Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-25
LABOR LEGISLATION
Republican States Have Been Lib
eral i'll Legislation for
Labor.
Democratic States Have Done Little
Within Their Bounds

1t is fact that every important steE
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
ter within their bounds, or have slowly
and reluctantly followed at distance
in the trail of Republican reforms.
State Legislation.
The States have control of labor leg
1slation within their respective bounds
federal authority being confined, 50 far
as labor is 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
ent day the Republicans are far ahead
Of the Democrats in the enactment and
enforcement of laws for the welfare
of men and women and children who
work for a 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 a 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-seyen 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
drcn in operating dangerous machinery
or cleaning machinery in motion. Fif-
teen Republican and six Democratic
States limit the hours of labor of wOm-
Ell. 1t should be noted that twelve of
the Republican States which limit
womens 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-
tion intended to effect the extinction of
the sweatshop system, with its 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.