The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-04
THE ROWLAND DRY GOODS co.

ment through state authority of defin- ite occupational standards of safety and at the same time to give our la bor law greater elasticity through the work of experts clothed with the pow CT of issuing orders"
 A tendency toward specialization within departments is illustrated by the employment of a physician in H. linois and by the appointment of ar inspector of safety devices in Texas In several states inspection bureaus or departments have been reorganiz- ed and Georgia has created Depart ment of Commerce and Labor.
 Woman's Work.
 The movement for the eight-hour day for women is gaining ground, as is evident from the fact that Califor- nia and Washington enacted eight hour lays for women, and similar bills were hard fought for in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin. Massachusetts re- duced the working hours of women from fifty-six to fifty-four a week, and enacted law prohibiting the em- ployment of women for two weeks be- fore and four weeks after childbirth:
 Tn three states bills were presented relating to the establishment of min imum wage boards. The Minnesota and Wisconsin bills, which provided for the creation of such boards, were defeated, but the Massachusetts Dill, which provided for a commission 10 study the subject, was passed ana the commission will report in January, 1912.
 Unemployment.
 The establishment in New York of the first American industrial farm col onv for tramps and vagrants is an especially significant step. It 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 were enacted protecting private agen- cies and establishing or extending public employment offices The com mission which has been Investigating employment agencies in Massachu- setts is continuing it's work.
 Trade Disputes.
 Little direct legislation has been en- acted during the past year upon the important subject of the settlement of strikes. Massachusetts has taken her lesson from England and has made upon it's members. Four states have endeavored to prevent the breaking of strikes through employees secured under false pretenses, and Colorado has made illegal the type of labor con- tract which has been used, by mine operators and others, since the labor of 1904, to prevent the growth Of trade unions by forbidding an employe to join trade organize tions. Several states have attempted to prevent black-listing by requiring employers to give explicit letters stat ing cause of dismissal, and Connecti- cut has carefully regulated the con- duct of blacklisting agencies. The Wisconsin, law, requiring the publica- ton of contracts or agreements be- tween employers and employees, which has long been urged by socialists and trade unionists, is also interesting.
 Immigration.
 New York has passed three laws for the protection of immigrants, in con- nection with immigrant lodging pla- ces, the surrender of tickets of immi- grant passengers, and with the sell ing of transportation to or from for eign countries. Congress is petition ed for legislation restricting immigra-