The Washington herald., 1917-09-03
help WORKERS
|. ina STATES
Legislators Pass Laws to
Encourage Skilled and
Unskilled Labor.
.tBy the international News seryice.)

bShthNa Itcois
tBy the international News seryice.)
| New York, Sept. 2.-Protective STAN
dards for labor have been Success
fully upheld against attempts to sus-
pend them during the war and sub
stantlal gains have been made in new
legislation to safeguard still further
the nations industrial army. accord
ing to the summary of labor laws
enacted in 1917 by forty-four States
and in Congress, issued here today
by the American Association for La
Dor Legislation.
The summary issued by the asso-
citation is as follows:
Health Insurance.
The movement for universal work
mems health insurance has made rap
Id strides. The official commissions OF
Massachusetts, and California, which
made favorable reports early in 1871
| have been continued for additional
study with view to public education
and legislation. New investigations
ticut, Illinois. Ohio. Pennsylvania and
1 Wisconsin.
| Hours.
For women. Nevada and Montana
established an S-hour day in many
occupations. and Ohio reduced daily
hours from 10 TO 3. New York ex-
tended is 9-hour cay and 54-hour
week to restaurants. New Hampshire
cut one hour off the previous 55-hour
maximum, while Nevada set a 8-hour
limit, and Connecticut a 5S-hour max
imum in certain employments. Both
Delaware and Ohio restrict women 9
work to six days a week, and the New
York statute TO this effect now ap-
plies also TO restaurants.
| The only State to permit a general
lengthening of legal working time for
women was Wyoming. which Increased
its weekly maximum from IS to 90
hours.
Labor Standards I'm War.
| Mistaken zeal at the entrance OF
| the United States into the war led TO
the introduction of hills In some leg
islatures designed TO break down la
| Dor standards. In addition to laws OF
this type described under Hours
Connecticut and New Hampshire gave
their governors power to suspend labor
regulations on request of the Council
Of National Defense.
Minimum Wage.
Arizona established a minimum wage
of $40 a week for women in stores
and factories. Illinois and North Da-
kota established commissions to in
vestigate wages and other conditions
Of women in industry.
Eleven States strengthened their
/ child labor laws. mainly by raising
age limits, extending existing restric-
tions to new employments. or short
/ ening hours. Texas passed q new
general statute setting a l5-yesr min
imum age for factories, and Vermont
provided for issuance OF regulations
in conformity with those OF the Fed
eral Child Labor act. which went into
effect September !, with an appropria-
tion OF $4,000 for its enforcement
safety and Health.
Kansas and New Hampshire lesis-
lated on factory safeguards, Texas on
| fire escapes, New Jersey on scaf-
folding, Montana on electrical appara-
tus, Delaware on sanitary equipment
and West Virginia on mines.
wsrkmen's Compensation.
workmen's compensation laws were
enacted in Delaware, Idaho, New
Mexico. South Dakota and Utah.
making forty States and Territories
which now have such laws. in addi-
| ton to the Federal government S
compensation law for its own 10000
| civilian employees. Compensation In
the new acts is 80 or - per cent Of
! wages. but is increased by half in
| New Mexico IL the injury resulted
! from the employers failure to pro-
vide safety devices required by law.
| In more than twenty additional States
existing acts were amended.
Labor Laws.
wyoming for the first time estab-
I lished a commissioner to enforce its
labor laws, and Utah and Vermont
\ Joined the States in which admins
tration OF all labor legislation. in
cluding workmen's compensation. is
centered in one consolidated depart
ment. In Utah and Pennsylvania the
/ industrial commissions are given
power to issue regulations having the
| force OF law.
Unemployment.
Public employment bureaus were
| authorized in South Dakota and New
| Hampshire, while Oregon appointed
a COMMISSION 10 lnNtsAlk dNS dAAA
recommend legislation. Minnesota and
Arizona arranged for cooperation
with the Federal government in man
aging public employment offices. and
| Nebraska regulated private agencies.
Trade Disputes.
Laws legalizing labor organizations
and limiting the issuance Of inJunc-
1 tions in labor disputes were adopted
| in Utah and Minnesota. Idaho and
| Minnesota made II a felony to advo-
cate sabotage, violence or unlawful
methods.
In more than a dozen States laws
! were passed establishing periodical
pay days. regulating the issuance Of
| non-negotiable wage checks. protect
| ing wages on public work, or pro-
hibitlng interference by employers in
| the political rights Of their workmen.
With delicate apparatus a Rus