The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-10-07
People AR
!. :. on LABOR |ll|l \ Il INVENT |
New York sta&e Have
Constitute Am nent
of Benefit q l
Matter Is to be Vote Com
ing State E1eotil md
s@ =:. Interest 3 Rill

= = =. Interest i RIM :.
., New York. Oct. ,vsF ,ahor orr
sani1ation in tho stats 6 orkius day
ana night In the interest sofsa proposed
amendment to the stats eonstitution
which permits the snactlnsnt of laws
for the regulation Of the h61nrs af labor
In the statA.A The courts havs / held
that these laws were uneonstitutional
and the purpose of M proposed
amendment IL to give tho ls6tslature
powers which it Wa supne1s II had
until the courts ruled othswise.
President Gompers xof thszA r. Of L.
is quick to recognizes amports
Of the proposition and inathe current
issue Of the Federattoeists 40 gives
utterance to tho following sentiments
"Orsanizsd labor throue hout the I'm
ited States should fssl yitalS interest
and concern in the Tabor am4ridnsnt"
to tho constitution OF the statS Of New
York that IL to be submittSd to the
voters Of that state at tb1 November
election. A majority vote iht the affirm
ative will result III an t1lpoftant ad-
dition to the article of sths} oonetitu-
tion relating to organie and pow :
er Of cities ana to the duty. of the state
legislature with regard to public work.
I'm 4 few plain words The obtedt OF
the amendment II to- 4empowSr the leg
islature to do certain thtnGss in the IA
terest Of labor which thes courts have
held it can not do unds th4 present
constitution. The amendment reads ~
follows: 81. =..sz z.1ssS.1s
"And the legislature my regulate
and nx the wages or salsr1ss. the hours
of work or labor. ana make provision
for tho proteetiop, vslfa s ana sa1sty
of persons employed statssor by
any county, city towp sxlllage. q 9TH
Or civil division Of the ats. OF by
any contractor or sub-ocptFactor per-
forming work, labor g thS
state or for any. eouAt sto.ns vil-
lage, orzother civil diviGie6 ~,
The amendment II IN IS 4
number o. adverse deatl TIN
highest court Of : tho al altnl[l
killing or. emasculatl1 Ion
the organised work. m g
ingwomen of New York
from the legislature
fort. education,san
+ 1..'We may mlnti "a.
ratsaofS Sc Illl
aet .sfeirg ~ T
latter prvscrib4d - sith hour day Tor
municipal employee - wolls % Tor: em-
ployes OF contractors doing work for
g. Hp<i ~
and mutilated and ]dsvitalt5sdeaths 9TH
or. - :f>s.,+-=.:sss
what with hostile judges and .
prejudiced press, it. 10 quite. easy for
the plutocratic element among tho en-
ploysrs: to get rid Of tinconvenient re-
strictions or to deprive labor Of the
protection it has succeeded here and
there In securing. .}!s.
"Wo have pointed out therefore that
where the courts not only ursurp leg
islative power, but 30 read and ,inter-
pret the organic law that the legis-
lature is practically stopped from yield
ing to the moderate and reasonable de-
mands Of labor constitutional. amend-
ment is the solution OF tho problem.
IL the way out.
IF the above-quoted amendment
shall be approved by the people. the
legislature will acquire the power, the
freedom OF action, it once thought 1t
possessed: It will be In a position to
provide for an eight hour day In state
and municipal work, whether done un-
der direct municipal or state control,
by contractors or subcontractors. to
require union wages to be paid for all
public work and to impose conditions
as to machinery. ventilation. etc, in
tho interest OF health and ssfety. The
legislature will not be compelled to
adopt suoh laws; It will simply have
the power to enact them, and the courts
will have to bow to tho Judgment and
direction Of tho lawmakers.
What has been done by organized
labor in New York will need to be done
in other states. The amendment has
been considered, favorab1ys reported,
and deliberately passed by two success
sive legislatures, the constitution re-
quirine such procedure in the case of
any proposed amendment. This fact
alone emphasizes the contrast between
toward the wishes and aims Of or.
ganized labor. ~ .,-a$%..
It is certain that the capitalistic
press will oppose the amendment No
tice has already been served by some
big" newspapers to that effect. The
people will be told that the emendment
Is ."danseroub" hrd 'Mn-Ame4 4ioan.'"'
The Parry-ised employers'' associations
intend to night 1t. ~. ..,.s& + ''>$t*
"rhe duty Of ORGANISED labor 10 plain