Denver labor bulletin., 1915-08-07

The United States bureau of labor sta
tistics has just issued its annual review
of court decisions affecting labor as its
bulletin No. 1863. Approximately 2G5 de-
cisions are summarized, dealing with the
application and construction OF the laws.
with the application OF the principles
OF the common law to the rights and re-
latons of the worker.
Decisions OF outstanding Importance
which are reviewed in this bulletin
include the final opinions OF the appel
late and supreme courts OF the United
States in the famous DaDbury Hatters'
case. holding members OF unions per
sonally liable for damage from boycotts;
the dissolution OF the famous injunction
in the case of John Mitchell against the
Hitchman Coal and Coke company of
West Virginia, and holding labor unions
legal; and the supreme courts opinion
i'll the Coppage case, overthrowing the
law OF Kansas which undertook to pro
tect workmen in their membership in
labor organizations. In the last named
ease the dissenting opinion, which de
Tended the constitutionality OF the act
il also given.
The largest group of cases on sim
Gle subject is that relating to the new
compensation laws. The decisions on
this subject range from questions of
constitutionality decided adversely in
the case OF the Kentucky statute and
favorably in other state courts. to the
determination OF definitions or of single
points of dispute. In considering occu-
pational diseases, for instance. the Mass
achusetts courts hold lead poisoning to
he within the state act, providing for
compensation for personal injuries aris-
ing out of and in the course of employ
ment," while the Michigan courts, under
the provisions of state law similarly
expressed, hold that case of lead poi-
soning is not entitled to compensation.
An optic neuritis induced by inbaling
poisonous gases was also compensated
in Massachusetts while in New Jersey
the court dissolved a claim ON account of
eczema said to be caused by acids used
in a bleachery. Other decisions relate to
the mode of computing benefits, the
definition of the term casual employ
mcnt." what constitutes dependency,
wilful act. incapacity, etc. Taken in
| connection with an earlier bulletin on
the same general subject, the bureau Of
labor statistics has here presented one
of the most complete collections OF cases
| on American compensation laws in eN-
| istence.
Another important group of decisions
| in related field is OF those determining
| the application of the federal liability
| statute to different classes OF railroad
| employments. Several cases are found
winch turn on the nature of the en-
| ployment OF the injured persons. j. e.,
| whether in interstate commerce or not.
| The courts are not uniform in their
construction of this statute, but among
| the cmploymcnts found to be within the
| act were those of blacksmith repairing
! cars used in interstate commerce. tele-
graph lineman engaged in repair work.
workmen installing block signal sys-
TENS, carpenter installing block signal
systems. carpenter building an addi-
ton to freight shed, n laborer carry
ing coal to heat n shop in which inter
state cars were being repaired, etc. EN-
ployments, which according to the de-
cisions were excluded. were workmen
constructing cut-offs for shortening in
tcrstate trackage. hostler killed by the
explosion of the boiler of locomotive