New Britain herald., 1918-02-16
WAGE BANNERS ARE
 BEING RECOGNIZED
Special Legislation for Benefit of
 Working Glasses

Washington, Feb. 16.-A study of ''wage-payment legislation in the United States by Robert Glider sleeve Paterson, has just been issued as Bulletin 229 by the Bureau Of La Dor Statistics of the U. s. Department of Labor. In this study, the author notes that during the past few years comparatively rapid progress has been made in social Legislation and that there is an especial tendency on the part of the courts to uphold as con-
 stitutiOnal more advanced legislation for the benefit of the Wage-earner.
 Tn the diScusSion wage legislation is divided into four classes, to each of which chapter is devoted. Under the first class, 'rates of wages are included minimum wages and wages on public works, and under minimum wages are considered not only mini mum wage laws for women and chil- dren, but the Adamson railroad g. hour law and tho Supreme Court de- cision upon it. The second class, "pe- riod of payment naturally suggests as sub-heads, weekly. biweekly and monthly payments. The third class.
 mode of wage payment" refers to the prohibition of payment in scrip or orders redeemable in goods which made possible the evils of the com
 pany store; and to the closely re- lated requirement of payment in law full money. The final class, ''restric- tions in the employment contract" covers those as to payment to dis charged and deceased employees; de- auctions from wages, as for imperfect work; refusal to pay wages, or reduc- ton of the rate without notice; place of payment; weighing and screening of coal in mines, where payment is by the ton mined; and, on the other hand
 repayment to employers of advances on contracts for the performance of serVices-a class of laws, some of which, if upheld and enforced, might have resulted in virtual slavery for the debtors. With reference to each class the laws of foreign countries partic- ularly England, are reviewed. then those of the United States with spe- cial attention to the decisions of courts as to constitutionality and con- struction, which decisions are tabu- lated and summarized
 Previous to the consideration of the laws in detail, the labor contract $ taken Up from the standpoint of free- dom of contract and it's limitations and restrictions. In comparing the progress of such legislation in England ehilh III Iil1S Cou1ltlS, tile reasons TOT our backWardness are found in con- ditions inherent in American juris- prudence not f1attering to our system The limitations of a written constitu- tlon, the lack of coordination between state and federal courts, and the ne- cessity, in order that the constitu- t1onallty of a statute may be unques- toned, that it should have the sanc- tion of both state and federal courts are commented upon. Emphasis is 1 placed upon the persistence of a na- l tural-laW or individualistic philosophy 1 in the reasoning of the courts, their l adherence to Journalism and legal pre- cedent, and finally the rigid and il- l logical separation of law and fact so that, Tor example, a court must de- eide the question of the "reasonable- ! ness of a law as a legal question, without any machinery for investiga- ton Of the facts In the cOnc1ud ing chapters the "conflict between in- dividualism and social control" or he tween theoretical and actual eoualitv is resorted to, and here if is show, l that the courts have gradually adont { ed a more liberal policy of internreta- ( ion, and that especially since tho he , ginning of the present century daci- ,