended that labor bureaus or COM
missions be established in all the states.
Commissioners A. D. Smyth and c. ].
Harris unite in a 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 capi-
tai are to have their full development.
They say the right of private contract
should be allowed to both laborer and en-
ployer and therefore the limitation of
hours Of labor would be fraught with
danger.
Commissioner John w. Daniel, in a
separate minority report, concurs in the
spirit of the views expressed by Com
missoners Smyth and Harris.