Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-09-14
ROOSEVELT'S
LABOR RECORD
During Twenty Years Of Public Ser
vice He Has Always Been the
Friend Of the Laboring Man.
BILLS FAVORED AND SIGNED
His Career in Public Life Marked by
Constant Interest in the Welfare
Of the Man Who Tolls.

~ W.
Theodore Roosevelt from the day Of
his first entrance into public life over
twenty years ago. has been a consist
ent and unselish friend Of The man
who tolls. AS a member of the New
York assembly, as civil service com.
missioner, as assistant secretary of
the navy, as governor of New York.
as president of the United States lie
has never failed to show a real 10y.
atty TO the true interests of labor. In
his first message to congress as presi.
dent he said:
The most vital problem with which
this country and for that matter the
whole civilized world, has to deal is
the problem which has for one side
the betterment of SoLial conditions,
moral and physical. in large cities and
for another side the effort to deal with
that langle of far reacnlng questions
which We group together when We
speak of labor"
His entire record as legislator and
executive is consistent with that ut.
%lerance.
In the New York Assembly.
As a member Of the New York as
sembly he voted for the following
bills;
AholiShing tenement house cigar
making in New York City.
Restricting child labor in factories
and workshops.
Regulating the hours OF minors and
women in manufacturing establish.
ments.
Safe guarding the lives and limbs of
factory operatives.
Regulating wage rates of laborers
employed by municipalities.
Making employees preferred credit
ors.
Providing for building mechanics
liens.
Prescribing the lien rights OF work
ing women.
Protecting mechanics and laborers
engaged in sinking oil or gas wells.
Abolishing contract child labor in
refOrmatory institutions.
Creating a commission to examine
into the operation Of the contract sys
TEN of employing conyicts.
Establishing the bureau of labor sta
%tistics.
To promote industrial peace.
For a scent fare on the New York
City elevated railroad.
Incorporating the New York City
Free Circulating Library.
For free public baths in New York
City.
AS Governor of New York.
While governor of New York he
approved the following measures:
Creating a tenement house commits
sion.
Regulating sweat shop labor.
Empowering the factory inspector to
enforce the scaffolding law.
Directing the factory inspector to
enforce the act regulating labor hours
on railroads.
Making the eight hour and prevail.
ing-rate-of-wages laws effective.
Amending the factory act
Cd Protecting employees at work on
buildings.
(2) Regulating the working time OF
female employees.
go Providing that stairways shall
be properly lighted.
ca Prohibiting the operation of dan.
gerous machinery by children.
go Prohibiting women and minors
working OF polishing or buffing
wheels.
Co Providing for seats for wait
resses in hotels and restaurants.
Shortening the working hours OF
drug clerks.
Increasing the salaries of New York
City school teachers.
Extending to other engineers the
law licensing New York City engi
neers and making it a misdemeanor
for violating the same.
Licensing stationary engineers in
Buffalo.
Providing for the examination and
registration OF h~orseshoers in the
cities.
Registration of laborers for munic
ipal employment.
Relating to air braL..s on freight
trains.
Providing means for the issuance
of quarterly bulletins by the bureau
or labor statistics.
In addition to the foregoing, while
governor of New York he recommend
ed Legislation (which the Legislature
failed TO passl in regard %
Employers liability.
State control of employment oil
ces.
State ownership Of printing plant.
Devising means whereby free me
chanics shall not be brought into com
petition with prison labor.
AS President Of the United States.
As president of the United States
he has signed the following bills:
Renewing the Chinese exclusion acI
and extending its provisions TO the is
land territory of the United States.
Prohibiting the employment of Mon
golian labor on irrigation works anC
providing that eight hours shall con
stitute a days labor on such projects
A%bolishing slavery and inyoluntar!
servitude in the Philippine islands
violation of the act being punishable
by forfeiture OF contracts and a fine
of not less than 10000.
Protecting the lives of employees il
coal mines in territories by regulat
ing the amount OF ventilation an'
providing that entries, etc, snail b.
kept well dampened with water Il
cause coal dust to settle.
Exempting from taxation in the Dis
trict of Columbia household belong