South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-25
MANY DECISIONS
MADE ON LABOR
AdamSOn 8-hOur Law and
Other Decisions Cited in
Bulletin.

An unusual array of important
decisions is presented by the bureau
of labor and statistics Of the United
States department of labor in it's
annual compilation of court deci-
sions on labor questions, just pub
lished as Bulletin No. 224. A num-
Der Of the decisions of the supreme
court of the United States, handed
down since December, 1916, are in
cluded in this bulletin, but for the
most part the decisions were made
in the calendar year 1916.
Most notable among the supreme
court decisions, on account of the
circumstances attending the enact
ment Of the law construed by il, is
the decision sustaining the consti-
tutiOnality OF the Adamson eight
hour law for trainmen in inter-
state commerce, and declarius at the
same time the right Of congress to
compulsorily arbitrate disputes be-
tween the railroads and their en-
ployes for the benefit of the pub
lie.
The first broad decisions ulti-
mately deciding the constitutionality
o. workmen's compensation laws are
also noted in this volume. Although
a number Of state courts of last re-
sort had passed upon laws of this
type, il was not until the supreme
court of the United States had
given the seal of its approval that
the matter could be considered as
finally settled. In UNFOLDING the
compulsory compensation law of
New York and of Washington, the
latter also providing for a compul-
sorry state insurance fund, the farth
est reach Of compensation legisla
ton has received judicial approval.
The elective law of Iowa was like
wise sustained.
Another important decision by
this highest court was that sustain
ing the Oregon 1O-hour day for fac
tory employees without regard to sex
or age-a marked reversal Of posi-
tion from the action of the same
court in 1905 in holding the 10
hour law of New York applicable
TO bakeries unconstitutional; the
power of the state 10 enact laws linn
iting the hours of service of adult
males in private employment, as
we'll as the hours of females and of
children, is now recognized. The
fixing of wages for women and mi
nOrs under Is years old is also a
valid exercise Of the police power
according TO another decision of this
court, the Oregon minimum wage
law being left undisturbed in its
position of cOnstitutionality as deter
mined by the supreme court of that
state; on this point the federal su-
preme bench was equally divided
one justice not voting.
OF hardly less interest than these
decisions Of the supreme court is
the action of the court of last re
sort of the state of Massachusetts, in
declaring unconstitutional an act of
that state which understood to limit
the issue OF injunctions in labor dis
putes, declaring that injunctions
should issue only when property
rights are affected, and that labor
is not property. The court took the
view that this attitude excludes
from the protection of the law those
who had no other property than
their right TO work, and held that
such a deprivation could not be eff
fected by statute.
State Courts Involved.
Besides the decisions Of the su-
preme court on the subject of work
mems compensation, the bulletin
contains numerous decisions and
rulings by the state courts. questions
of construction and constitutional
ity being involved The Kentucky
court Of appeals, which had de-
clared unconstitutional the work