The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-09-24
WILL TELL WHAT LABOR
WANTS OF LEGISLATURE

be reintroduced at the next session
and that labor should work TO have
them enacted into law.
More factory inspectors including
some women inspectors. are declared
TO be necessary although the ef-
hciency of the state factory inspec-
ton department is praised. Taking uE
the prison labor question at the In
diana reformatory, matter in which
he declares slight progress has been
made in the last year, Mr. Perkins at
lacks the prison labor contract system
and urges labor to endeavor to obtain
from the Legislature an act empower
ing the reformatory TO buy sufficient
amount of land to furnish employment
for many of the inmates
Bills which he lists as having failed
at the last session. but which should
agatn be introduced and should be
pressed are the following: A bill
regulating women's work; a bill re-
stricting the use of injunctions in la
Dor disputes and legalizinS trades
unions; bill providing for the en-
ployment of expert shot frers In coal
mines. a bill providing for sanitation
in foundries The last two conven-
lions, he points out have gone on rec
ord as being in favor Of free text
books in the public schools. and the
1911 convention Of the federation or
dered a bill Of this character to be
prepared for submission to the gem
era1 assembly
He expresses confidence that
workman's compensation act will be
passed eventually He says: Yet we
should plant ourselves firmly on the
proposition that we want no compen-
sation law that contemplates a repeal
Of the two liability laws passed at the
last session OF the legislature. That
an effort is being made to repeal these
laws is no secret. The attempt will be
made to repeal them outright or TO
enaculate them through amendment.
The efficiency of this legislation Is
thus made apparent. The best recon-
mendation for their retention is the
opposition Of those who ind their OPP
GRAFTON over
And we should be careful that we
are not beguiled IN TO a loss OF those
excellent measures through substitu-
tion Of an experimental compensation
law"
Mr. Perkins saws the child labor law
enacted at the last session OF the leg
islature was an Improvement over the
old law. but he says II was a com
promise and that In order 70 get It
passed at all II was necessary TO clint
nate some of the features that were
contained in the original bin. He says
the next legislature should amend the
present law by adding to Il those fea
lures which failed to get in at the
last session lie declares that labor
should insist on the inhibition against
girls less than eighteen years old
working in cigar or tobacco factories.
street trades Of children. he says.
should be a matter for regulation. the
aee at which children may be per-
mitted to work at night should be
raised. and that part Of the law which
permits children to work in canning
factories should be stricken out With
these corrections he SAYS. Indiana
would have child labor law that
would put it in the front rank of the
states.
Perkins attacks the proposed garni-
shee law and saws that there Is prac-
ticaly no danger that it ever will be
passed 1t has been before many leg
islatures in Indiana. he SAYS, and al
WAYS has been killed
Perkins recommends that labor take
action looking TO proper celebration
Of Indiana's centennial in 1916. and
says that labor should take part in It.
He repeats what he has said in for
mer annual reports in regard to the
necessity for keeping the state inspec
tion bureau out Of party politics. On
this subject he saws: so far as
have knowledge. this criticism can
not lie against the department at this
time, but the best manner in which fu-
ture criticism can be prevented is by
placing the department on a plane re-
!moved from party affairs"