Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-08-29
What Pres. Beal Said at
Annual Meeting Con-
cernin G Governor
Fernald's Service
Trickery on 54-Hour Law An
swered by Facts-All Names
Chief Labor Laws Adopted or
Started under His Admins
tratiOn

During the administration of Hon.
Bert NJ. Fernald as governor of Maine,
more progressive legislation affecting
the interests of the working people of
the State was passed than under any
other administration. All the grand
measures, which are now on the Sta
tute Books were either started at that
time or else were enacted into law to
ceeding sessions.
How comprehensive and how bene
fetal was the work accomplished, was
convincingly told by President Beal
of the Maine Federation of Labor at
the annual meeting OF that board in
1909. In addressing this assembiage,
MIR. Beal said:
"At our last convention it was voted
to make the 5S-hour law for women
and minors in manufacturing and me-
chanical establishments the paramount
issue Of our Legislative work for the
then approaching campaign and legis-
lative session. The success with which
We met in this matter is we'll known
to YOU In this fight between the mill
operatives and the corporations our
work would have been much harder
and our chances of success much less
'had not Governor Fernald in his cam
paign speeches from one end of the
State to the other, told the voters that
the women and children of the textile
industries were compelled to work 60
hours in a week and that if elected he
should use his utmost influence for the
passage of the 5Shour law.
These pledges were well kept, and
to no man is due more credit for the
passage of the law than to Governor
Fernald and the textile operatives of
our State can never repay him for his
interest and work in this direction.
| An employers liability act was
passed, somewhat similar to the Mas
sachusetts law Under this law it will
be possible for an employe to recover
damages for an injury without sub
jecting himself to the enormous ex-
pense necessary under the common
law
The trustee law was amended so as
! to exempt So of a mans earnings
from trustees and allows only one
cost to be added.
The law creating a State board of
arbitration and conciliation was
passed. This law goes long way in
the interest of industrial peace and
needs no commendation, as it embodies
the cardinal principles of trade union
ism. An amendment to the child labor
law provides that children up to the
| 18th year cannot be employed in man
ufacturing, mechanical or mercantile
establishments unless they have at
tanned a certain standard Of educa-
ton"
Still further evidence Of the great
benefit received by the laboring people
of Maine during the administration Of
Governor Fernald was provided by the
report of the Legislative committee OF
the Federation at this same session.
In making this report the committee
said:
I'm reviewing the work Of the past
year we find that there is ample ma
terial upon which to report and it is
cause for congratulation for us all
that we can truthfully report that we
were successful with nearly all the
labor measures introduced during the
last session of the Legislature. In
fact, we accomplished more than in all
time in the past and we have no DOUBT
but that many years will elapse be-
fore we shall be able to make another
report that will compare with this
one"