The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-03-02
ORGANIZED LABOR HAS .
EYE ON LEGISLATURE
State Federation of Labor Has
Lobby to Care For Interest
Of Workers. ..'
Some Important Legislative Mat
ters Pending Before State
Law Makers.


Law Makers.
st. Paul. Feb. 2S.-Opinions differ in
union labor circles az to what oreaniz.
ed labor will get out of the present
legislature. Some Of the uniontsts are
enthusiastic over the prospects, while
others are not SO sure that the unions
will get what they regard as their Just
dues.
There are many measures before the
state lawmakers and to be introduced
later in which organized LABOR is
greatly interested. The state fedora
ton OF labor political committee have
selected subcommittee to look after
labor interests and some Of the men,
bers Of the SUBJ committee are to be
found In the state capitol nearly every
day.
Among the bills in which great in.
terest is displayed are the initiative
and referendum the semi-monthly paw.
day, and the employers liability act,
which is backed by the unions of the
building trades throughout the state.
This proposed act is defined as "a bill
for an act to define liabilities of en-
ployers In personal injury cases, where
such employers have failed to comply
with the law requiring machinery or
appliances at which or the place where
the employe is required to work to be
guarded or protected" This bill is
now in the hands of a committee on
labor, and its friends insist that it's
chances for becoming law are
good.
Pawninc Of Tools.
Another measure that the building
trade Workmen are interested in is H.
F. No. 295, "a bill for an act to pro-
h1bit any junk dealer, pawnbroker or
secondhand dealer from purchasing or
receiving mechanics tools as security
for money advanced. and providing a
punishment therefor Another bill
prohibits taking a pledge from a minor
where mechanics tools are concerned.
These measures are meant to decrease
the stealing of tools and selling them
to dealers who do not take the trouble
first to ascertain whether or not they
are stolen. Carpenters have suffered
from tool thieves to such an extent
that they are making united demand
for the passage Of both measures.
There Is asmoYe to remove the limit
on fiiiabfift i5ndsf tnq'
present statutes one may sue for any
amount in a personal injury case, but
the limit In case, OF death is $4,000 a.
new law in which labor is Interested
will allow the same latitude as in acct
dent cases.
Employment Of Convicts.
How to provide employment for the
inhabitants of the state penal institu-
ttons without the product Of their toll.
coming into competition with free labor
is most perplexing problem. There
are a number Of bills already intro
duced which are meant to provide the
employment necessary, but some Of
! these are far from satisfactory to the
labor organizations. There is hardly
any opposition to the plan to employ
as many Of the inmates of the Minne-
sofa state prison as possible in the
preliminary and construction work of
the new prison.
But the bill to establish a farm ma
chinery plant at the prison is likely
to meet with some strong opposition
though it has not been determined
just how far the labor organizations
will go in the matter. That the labor
leaders are doing some thinking as to
whot disposition should be made Of
prison labor. is certain. One Of the
foremost labor leaders strongly .sdvo-
Gates the employment Of convicts on
roadmaking or draining swamp lands.
Eight Hour Bills.
Interest in the effort to secure a
state eight-hour law has not abated,
and friends Of that measure report
that indications point to the passage OF
eh bill. 3
Most of the unions in the twin cities
are working an eight day at pres-
ent, and the number working longer 'is
comparatively small.