Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-22
LABOR LAWS OVER
PERIOD OF A YEAR
Workmen's Compensation Act and
Child Labor Bill Two Measures of
National Prominence.

New York, Sept. 22.--Ninety-two la
Dor laws have been passed by congress
and state legislatures during the past
legislative year. according TO survey
which was made public by the Ameri-
can Association for Labor Legislation.
The most significant items IN this leg
islation," says the secretary, Or. John
r. Andrews, ARE two national laws.
one prohibiting the shipment in inter-
state commerce Of certain products in
the preparation OF which the labor of
children has been employed, and the
other providing a model scale Of work
mems compensation for personal in
iuTies among federal employees, Of
which there are now more than $50 600.
Several hundred labor bills were in
troduced into congress this year DR..
Andrews adds, while II state legisla-
lures in spite Of the reaction ground
out their full share Of the annual
Rrist'
The Associations summary Of the
more important item Of labor legisla-
ito in various states follows:
Three states. Maryland, NIassa-
chusetts and South Carolina concerned
themselves with the legal regulation Of
collective bargaining. In Maryland a
state board is authorized to prescribe
rules of procedure for arbitration Of
industrial disputes including power to
conduct Investigations and hold hear
ings to summon witnesses and enforce
their attendance, to require the pro-
duction OF books. documents and pa
pers. and administer oaths. exercising
these powers to the same extent that
such powers are possessed by the civil
courts of the state South Carolina
created a board of three members to
investigate and 10 promote agreements
in strikes and lOCkouts at the rate Of
SO per day each. Massachusetts
amended her law regulating the pro
curing of stTikebreakers.
During the year seven Of the IL
states holding regular Legislative ses-
sions passed new or strengthened old
laws affecting child labor. Shorter
hours, a higher minimum age, prohi-
bitiOn Of night work and exclusion
from hazardous employments are the
main tendencies. South Carolina raises
the minimum work age from - to IA
years. while Nassa chusetts and New
jersey make special provision for pu-
pills who study part-time in vocational
schools and may then work part time.
"ImpeIled by recent accidents New
Jersey has jointed the list of states re-
quiring passenger elevators to have
interlOCking device automatically pre-
venting movement of elevator car IN
til shaft door IS closed and securely
fastened
Following the limitation of work
ing hours on public work to eight a
day in the majority of the states, Mass
achusetts this year provides for her
public employees the further limitation
of the 48-hOur week. In private en-
ploy several states place additional
~g7c he n, e
women and children during the Christ
mas shopping season, and Massachus-
etts is to investigate the possibilities
Of one day Of rest in seven for en-
ployes in hotels and restaurants.
Legislation authorizing public en-
plOyment bureaus in Maryland, the |
regulation Of private agencies in Vir- |
ginia, and the creation of a bureau of /
farm settlement for immigrants in New 4
York, is supplemented by the Cali 1
fornia legislatures endorsement Of the |
United States department of labor rec
ommendation that the public land ten
IRE be so regulated as to insure to the !
settler the entire product of his labor
South Carolina and Virginia patched /
up their employers liability laws while |
Kentucky enacted the most progress
i've woTkmen's compensation law in
any southern state. Louisiana, Mary
iauQ- MdSSa ChusettS, New jersey and
New York strengthened their compen-
satIOn laws without. however. equal
ing the new national law for injured
federal employees which is termed the
most scientific and most liberal work
mems compensation law in the world
Maryland enacted a mothers pension !
law and Massachusetts created a com
mission on social insurance 10 study
sickness, unemployment and old age
and 10 recommend insurance IegisIa-
ti0n next January.
THE reorganization and unifcation
of the administrator Of labor laws
continue. the most noteworthy changes
this year being in Maryland and New
jersey where steps were taken toward
Of factory inspection and
workmen's compensation administra-
ton"