Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-03
FEDERATION OF LABOR
Continued from Page one)

|
drawback to our sister states in the
matter of labor legislation, has since
the present State Branch has been in
| existence made a record which places
her in position well up with tht most
progressive states in this line.
Confident of 54- Hour Law
Our mills and factories are running
under 5S-hour law which inside of
Is months will, I am quite certain,
be reduced to 81 hours.
1t is not my intention at this time
to go over the laws that can be cred
tied to the efforts of this organiza-
ton, but a perusal of the pamphlet
issued by the labor bureau shows up
ward of 40 laws in which We have had
a hand in either passing or amend
ing.
Some of these laws are not in just
the shape that we would like to have
them as it is not always possible for
one to tell how a law will work out
by reading 1t.
The Trustee Law
wish to speak of one law in par
|
est battles in the Legislature that we
have had to wage, and that was the
amending of the trustee law The law
was amended in the 1909 session and
again in the 1911 session and in my
opinion is a just Jaw as it now stands.
The law as it is today exempts a
certain amount of mans wages from
trustee which was the point we were
a,,1 ,s@ n
large town that lawyers are causing
to be issued trustees, which hold up
the entire amount man may have
coming. This is a plain violation of
the law on the part of the lawyer who
causes the trustee to be issued and
served This places the employee in
a position where he mist sue his m
ployer in order to get tie money that
| by law cannot be legally held, and
| of course such action in most cases
would put his 10 bin jeopardy. I be-
| lieve this law should be further
amended SO that a lawyer issuing or
causing to be issued trustee that
| holds up that part Of a mans wages
which by law are exempt. shall be adj
| judged guilty of misdemeanor and
a penalty provided for same.
The fifty-four hour law which was
turned down by the last Legislature
will l am advised be initiated at the
next session which will in a wal re-
lieye our legislative committee of
much work that would come IL the bill
was introduced in the regular way. for
when the law is initiated the people Of
the State and not the legislators are
the final judges.
| These petitions initiating fifty
four hour law will soon be in the hands
of the locals and we must use every
effort to send a petition not only OF
the 10000 names necessary which will
be an easy matter, but let us make
the petition one of $4,000.
Workmen's Compensation
The State organization has gone
ahead in its work, each session de-
handing laws and charges in laws and
each session these laws have been
more important and in turn the task
has been harder to accomplish. At the
| last session, we were instrumental In
having introduced workmen's COM
pensation law. This law, which means
more to the workmen in the State anu
| to the State itself than all the other
| laws we have asked for, was defeated'
| hope that every man who WORKS Tor
daily wages in the State OF Maine mas
acquainted himself with the history OF
the compensation law in the Legisia-
| ture of 1918, and to those who nave
not done so, l say, do SO, before you
| face the ballot box in the coming ran
| election. Look up the record or the
man who represented you there. f1na
| out whether he voted in your lntereS
or against it, and if he voted against
It, see to it that his name does not
count on your ballot in September, OF
better still, see that man is nominat-
| ed in his place at the primaries VINO
will represent you as you shouid oe
represented.
Ballot Reform
Another matter which I wish TO
| bring before this convention for action
unon is the question of ballot reform
in this State Personally, l am III
favor of a change to the Massachu-
setts form of ballot. The State Branch
hos ALWAYS tried to instill into the
| ,,,inds of IFS members the policy OF
| rewarding its friends and defeating us
| enemies and I believe ballot on Whlch
| o man would be obliged to mark eacn
name that he wishes to vote Tor woulu
go. a great way in teaching the aver
| orc voter TO study the candidate anu
vote for the man instead of as is the
case today of putting cross in the
marty line and swallowing the whoie
dose, good, bad and indifferent l De
,;aya the work that has been done III
Massa cbusetts by the organization OF
that state through the use of the
/ Massachusetts ballot is argument
enough from the standpoint of our or
carnations.
Trade Conditions Poor
Trade conditions as whole are no,
as good as for the last few years. anu
as business quiets down it gives lne
observer a chance to see the differ-
once between the conditions in the
organized and unorganized trades. IN
the trades that are organized the Wase
scale is maintained the short work
! da,, remains in force and the working
| conditions remain the same, whlie