Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-26
LABOR LEGISLATION
Republican States Have Been Lib.
eraI in Legislation for
Labor.
Democratic States Have Done Little
to Make Labor Conditions Better
Within Their Bounds.

1t is fact that every important step
for the benefit of American labor has
been taken either by Republican
Congress and administration, or by the
Legislature of a Republican State. of
course with the consent, and sometimes
by the advice, Of the State executive.
Democratic Congresses have been no.
tably negligent in this respect, and
Democratic States have either done
nothing to make labor conditions bet
and reluctantly followed at distance
in the trail Of Republican reforms.
State Legislation.
The States have control Of labor leg
islation within their respective bounds,
federal authority being confined, so far
as labor lie concerned, to the District
Of Columbia and the territories, federal
reservations and federal public works.
The story of labor legislation shows
that nearly all labor reforms originated
in Republican States, and at the pres
emit day the Republicans are far ahead
Of the Democrats in the nactment and
enforcement Of laws for the welfare
Of men and women and children who
work for living. Twenty-six out Of
thirty Republican States have labor
bureaus, and only seven out of sixteen
Democratic States have similar bu-
reauS, without which labor laws are
often dead letters. Twenty-three Re-
publican States have factory inspectors
to see to the enforcement of the factory
laws. Only six Democratic States have
factory inspection services. Fifteen
States-thirteen Republican and two
Democratic-have free employment
agencies. Eighteen States have laws
on their statute books prohibiting labor
on government works or public con-
tracts for more than eight hours day.
OF these States sixteen are Republican
and two Democratic. Four Republican
States and one Democratic State have
laws declaring eight hours to be legal
working day in the absence of a con-
tract. Twenty-seven States prohibit
the employment of children under four
teen years of age in factories Of these
twenty three are Republican and four
are Democratic States. Laws limiting
the hours of the employment of chill
dren in factories or stores have been en-
acted in twenty-four Republican and
thirteen Democratic States. Eighteen
Republican and ten Democratic States
prohibit night work by children. Twelve
Republican and three Democratic
States prohibit the employment Of chill
dren in operating dangerous machinery
or cleaning machinery in motion. Fiji
teen Republican and six Democratic
en-. 1t should be noted that twelve Of
the Republican States which limit
wOmen's hours of labor have factory
inspectors to see that the law is Obeyed,
while only three Of the Democratic
States make such provision. In twenty
three Republican and ten Democratic
States employers are required by law
to provide seats for female workers.
Twelve States have enacted legisla-
ton intended to effect the extinction Of
the sweatshop system, with it's degrad-
ing and revolving accessories. OF these
twelve States ten are Republican and
two Democratic. Seventeen Republican
and five Democratic States have laws
requiring the payment Of wages weekly
or fortnightly, or, in some instances,
prohibiting a longer period than one
month between pay days.
Trade Union Labels.
Fourteen Republican States and only
! one Democratic State-Nevada-have
laws in force prohibiting employers
from discharging persons on account Of
membership in labor organizations, or
from compelling persons to agree not
to become members of labor organiza-
lions as a condition of securing employ
ment or continuing in their employ.
Forty States have passed laws allowing
trade unions to adopt labels or trade
marks to be used to designate products
of the labor of their members, and pro-
hibiting the counterfeiting of the use
of such labels or trademarks by I'M
authorized persons. OF these States
twenty-eight are Republican and twelve
are Democratic.
The foregoing presents for considera-
ton by intelligent, patriotic labor sub
stantial facts and figures taken from
the statute books Of the several States.
No platitude can upset them. They
prove the records of the Republican
party and of the Democracy on the la
Dor issue, and they must convince ev-
cry reasonable reader that the Republi-
can party has not only brought Ameri-
can labor up to its present honorable