The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-04-07

Distinct Advance - More Protection
For Women and Children-Extensio
Of Minimum Wage Laws.
The annual summary of labor legis-
lation in the United States, published
by the United States bureau of labor
statistics of the department of labor,
covers the activities in this field dur
ing 1916 of forty-three states, two terri
tories and the federal congress. With
three exceptions, Kentucky, Maryland
and Mississippi, every state in the
Union held a legislative session, regu-
lar or extra, in 1915, and of these all
but two, Louisiana and Virginia, ell
acted laws Of special interest to labor.
The bureaus report reproduces the text
of all these labor laws and presents Il
concise review of each class of legis-
lation. The workmens compensation
laws are omitted, having been publish
ed separately.
Aside from the enactment of work
mems compensation laws, perhaps the
most significant feature of the legisla-
ton of the year is the growth Of the
industrial commission plan, uniting in
one authority the administration of
workmen's compensation. factory in
spection and other labor laws. This
plan was adopted in 1919 in Colorado,
Indiana, Montana, Nevada and New
York
Especially notable III the legislation
Of the year was the attention given to
the subject of unemployment and pub
lie employment Offices. Ia Illinois a
commission on unemployment, consist
ing of three representatives of labor,
three OF employers and three Of the
public, was established TO report at the
next legislative session. In connection
with the state employment offices Il
general advisory board was establish
ed TO investigate and deal with unem-
ployment California and Nevada pass
ed resolutions calling for investiga ton
of unemployment. In Idaho emergency
employment is 10 be provided by coun-
ty boards of commissioners for unem-
ployed citizens of the United States
who have been for six months resi-
dents of the state. Employment is to
be on the highways at rates to be fixed
by the county boards, not more than
sixty days work Of this kind to be
furnished any person within one year.
One-half of the expense is to be borne
by the state. and refusal to perform
the work assigned debars one from this
form of relief for the period OF one
year.
Public employment officers were pro
yided for in California, Idaho Iowa.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania and
provision was made for the extension
of the system of public employment of
fees in Illinois, Michigan and Okla
homa. The licensing and supervision OF
private employment offices were provid-
ed for in seven Colorado, Ne.
braska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Texas and Wisconsin-while
Idaho prohibited the maintenance OF
private employment agencies operated
for profit.
W
women and children were quite as nu-
merous as in preceding years Nota-
BILE among these were the minimum
wage laws enacted by Arkansas and
Kansas, making eleven states which
now have such legislation. California,
Massachusetts and Washington passed
amendments to their minimum wage
laws, not, however, involving any i'm
portant notifications. In Idaho q COM
mission to investigate the subject of
minimum wage legislation was proyid-
ed for.
Considerable progress was made in
the field of child labor legislation,
notably in the states of Arkansas and
Pennsylvania. IN the latter state the
law requires eight hours per week of
school attendance for children under
the age Of sixteen, such attendance to
be between the hours OF s a. m. and
p. m.
In the field of safety provision the
most detailed enactments were those
formulated by the industrial commits
sion of Wisconsin and the industrial
boards of New York and Pennsylvania
The rules and orders of these bodies
indicate an intimate knowledge of the
conditions to be met which it is impos-
sible for an ordinary legislative com
mittee to procure The workers well
fare is looked after III less usual ways
by new enactments in some states, reg
ulating the sanitary conditions In la
bor camps railway labor camps and
the like.
Laws to regulate the giving of clear
ance cards or statements of cause of
discharge were enacted in three states
California, Indiana and Oregon
while in two states, California and Ne
vada, the right is given the employees
by law to hear and answer charges
brought by spoilers" before being dis
charged on their evidence. Other i'm
portant laws enacted during 1915 were
the Seaman's act, which made numer-
Gus provisions for safety and abolished
arrest and Imprisonment for deser-
tion: the Alaska and Arizona old age
pension laws and the California act
providing for the appointment Of a
commission te, report on the subjecT
OF social insurance.