United labor bulletin., 1910-12-01
NEW LABOR LAWS.
Laws Affecting Labor That Should Be
sousht-Propress Made.
Progress Of 1910.

Progress of 1910.
The continued appointment of state
commissions to study workmen's com
pensation indicates hat the public has
accepted the fact of the injustice of en-
ployers' liability laws and is now eager
for a wholesale scheme of compensation
of insurance for Industrial accidents, y
says the Review of Labor Legislation OF
1910, recently issued from its New York
office by the American Association for
Labor Legislation.
This interesting and convenient re.
view summarizes in twenty-four pages
the activities of the various legislatures
which have passed laws for the protec.
tion of labor during the present year
and includes complete index to the
new labor laws.
Employers Liability.
Commissions in addition to those of
1909 minnesota, New York, Wisconsin,
were this year created by the legisla.
lures of Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Mas.
sachusetts, and by the Federal Govern.
ment. The governor of Washington also
has recently appointed commission. In
Ohio and New York the liability laws
were greatly modified in favor of the in.
jured, and for the first time in this coun.
try we now have law which provides
compensation, in more than one indus
try, for accidents, regardless of fault. In
this law New York included eight extra
hazardous employments and has worked
out definite scheme of compensation
for injuries. The injured man has a
choice of accepting compensation ac-
cording to the given schedule or of SUI
ing under the existing liability law. BY
another New York act, employer and en-
ploye may agree voluntarily upon com
pensation scheme for those industries
not included in the compulsory law.
The Review discusses also the second
Maryland measure providing relief for
coal mine employees, and the amendment
to the federal law, which simplifies pro-
cedure and greatly reduces costs by per-
mitting actions for damages to be
brought in state or district courts.
Old Age Pensions.
While the principle of providing pen
sions for public service employees has
long been established in such states as
Massachusetts and New Jersey, the Re
view states that the American legisla-
lures have not yet accepted the principle
of industrial old age pensions. A bill,
based upon a careful preliminary study
of existing systems of industrial PEN
sions in other countries, was presented
in Massachusetts but was defeated. New
Jersey, however, has provided for COM
mission to report bill in 1911.
Hours of Labor.
An amendment to the federal eight
hour law of 1892 definitely brings con-
struction work on navy vessels within
the operation of the law. By an act
which promises to be enforceable. the
eight hour day is established on public
works in Kentucky. Attempts to restrict
the hours of labor for women in Ohio
were unsuccessful, but in New York and
Virginia efforts to extend the working
day by special exemption for certain oc-
cupations were defeated. Legislation af-
fecting the hours and working conditions
of children was enacted in eight states
and the District of Columbia. The night
messenger service was closed to young
persons in several states, and in New