Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-06-24
SOME OF THE NEW LAWS.


The Maine law. however. awards her in
iured workmen payment ny the employer
Of not more than SO week in case "f
total disability with maximum OF 500"
Heirs in case of death receive the same
and the scale Of payments for those part
~ disabled ranges from 81 to 80 Il week.
Pennsylvania provided for the payment
OF ~ per cent. Of wages. but not more
than so or less than s.. with a maximum
total OF $500. The act is elective and
takes away from the employers the com
mon law dcfen SEES. but the people will vote
In November on constitutional amend
ment permitting the Legislature to make
II compulsory. The act creates State
insurance fund, but employers are per
mitted To protect themse elves in any other
form OF insurance or carry their own
risks on approval of the bureau of work
mems compensation which will administer
the law, Domestics and agricultural la
borers are exempted.
The Indiana law provides no State in
surance, hut permits the employer to seek
II where he chooses or not at all. IL he
give proof OF his financial ability to nay
the compensation. This is fixed al 55 per
cent. Of the average wage not to exceed
$50 weeks and in case Of death, burial ex
penses to the defendants not to exceed
500 and ~ per cent. of the weekly wage
for 800 weeks. Domestic servants and ag-
ricultural lahorers are exempt and those
engaged in interstate commerce. The law
is elective with both employer and en-
ploye and is administered by State in
dustrial commission.
Fifty per cent. weekly wage not to ex-
coed 800 weeks is the basis of the Okla
homa law.
CHILD LABOR PROHIBITED.
Iowa and Alahama are the States which
prohibited child labor Maine adopted
law under which women and boys under
l6 employed in mills, factories and laun-
dries are not permitted to work more
than 81 hours a week. Pennsylvania en-
acted a statue limiting the hours of labor
Of children between IA and IL years to
81 hours week. A feature Of the law Is
that all such children employed must go
to vocational school at least eight hours
a week which must he computed in the
81 hours, thus making the actual work.
ing hours ~. 1t further provides that no
messengers under 81 years can he EN-
poyed by a telegraph, telephone or mess
enger company after eight o'clock at
night, and that no child under 10 can
sell newspapers. A statute along similar
lines fixing at 10 years the minimum age
of newsboys and other minors engaged In
street trades, was adopted by California.
In North Carolina. bills designed to en-
able officials better to enforce the pres
ent child labor laws failed to pass
Massachusetts, enacted a bill prohibit
ing the employment of women and chill
dren overtime for the purpose Of making
up for time lost on legal holiday and
another requiring industrial establish
ments to furnish fresh and pure drinking
water for employees and accommodations
for those who are injured or become i'll, A
first aid measure. somewhat similar to
the latter, pa ssed in the Washington Leg
isature, was vetoed by Governor Lister,
Labor unions protested II was drawn in
/ the interest of employers alone,
Alaska adopted an eight hour law for
place miners and pensioned her aged and
INDECENT prospectors. A bill requiring
employees OF all kinds to grant their EN-
ployes one DAYS rest in seven was killed
in the Senate Of Wisconsin, but one MAX
ing such provision for railway employees
was passed ny the Assembly and was at
this writing awaiting action in the Sen
ate.
Other legislation affecting labor was the
abolition of the contract prison labor sys-
TEN OF Iowa; the enactment In California
Of bin for the employment of convicts
for the building of roads In mountain dis
tricts; n similar bill in Idaho and law
IN that state compelling county commits
Sonsrs ia nrovidA anlSrssnnr work far ths