United labor bulletin., 1914-12-12

trial evils are recorded in the Review OF
Labor Legislation of 1914, Just issued
from its New York headquarters by the
American Association for Labor Legls-
lation. The labor laws enacted by Con-
gress, by l3 State Legislatures which
convened this year and by Alaska and
other territories are briefly summar-
lied.
Noteworthy as marking renewed de-
termination to grapple scientifically
with one of the most pressing problems
of industrial maladjustment," says
John B. Andrews, secretary of the as
sociation, lis the law adopted this year
in New York establishing statewide
system OF public employment bureaus.
Shortly after the signing of this act
New York City adopted an ordinance
resulting on November 10 in the open
ing OF the best-equipped public employ
ment exchange in the country. New
workmen's compensation laws were en-
acted in New York, Maryland, Kentucky
and Louisiana, while other states, nota-
bly, Massachusetts, liberalized the provi-
sions of existing compensation codes. by
enacting carefully drawn measures for
the prevention OF compressed air illness
and OF lead poisoning New Jersey took
an advanced stand in the campaign foI
occupational hygiene. In no fewer than
seven states this year initiated meas
ures affecting labor were submitted to
popular vote. Among those which were
successful are new Arkansas child Ia
Dor law adopted September a. and
Washington bill prohibiting the taking
OF fees by private employment agencies
for applicants for work, adopted at the
general election November 3. The 1913
Colorado Assumption of Risk law and
the Nebraska workmen's compensation
act of the same date, upon which refer
enda had been demanded. were sus-
tanned by popular vote, while the Mis-
souri, full-crew law of 1913, which was
similarly challenged, was repealed. Uni
versal eight hour day bills initiated in
the three Pacific coast states were lost.
OF more than ordinary interest is the
section of the new federal antitrust law
which prevents the use of the Sherman
act against trade unions on the ground
that the labor OF human being is not
a commodity or articles of commerce.
Congress also strictly regulated the is
suance of injunetions by Federal Courts
in labor disputes and established an
eight-hour day for female workers in
the District of Columbia"
Two important measures still before
Congress provide for a federal system
Of public employment offices and for
adequate industrial accident and occu-
pational disease compensation for fed
eral employees.
Accidents and Diseases.
Three Legislatures enacted laws re-
quiring industrial accidents or occupa-
tional diseases to be reported, while
New Jersey adopted scientific measures
for the prevention OF lead poisoning in
lead plants and potteries and OF the
dreaded blends" or compressed air i'll
ness III tunnel and caisson work. -Four
states gave further attention to pro-
tecting their industrial workers from
fire and Maryland passed two compre-
hensive laws regulating canneries and
tenement workshops. Three states and
the territory OF Alaska legisIated upon
the subject OF safety in mines, Ken.
lucky going furthest and enacting new
mine code. Several new railroad safety
laws are concerned with full crews,
headlights and enclosed yestibules on
trolley cars.
Factory Inspection.
Seven states dealt with machinery for
more efficient enforcement of their la.
Dor laws. No changes from the old style
labor department to an industrial com
mission are recorded this year, but spe-
cial commissions or boards to admins.
ter workmen's compensation laws We're
created in Kentucky, Maryland and
New York. In several states salaries of
labor department staffs were increased
Child Labor
Eleven states. or about quarters
of those in which legislation was passed
this year, took action on child labor.
Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississip-
pi and Virginia passed entirely new
codes, and other states amended their
laws tending to raise age limits and
educational requirements, to shorten
hours and to forbid hazardous employ.
ments and night work. Backward steps
were taken in Maryland. where the
minimum age for newsboys was reduced
from II years to 10 years. and in Mis-
sissippi, where the maximum working
hours for boys of ~ and girls of I6
were increased from eight to ten a day
Workmen's Compensation.
BY the action of New York. Ken
lucky, Louisiana and Maryland exactly
"A states, or one-half of those in the
Union. now have workmen's compensa-
tion laws Massachusetts, after two
years experience, raised the benefits un-
der its law from 30 per cent to G6 2-3
per cent OF wages. and New Jersey also
liberalized its rates, though to a less
extent.
Hours.
Alaska established AN eight hour day
on public work and number OF vaca-
tion and hour laws for public employees
were enacted in Massachusetts and New
York. Five states and Alaska lepislat-
ed ON hours in private employment,
railroad workers and miners being the
groups most widely affected. The week
ly rest day law in New York was
amended to exempt a number of milk
handling establishments, and also. in the
discretion of the commissioner of labor