Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-27
Workingmen's Laws
Of This Administration

safety of the travelling public renewed
the fight in the 1911 Legislature. This
bill was passed and Governor Hiram
w. Johnson affixed his signature.
Eredericks' False Claim.
John d. Fredericks claims the Re
publican party passed the Full Train
Grew Bill. A Republican governor ir
1909 refused to sign it.
The Legislative Committee of tht
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmer
lobbying for the bill give the credit
to Governor Johnson.
Railroad Hours Regulated.
Another just measure passed under
the johnson administration was the
law limiting the hours of traffic rail-
road men. Many an engine has rolled
into the ditch with smashed cars be-
hind it because signals were seen by
! the eyes of engineers dulled by a
i twenty-four hours continuous shift.
The present law prohibits the work
ing nf operating trainmen more than
sixteen hours in steady shifts, except
in case of wrecks.
Builders Are Protected.
Structural iron workers and labor
ers engaged on buildings have need
lessly gone to their deaths in great
numbers by the criminal carelessness
of their employers in failing to pro-
vide proper safeguards. Many of
them were killed by falling from mar
row beams or from being hit by ma
terial dropped from floors above.
Today the law compels temporary
flooring of buildings above two stories
before another floor can be added.
Other Dangers Reduced.
Others were killed by the idiotic
operation of material hoists. The law
now provides uniform system of
signals for these temporary elevators.
Another act provides for a safety
railing on scaffolding, suspended from
an ONeIHedu support.
Today every factory or shop en-
ploying more than five people receives
q regular inspection from State offic-
ials to insure that proper safety de-
vices are installed and that no dan
gerous practices obtain. Factories
must also have in their equipment
medical appliances to stop the deaths
of those who expire for lack of treat
ment while waiting for a doctor.
Mine Hours Reduced.
In mines, the hours are made by the
law as eight. Telephones have to be
installed in various parts for the quick
communication of danger warnings.
On ships, open matches must be rallied
to prevent the needless deaths of
those falling down them.
Sailors Given Rights.
Another needed Labor measure was
the repeal of the act making it a
misdcmeanor for any person to en-
tice s. sailor to leave his ship in Cali
fornia waters. In 1895, Congress had
abolished the statute prohibiting the
desertion of seamen, thus giving them
the right of any other workingman to
quit his employment when he desired.
A bill repeating the California act had
twice been passed by different legis-
latures, but was vetoed each time by
the governors then in power.
The 1911 session passed it again
and Governor Johnson signed it i'm
mediately.
Labor Unions Protected.
For the rights of Labor Unions,
several just laws have been passed.
One prohibits the Misrepresentation
of the kind of labor employed on
the manufacture of goods and another
prescribes penalty for marking nom
union made goods as being Union
made.
The old practice of corporations with
strikes against them advertising for
strike breakers under false terms, has
been stopped by providing that adver-
tisements for men where strikes are
on shall plainly state that such is the
case.
Blacklisting Prohibition.
The blacklisting of a workingman
for his political or other affiliations
among firms or associations is pro-
li.bited, thus stopping the unjust habit
of large corporations maintaining a
secret list of workingmen passed
around with instructions not TO hire
such men.
OccupationaJ Diseases Reported.