The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-03-25
ing the continuance of such emer-


 gency.
 "Sec. 3. Any person, persons, body corporate, general manager, foreman or employer who shall employ or cause to be employed any person or persons in violation of the provisions of this act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemean. or, and upon first conviction shall be punished by fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00), nor more than five hundred dollars ($50000), or by Imprisonment in the federal jail, not less than sixty (60) days, nor more than six (6) months, or by both fine and i'm prisonment. Upon a second con viction within the meaning of this act as hereinafter set forth the punishment shall be Imprisonment in the federal jail not less than sixty (60) days, nor nome than one CD year."
 "cHAPTER 55.
 ''To regulate and limit the hours of employment for all wage and salary earners in the Territory of Alaska, to declare the violation thereof a misdemeanor and to prescribe the punishment there for.
 "Sec. 1. That a period of en- ployment for all wage earners and salary earners in the Territory of Alaska shall not exceed eight hours (8) within any one calendar day, except in cases when life or property is in imminent danger. Employment as herein used shall be construed as the performance of labor or services for any indi- yidual, partnership, association or corporation, whether the person performing such labor or service be member of such partnership or association or stockholder or officer of such corporation or not.
 Sec. ?. Any person, persons. association or corporation who shall violate or cause to be violat- cd any of the provisions of this act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred ($100.00) dollars, nor more than five hundred ($5O0.O0) dollars, or by imprisonment in the federal jail not less than sixty (60) days, nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprison- ment. Every days violation of the provisions of this act shall constitute separate offense.
 Sec 3. The governor of the territory is hereby given the power to suspend or modify restrictions contained in this law when such shall be requested by the Council of National Defense or the Sec retary of the Interior, and such modification or suspension when made shall continue for specified period and not longer than the du- ration of the present war, or dur ing the continuance of any future war with foreign power.
 "Sec. 1. This act shall take ef- feet and be in force from and after January l, 191S."
 The comparison discloses the fact hat Chapter 55 is at best only a kelcton. There is nothing to con- feet the head Gts title) with the 'ody. There is no foundation such as 6 contained in Section l of Chapter to bring the act within the police ower of the state, nor does the sub ct matter of the act permit the eading into it of any such founda. ion.
 It is elementary that the language lsed by legislative bodies in em, ,odying their ideas into laws hould bn clear, unequivocal and free rom ambiguity. Everyone is pre-. umed to know the law, and, in order hat the fact may support the pre- words should be used in heir generally accepted sense.
 Webster defines employment to mean "The act of employing or us. ng; also, the state of being employ d." Prior to the enactment of the tatute the word employment" had plain and definite meaning. Short s. Bullion, Beck & Champion Min. ng company, 45 L. A. R. GOA. Our egislature, not satisfied with the use f this word in it's usual sense, says hat it shall be construed as the per ormance of labor or services for any partnership, association or whether the person per. orming such labor or service be a nember of ~uch partnership or asso- iation or stockholder or officer of uch corporation or not" It will be oted that this is not an additional meaning given to the word employ nent, but is a positive mandate to all ow the word shall be construed his is important, for it goes to the cry groundwork of the act. In the ase above cited the Supreme Court f Utah held that workingman who ued his employer for services for vertime performed under a statute that "The' period of em' lOyment of workingmen in all under round mines or workings shall be fight (8) hours per day, except in ases of emergency where life or is in imminent danger ould not recover for, under the