The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-17
Effective Standardization of Locals Throughout Amer ica Is Made By Executives of the Big Four-Attitude of the Administration To- wards Labor Measures Is Clearly Defined.


 f One of the most effective sum-
 iparfes of the powerful advances in legislation made under the Wilson ad- mfnistratien, that the present cam
 paign has brought forth, has been is- sued, by the Big Four of railroad brotherhoods 1t follows: In the face of the approaching elec- taons, and in view of the many re- ouests received at this office fer in- formation regarding legislation affect
 ing the interests of labor, we, your NatioHal Legislative Representatives.
 desire to set forth below brief and concise histery of legislation which has
 been passed during the present ad=
 nnanastration, which has been benefi- cial to the laboring men of this coun- try. It Is a most significant fact that never NefozV1n tfe history of the Uni- ted States has there been enacted in- to law leess1ation advancing and pro- tec<ing the interests of the laboring
 man hes has. been enacted during the past three, and ohe-half years, and it ls our earIfest desire that all 1aboring usen knev what has been done in their beAalk TV f'I % 1-C6xznsss<icns of labor and farm. era, taksn from the purview of the an ta-txust act. -Larnitations of the use and pre- vent4sn of the abuse of the writ of in- 3unction In labot disputes. 1LeS1slation defining and re- vtractlnx punishment for alleged con- { tempts of\in1unction writs and provtd- ing Jury ,trial in contempt cases. <-Departxnent of Justice prohfbit- cd from uuang antaz aztrust appropriation funds to prosecute labor and farmers crganizatioz,4 under the antitrust act ',1RaNage of seamen's law, abolish ing involuntary servitude, providing bStter trsatment df seamen. and im- : yBOv4ng rfe-Saydng provisions on ves- 0els at sea- 1t s '
 6-Old cancellation, mediation and { arbitration act repealed. New law
 enacted, with permanent officials ap- pointed to administer 1t in behalf of railroad employees engaged in oper- ating service.
 .f-Eixht>hour law enacted for
 women and child workers in the Dis
 trict of Columbia- r t sEEight-hor law passed for em- ployees under the Alaska coal-iapd
 -Pubnc construction of Alaska
 ra1hoad. t s 1o-Industzial education provided
 with appropriations for farmers and
 rural residentA
 11-Taylcr system, sfop-watch. and apeedlng-Vp methods in the United Gtztes navy yards. gun factories, ar
 senalss and torpedo stations abolished ! 1z@P1ecevork prohibited in Post O81ce Department, Washington. D. c. 13-Pubhc construction of battle ships transports, and other vessels in
 United StAtas navy yards extended. Repairs to vessels of the Navy to be made in governmental instead of pri- v1te yards steadier work assured to ]. employees of Government navy yards. 14-IAcensed officers. such as mas- ters, mates and pilots. guaranteed right to quit, and protected when re- porting defects of their vessels to gov- I ernment inspectors. 15-Bureau of Mines act extended and strengthened Ten new experi-
 ment stations and seven new safety stations provided
 16-Senatofial investigation of in dustrial dispute in coal fields of West ! Virginia, wheyeby peace was restored, | the edghtf pour pay secured. check
 wekghmen provided, and 10 per cent. | Increase in wages gained: right of or | gAnixAtion guaranteed, and other irn- proved working conditions Included.
 17-Compensafdon for injuries act i extended to post office employees
 l6-IOcomotive-boi boiler inspection act
 &xtendsd to cover locomotive engines 1 and tendsrs.l ! 1S-Lsave of absspce with pay to i employees of Government Printing
 Onnce extended from /26 to 30 days 1 psr year.
 2o-Inyestigation of the industrial | disputes in the Colorado gold fields
 and the Michigan copper region, in i which exposed intolerable conditions
 under which labor suffered l 31-Increase in the wages of the netal-trade mechanics employed by the Government
 22-1ncreased appropriations for 1 tho Clsz1dren's Bureau and for the De- l paftmenf of Labor. 1.-The cm1d-hbor law, which pro-
 hli,lfe the shipment in interstate com fnsrce of the products of factories eni-
 paoying children under 14 years of age.
 A-The Chi1dren's Bureau. Its eff 1 forts have been directed toward ascer-
 taan1ng the relations between poverty,
 disease and mortality. It has develop ] eded evidence strongly tending to show
 that infant mortality increases in di- rect proportion to the decrease of |; wages, and decreases in direct pro- 1 portion to the increase of wages. Z6--rhe income tax, which was long ! demanAed by labor.
 ' ze-The workmens compensation 1 1aw, applicable to all government em- p1oy0s.
 s1-Preyented a reduction in wages i and installation and collection Of rents
 for employees on the Panama Canal
 Zonz..
 | zSAffours of service act amended ! to provide . minimum penalty of $100 ! for. violations thereof.
 F+t zeLAai act granting an eight-hour r day to the raf1roAd employees of the
 United States,
 a 3o-Evefy effcrt by designing op-
 ponents fp shacl<le labor organizations
 of this cbuntfy with compulsory in- < svestigati0n of labor disputes was de-
 feated.
 There are also pending in Congress many measures of very great import
 ance to organized labor. among which might be mentioned the Thompson |. Decker or Clearance bill. the bill for
 the increase of salary for Inspectors of Safety Appliances. the increase in ! membership of the Interstate Com
 merce Commission, the Immigration
 bill, the Interpleader bill the amehd-