Denver labor bulletin., 1917-03-31
ONE GOOD BILL RUNS THE
GAUNTLET.
Empowers Labor Commissioner
to Collect from Unscrupulous
Employers and Provides I'M
prisonment for Offenders;
Introduced by Don
Mcdonald.

The only law of direct benefit to the
Worklng classes of Colorado passed by
the legislature, which adjourned last
Saturday, was House Bill No. 225. It
was introduced by Don J. Mcdonald,
and strongly backed by James r. No.
land, secretary of state, and W. L.
Morrlssey, labor commissioner, ably
assisted by Senators Perry Dunlap and
De Busk
The bill makes it misdemeanor for
employers to defraud employees of
their wages. The terms of the bill are
drastic in the extreme. 1t provides
for Imprisonment in the county Jail, or
as high as ten years in the peniten-
tlary, or fine not exceeding one thou
sand dollars, the term of imprison-
ment and the mount of the fine de-
pending on the nature of the offense.
Applies To All Employers.
While primarily aimed at mining
corporations, the terms of the law en-
ables the state labor bureau to go into
court and prosecute with the aid and
] assistance of the district attorneys of
the state and the attorney general, all
corporations or individuals guilty of
swlndling the workers out of wages
justly due them.
The law applies with equal force to
the society matron of Capitol Hill who
GtAA iANAS the nuulDAt servant 1t
greatly strengthens the arm of the
labor department and Labor Commits
sioner Morrissey proclaims the
statute as one of the most far-reach-
ing and beneficial pieces of legisla-
ton passed in Colorado in many
years. 1t will aid the non-union as
well as the union man or woman. The
bill becomes effective Immediately on
being signed by the governor.
Commissioner Lists Offenders.
The Labor Commissioner has thou
sands of claims for the collection of
wages placed in his hands each year,
and even without the moral or legal
backing of any law, has been success
full in collecting large sums of money
l for the most deserving class, as well
as the most helpless of wage workers
in the state. At the present time, the
commissioner has seven claims against
one company, amounting TO two thou
sand dollars.
| Some of the worst offenders who
can now be reached through the pro-
visions of the new law are women
who seem to feel that it is unneces-
Sary to pay wages to domestic serv-
ants The labor commissioner has a
list of offenders of this class and has
notified all employment agents not to
send them any help.
! During the month of March there
has been more than one hundred
wage claims filed in the labor commits
sioner's office and to show the good
work that is being done by the labor
bureau, it is only necessary to state
that more than 80 per cent. of these
claims have been collected. The
amounts have been, in most instances,
small, but those who presented claims
represent class who can i'll afford to
be cheated out of their wages by un-
scrupulous employers.
Full Text of the Law.
The following provisions of the bill
show how drastic its terms are:
Section l. Any person who shall
knowingly and designedly. by any
false pretense or pretenses, obtain the
labor or services of another shall be
deemed swindler and upon convic-
ton shall. where the labor or services
obtained is over the value of twenty
dollars, be imprisoned in the state PEN
itentiary not to exceed ten years; and
where the labor and services obtained
/ is of the value of twenty dollars or
less be fined in any sum not exceeding
one thousand dollars or imprisoned in
| the county Jail not to exceed six
months; or by both, in the discretion
of the court; and in all cases where
| the value of the labor or services OBJ
] tanned is twenty dollars or less JUS
/ tees of the peace shall have jurisdic-
tion of violations of this act.
"Section 2. The commissioner of
\ labor statistics of the state of Colo
RADIO shall cooperate with the district
attorneys, sheriffs and all peace Of
ficers of the state in the enforcement