Semi-weekly herald., 1911-12-04
LABOR is GAINING.


The widespread movement for re-
form in dealing with industrial in
juries is showing wonderful results
according to the Review of Labor
Legislation for 1910. In ten states
laws have been passed which provide
compensation for injured employees,
and six states require the reporting
of several occupational diseases and
industrial poisonings.
In twenty y-nine states commissions
have been established TO study the
subject of compensation for accidents.
Various schemes have been devised
from state insurance, the fees to be
paid by the company employing men.
Among the occupational diseases that
must be reported the most frequent
perhaps is from lead poisoning.
These diseases include lead poison
ing which endangers the lives OF work.
men in 1873 trades; the loathsome
"phossy jaw" which disfgures those
who work with poisonous phosphorus
in our match factories; the hatters'
shakes" due TO mercurial poisoning;
the caisson workers "bends;" anthrax,
and poisoning from arsenic" occu-
pational diseases will be Investigated
in Ohio and the evils of poor factory
lighting, in Massachusetts. Special
protection for employees engaged in
peculiarly dangerous processes, involv-
ing the use Of poisonous lead is pro-
vided for in Illinois.
The terrible loss of human life
through factory fires has led many
states to provide better protection
against fire. Standards of safety are
raised in many states and Pennsyl-
vania now provides for fire drills in
all industrial establishments where
women or girls are employed. The
conditions under which manufacturing
in lofts is carried on is now under
investigation in New York.
Because of frequent disasters, caus-
ing great loss of life several states
have established mining boards, and
the mining laws Of number of states
ere completely revised. Several other
states have greatly increased the pro-
lection for miners with special refer
ence to ventilation and to the pre-
vention Of fires and explosions.
Fifteen states which enacted new
laws for the protection of railroad en-
ployes against accident. These laws
relate to the authority and duties of
railroad commissions, to adequate
train crews, to standards for caboose
cars, to experience or training for en-
gineers, fremen, conductors, brake
men or signal men, to air brakes and
to the safe guarding of frogs and
switches. New regulations concern
ing the height of bridges, automatic
bell ringers and signal lights on
switches, sheds to protect employees
on repair work, are also enacted. Rail-
read commissions in several states are
given authority to make and enforce
whatever rules they deem necessary
to prevent accidents.
The establishment in New York of
the first American industrial farm col
ony for tramps and vagrants is an cs-
pecially significant step. 1t marks a
belated tendency to recognize the
presence of unemployment, which sta
tistics show is increasing. Illinois au-
thorized the appointment of woman
investigator of domestic employment
agencies, and in other states laws
were enacted protecting private agen-
cies and establishing or extending
public employment offices. The COM
mission which has been investigating
employment agencies in Massachu-
sets is continuing its work.
These are only small part of the
great mass of legislation that has
been enacted in one year for the bet
terment of the laborers, The outlook
is promising and while the relief of
old time conditions may be coming
slowly it is coming surely and in sub
stantial form.