The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-04-24
Abolition of Defense Of Contradictory
Negligence is Considered by solons
But Manufacturers are Unanimous in
Opposing Proposed Change in Laws.

now IN such shape that they are being
used as models by many states in the
union and there are no states which
have legislation which in any way
compares with that of Wisconsin ex-
cept possibly New York and Mas
sachusetts. In a way the legislation
which is proposed for this session rem
ders the labor laws more elastic and
one of the principal bills before this
Legislature on the subject of women
and child labor in effect provides that
in certain lines of work if the labor
commission considers that women and
minors can in safety work in those
lines of work that the labor commits
sion shall have the power to permit
their employment.
The bill is 750A, and in its terms it
designates certain employments as dan
gerous and unsafe and forbids the en-
I ployment in them Of women and min
largely reiteration of the law which
stands upon the statute books today
and the real modification of the law
comes in a paragraph which declares
| that these employments shall remain
forbidden employments until the legis-
lature after an investigation of the
subject has decided that they are safe
employments for women and minors
and that for this reason women and
minors may be allowed in the employ
ments under restrictions which are to
be fixed by the labor commission.
When this bill was first introduced
there was considerable opposition to
the measure from people who consid-
cred it placed too much power in the
labor commission and that the adop-
tion of the bill would tend to weaken
rather than strengthen the present
labor laws Of Wisconsin. AS a matter
Of fact, however, this idea is wearing
away, especially since former Assem-
blyman Frank Weber, during a recent
visit to Madison, declared he was not
certain but that the measure was
founded on right principle. Mr..
Weber was pioneer in the movement
for labor legislation in this state and
he has lived to see laws far more ex-
acting upon employers Of labor placed
on the statute books than existed when
he first came to Madison in advocacy
Of labor laws. It was Mr.. Weber s
statement that it was necessary to give
the labor commission some discretion
upon the question by reason Of the diff
ference in conditions which existed
between some institutions even in the
same line of manufactures as regards
their regulation both sanitary and in
regard to safety appliances.
Thus, he said, that he knew of some
factories which had gone to great ex-
pense in the adoption of sanitary reg
ulations and safety appliances while
there were other institutions that had
paid absolutely no attention to these
subjects. 1t was his contention that
conditions might arise in the former
factories which would make it perfect
" proper for women and children to
be employed in them while in the fac
tories in which the regulations were
careless as regards sanitary conditions
and safety appliances he said women
and children should not be employed.
The verdict which has been given
here during the session in the testi-
mony Of both manufacturers and rep
resentatives of labor in regard to the
work of the labor commission has been
very generally favorable and both man.
ufacturers and labor representatives
have not hesitated to declare that they
considered very beneficial results had
been obtained from the establishment
/
of the Wisconsin industrial commits.
sion. 7. j. Neacy, who is a leading
Milwaukee manufacturer, before a
committee on bill which was pending
for the abolition of the industrial
commission did not hesitate to say
that he believed that the abolition of
the commission would be great mis-
take from every point of view and that
it was his opinion a great deal of
good was being accomplished by the
commission and that valuable results
were being obtained from it's work.
He also decla..ed that the money
which was being expended by the
state of Wisconsin in the maintenance
of the commission was being very
wisely expended.
Labor representatives have express
ed the same sentiments in Madison and
it is the claim of leading men that
through the work of the labor commits
sion great deal has been accomplish
Jed towards better safety appliances in