The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-02-25
Review of Legislation Being Con-
sidered at st. Paul, of In.
terest to Labor.
SUNDRY AMENDMENTS TO
CHILD LABOR STATUTE
Employers Liability Legislation
Claims First Place. Minimum
Wage Bill Before House.
Special Correspondence.
(By w. E.. McEWen.)

Wy W. L. NASC"CAlsJ
ST. PAUL, Feb. 23.-rhe state leg
islature is turning out laws with a
steady grind these days. There Is
said to be more so-called radicalsbills
introduced in this legislature than in
any session of that body since the
days when the Populsts controlled
the house of representatives away
back in 1891. The members too, at
least large number of them, are
more progressive in both thought and
action than they have been in previous
years. This is no doubt due to the
fact that most of them are first
termers, and are fresh from a pro-
gressive thinking constituency.
Attitude of the House.
AS an indication of the attitude of
the house the committee on labor
and labor legislation presents strik
ing illustration. The other day this
committee was considering amend
ments to the Child Labor Law, pres
ented at the request of the Minnesota
child labor committee and the Min
nesota State Federation of Labor.
One Of the proposed amendments
fixed the maximum number of hours
at which a child under Is years Of
age, possessed with a labor permit,
could work in any one week at sixty
hours.
The committee Immediately made
objection to the provision and held
that 43 hours was long enough for
any man, woman or child to be en-
ployed in any inside occupation.
Measure of Damages.
If a person is killed in this state
through the negligence of another
person the most his heirs can collect
in suit at law is $4,000. This linn
itation applies to laborers, travellers,
employers and in fact every body.
On the other hand If person is per-
manently injured to the extent that
his earning power has been COM
pletely destroyed he may recover an
unlimited amount. Recently a rail-
road trainman was awarded $4,000
by southern Minnesota jury, and
the verdict was sustained by the Su-
preme court.
There is a bill before the legisla-
ture raising the death limitation
amount to $4,000. This bill was
compromised in committee and the
amount fixed at $500. Now many
employers are appearing at the capt.
tol IN protest against the passage Of
the amendement bill, using the ready
argument that it's passage will have
a tendency to wipe out their busi-
ness, and in any event they will be
unable to compete with industries in
other states If this is made a charge
against them. Investigation into the
laws of other states shows that Min
nesota has a lower death limitation
than any Of it's competitive industrial
states, such as Wisconsin, Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio. So their arguments
have been fully met by the advocates
of this bill.
Initiative and Referendum.
There are more initiative and re-
ferendum bills before the legislature
than there are on any other subject,
not excepting employers liability.
lie committee has recommended the
passage Of a bill introduced by Re-
preventative Sullivan of Minneapolis,
providing for the referendum only. AS
the initiative and referendum bills
differ only in the percentage of voters
required to get a bill before the peo-
pie, and those range from to IS
per cent the committee submitted
all OF them to the house without pre-
judlce. There is merry fight COM
ing on the consideration of these
measures, and the outcome will he
watched with interest. If the on
ponents Of direct legislation see that
they can not prevent the passage of
the initiative and referendum thew
will center their efforts on having
the percentage of petitioners fixed as
high as possible.
1t is pretty we'll conceded, however,
that the legislature will at least pass
referendum bill, no matter what is
done with the other.
Women's Working Hours.
Two years ago the state legislature
passed law fixing the maximum
NUMBER Of hours at which a female
could be employed in any factory or
store at 81 hours in any week. A law
similar to this existing in Oregon has
been upheld by the Supreme court OF
the United States. Previously the
court had held that any law inter-
fering with ones contra ctual rights
was void. However, new soil was
broken by our highest of tribunals
ana after 1t was shown what effect
4 long hours of labor had upon the
health of women in industries as tliey
are today. and the possible effect
this would have upon the health OF
the childrsn of tomorrow, the court
very wisely and very timely held
that 1t was within the police power
or the state to enact laws limiting
n1YJ ~0
Statlstic1ans in this country have
been busy in recent years trying to
ascertain the lowest wage by which