The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-26
LABOR MEASURES
TO Be INTRODUCED
Trades Council Receives Legls-
latIve Committees Report
CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION
Members of Legislature viii Be In.
vited TO Attend Session Of Trades
Council on the Second Sun.
day In December.

the birmingham trades OVuheh SeSeSA-
day afternoon In the hall on North Twen-
tieth street centered In the report of the
legislative committee upon labor meas
ures to be submitted to the coming ses-
sion Of the Alabama state legislature.
Fully 100 delegates were present when
PRESIDENT James II. Leath called the meet
ing to order at 2:3O o'clock, and it was
$3.50 before adjournment was taken. Among
the important questions covered In the re-
port were those pertaining to child labor.
establishment of a bureau of labor and
immigration, amending the mining laws
and mechanics lien law.
There was considerable discussion over
each proposition, and the report, as final
ly adopted. was as follows:
Report of Legislative Committee.
To the President and Delegates of Biz
mingham Trades Council:
Pursuant to instructions given at the
last meeting of the Trades Council, your
committee on legislation has had under
consideration labor's legislative demands,
and herewith submits its report the
following subjects as those which we
deem of supreme Importance, having from
time to time had previous attention at
the hands Of labor, and include those
matters for which bills should be prepared
and presented at the forthcoming session
of the Alabama state legislature:
Acting in harmony with the United Mine
Workers of America, Alabama District
No. 20, an amendment to the present min
ing laws should be enacted providing, in
the interest of preserving the lives and
health of the miners for greater amount
of pure air per cubic foot pumped into
the mines than now required, and that
more rigorous inspection of mines be
made.
The present child labor law of Alabama,
enacted by the last legislature, Is d dead
letter for the reason that no penalty at
taches for it's violation, and no machinery
is provided to see to its enforcement 1t
is, therefore, essential to the protection
of the little children of the state and the
posterity of the future citizenry of Ala
bama that the law should be amended
fixing an adequate penalty for non-eom-
pliance Herewith.
1t has been the history of all legislation
along this line both in this country and
| Europe, that the evils of child labor can
not be suppressed except through ade-
quate factory inspection and law pro-
viding for this should be passed, requiring
said inspector to report also upon the
/ sanitary condition of all factories and
| workshops in the state. In the rush for
| gold, employers are prone to overlook the
| condition of the places where their en-
ployes work. and many lives are annually
lest through negligence Of this character.
! One of the measures of most direct inn
portance to the working people of the
state is the creation of a bureau of labor.
upon the same general scope as those ex-
! listing in some thirty-six states of the
| Union. Such bureau could be made, as
ii does in several southern states, to in
! clude the subject of immigration, which,
/ Just now, is being strongly advocated in
| the south. Through this bureau the
| working people of the state would secure
1 direct connection with the machinery of
the state government, as do the farmers
| through the agricultural department.
With the rapid development of Alabama
as an industrial state, the urgent need
/ for such a bureau is more and more APP
| parent, and the time for its establish
ment is at the coming session of the
| legislature.
There should be an amendment to the
present mechanics lien law, making labor
| a first lien on the building. Under the
present law, labor becomes such a lien
! only when notice is given to owners. Such
an amendment would necessitate contrac-
: tors goving adequate and satisfactory
| bond and thus eliminate many of the
tricksters who now prey upon working
| men.
In addition to the above strictly labor
/ measures such as may be expected to
originate with organized trades unions, the
following questions of vital interest to
all classes of citizens and for the gen
eral welfare of Jefferson county and the
! state of Alabama, should receive the APP
prevail of this council:
First-The proposed bill to regulate rail-
way rates and compel more adequate
| service of common carriers. Failure on
| part of the railroads to transport mate-
| rial promptly has operated great detri-
ment to workingmen, especially those en-
ployed in the building trades.
| Second-To remove, 50 far as possible,
the competition of convict labor with free
labor We should favor the employment
of convicts upon the public roads and In
the development of the school lands of
| the state, which could thus be made to
add greatly to the public school fund.
Third-Recent events have disclosed the
urgent necessity for more trial judges in
| Jefferson county; for, after ALL 1t is the
workingman who is most harmed by pro-
| crastination whether a man is impris-
oned charged with crime or seeks re-
! dress for damages done, he Is entitled and
should be given quick opportunity for a
hearing of his case.
Your committee is of opinion that de-
mands of labor for legislation should be
incorporated in the following bills;
| l. To amend the mining laws.
3 To amend the child labor laws.
g. To provide for proper factory inspec-
| ton.
| l. To establish a bureau OF labor and
| immigration.
8. To amend the mechanics lien law.
Respectfully submitted.
c. C. HOUSTON, Chairman.
]. ]. RUSH, Secretary.
! At the meeting to be held on the Sec
| ond Sunday in December members of the
legislature elect from Jefferson county will
| be invited to meet with the Trades Coun-
| During consideration OF the section re-
lating to child labor, Mr.. Kinds Peevey,
whose alumni address at Auburn last
June, on this subject attracted atten-
| ton, was given privilege of the floor
| and made an interesting talk.
Farmers Union.
| c. w. Evans of st. Clair county repre-
nsienting seven local organizations of the
| Farmers union in that section of the
| state, came to ask cooperation of the
workingmen of Birmingham through the
Trades Council in disposing OF their prod
| uct direct to the consumers. He claimed
| the truck farmers were not satisfied with
| the present system, and were preparing to
| bring their produce to the city and dis
| pose of it themselves, instead of through
! commission houses. They proposed to be-