Denver labor bulletin., 1918-09-14
PROTECTIVE MEASURES ADVANCED I'M
WAR TIME BY ORDER AND LEGISLATION
Federal Government Enacts Model Law for Million Civilian
poyes, Soldiers Sailors; Fory-one
Workmen's Compensation; Health Insurance Gain
ing Favor With State Legislatures.

Labor standards in war time have
continued to advance in spite of scat
tering attempts to suspend measures
for the protection of the industrial
army, and gains thru legislation have
been greatly augmented by presiden-
tial orders under authority of Con-
gress to meet the national emergency,
according to the summary of labor
laws enacted during 1918 in a score
of states and in Congress, just issued
by the American Association for La
Dor Legislation.
Protective labor legislation, won
thru long years of effort, has proved
sound basis upon which to maintain
and increase the efficiency and sus-
tanned fitness of industrial workers"
says the secretary, DR.. John B. An
drews. Recognizing this, the fed
eral government and the states have
almost unanimously insisted upon up
holding, enforcing and extending Ia
Dor laws. Virginia is the latest re-
cruit in the workmen's compensation
camp, making forty-one states and
territories now having this form of
social insurance, in addition to the
model act of the federal government
for its million civilian employees, and
the soldiers and sailors insurance
ance measure adopted by any coun-
try.
Continue Investigations.
with the experience before them
of the belligerent countries in Eu-
rope, which have, in the midst of war.
greatly extended the benefits of their
social insurance systems, official COM
missions in eight states have contin-
ued their Investigations Of universal
health insurance, called by Surgeon
General Rupert Blue the next big step
in American labor legislation.
"The supreme courts adverse child
labor decision was a temporary set
back. hut the individual states continue
to throw projections around the en-
ployment Of children. Several states,
notably New York. have this year reg
ulated women's hours and conditions
of work and have improved safety and
health safeguards.
Compulsory Work Laws
Nine states have enacted compul-
sorry work laws as war aid measures.
| OF far reaching national import is
the passage by Congress of the law
providing for the rehabilitation and
re-education of crippled soldiers and
sailors and their restoration to self
sustaining industrial pursuits. Fol-
lowing this lead, Massachusetts has
provided for similar rehabilitation of
crippled victims of industrial injuries.
Likewise significant are the creation
by executive order of the war labor
board to improve industrial relations.
the war labor policies board to es-
tablish proper standards of wages,
hours and working conditions as well
as housing of workers, and the expan-
sion of the federal employment serv-
ice to meet the urgent need of intelli-
gent placement of labor"
Social Insurance.
Emphasizing anew the inroads made
by workmen's compensation in the
solid SOUTH with North Dakota the
only Northern state remaining with
out such protection, workmen's COM
pensation law was enacted this year in
Virginia. In several additional states
| existing compensation laws were
| amended, the changes marking a con-
| tinued tendency TO extend the scope,
shorten the waiting period, and in
| crease the benefits. Kentucky en-
tended her law TO cover all employers
| of three or more persons and cut the
waiting period from two weeks to
seven days. Louisiana found it neces-
sary to penalize employers Tor deduct
ing the cost of insurance from en-
ployes' wages and created commits
sion to report and plan for other
forms of social insurance and state in
surance for public buildings. Porto
Rico, with an exclusive state insur-
ance fund, and New York, with a
competitive state fund. have found il
possible to hberalize their laws, while
Massachusetts has slightly increased
her minimum benefit. The movement
for universal workmen's health insur-
1 ance, to protect wage earners and