Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-06
Good Work
Done for
LabOrerS
CalifOrnia'S State Labor
Commissioner Files Report
Showing Highly Beneficial
Work Has Been Done
UNITED PRESS LEASED wIRE.1

lUNlIbD fhNbS lHAshD MlHE'l
Sacramento, Cal, Jan. 6.-State La
Dor Commissioner j. p. Mclaughlin
filed his biennial report with Cover
nor Johnson today, outlining the work
accomplished by the state bureau Of
labor statistics in enforcing state la
Dor regulations and recommending
further legislation.
The report says in part:
"The bureau has wiped out the pay
check evil, so that now all employees
must be paid in coin or negotiable
paper, payable on demand, without
discount. During the year more than
$500 in fees and expenses has been
ordered returned to persons seeking
employments, and the employment
agencies have been brought absolute
ly under control Of the bureau, The
eight-hour law for women has been
enforced to such an extent that few
SHplOySlb Will uOW IuhO u SudhSV ~
violating it.
Protects Child Labor.
For the first time the child labor
law has been placed on a sound foun-
dation, and the work Of the past year
will for all time to come prevent child
labor from getting foothold in this
state. The child has been virtually
eliminated from factory, workshop and
store, and the school attendance has
increased 20,147 in consequence, dur
ing the year ended June 80, 1912.
"Since the bureau has enforced the
law requiring temporary floors in
buildings under course Of construc-
ton the number of deaths caused by
falling, in the ranks of the structural
ironworkers, has been reduced rs per
cent"
Factory Inspection.
Several important recommendations
for further legislation to widen the
scope of the bureau are made in the
report which contends that the present
laws governing factory inspection are
inadequate. A demand Is made for a
comprehensive law covering "the pro-
lection of employees operating machin-
cry; the kind and location Of stairs
doors and fire escapes the size, ventil-
alton and sanitation Of work rooms
the number, location and care Of wash
rooms and toilets the inspection OF
and operation of elevators, chutes and
conveyors, and the inspection of boil
ers."
1t Is also asked that inspection be
extended to mercantile establish.
ments, and to all other places where
labor is employed.
The Alaska Trap.
An evil which the bureau will en-
deavor to have corrected, through leg
islation, is the exploitation Of employees
in Alaska canneries by unscrupuloui
contractors. Most Of these contractors
are said to be Chinese who agreed Il
furnish enough men to operate the can
neries. They procure the services o
contractors, chiefly Japanese, FIJI
ipinos, Mexlcans and Porto Ricans
who go among their own people an,
hire them at usually from $3.50 to $lS
for the season Of five or six months
Being unable to subslst upon the Chi
nese diet Of rice, kelp, tea and occa
sionally beans, the men are compelle,
to buy food at the Chinese stores, an
this is charged against their slende
wages. With these deductions an
gambling debts incurred by plaNn
with Chinese sharpers on the retur
VOYAGE, many Of the men land In Sa
Francisco penniless after an entir
seasons work. The subject Is dis
cussed at length In the report