Denver labor bulletin., 1918-08-17

gal relation of the state with the in
dustrial activities of its workers. The
powers conferred on the various
boards and officials under present laws
should be grouped under one board
or commission. The larger and most
progressive states have come to this
way of handling labor matters instead
of our plan or lack of plan of scatter
ing the work among numerous Off
cials, commissions and boards. Under
the present plant there is duplication
of work and the results secured are
not all that could be desired.
However, realizing the improbable
ity of securing a co-ordinating of the
labor officials, boards and commissions
at this time, and realizing that certain
changes are needed in our Tabor laws
to strengthen the work of the labor
department in its efforts to aid the
wage earners of this state, I would
recommend the following amendments.
In recommending these amendments l
do so after consulting the labor de-
partment and securing their advice as
to certain changes needed to increase
the benefit that department could give
the wage earners # some of the pres
ent labor laws were amended SO as to
make law enforcement practical.
Semi Monthly Pay Day Law.
This law has no penalty except 5
per cent of the money due and only
/ applies to private corporations. 1t
should be amended to include employ
ers in general and have criminal
penalty added. Wages not paid when
due should run at the rate while work
I ing until paid. The labor commits
sioner should have power to sue in the
name of the state for wages due, with
costs added To do this an attorney
l is necessary; one from the staff of the
attorney general could be assigned for
that purpose
Women's Eight-Hour Law.
This law should be extended to in
clude occupations not now covered.
I This is a criminal law and is con-
strued strictly by the courts and the
attorney general has ruled that only
the establishments named in the law
are covered The law now covers ho-
tells, restaurants, factories, laundries
and mercantile establishments. 1t
should include stenographers and
clerks, in fact, all kinds of female en-
ployes, with the possible exception of
domestic servants in private homes. 1t
should be changed so that the pres
ence of the woman in the place of en-
ployment would be prima facie evi-
dence that she was working. Now it is
necessary TO prove that she was act
ually working more than the eight
hours, presence in the premises is not
sufficient. The child labor law puts
the burden of proof on the employer,
when the child was in the place of
employment, the employer must prove
it was not working. This makes the
law easily enforced.
Private Employment Offices.
The labor department now licenses
and has limited jurisdiction over pri-
vate employment agencies. The fee
is fixed at per cent for women and
per cent for men of the first months
wages for procuring jobs for mechan-
les, artisans, day laborers and domes-
tic servants. This leaves the fee for
all occupations not named to be fixed
by agreement Some agencies exact
as much as 25 to so per cent for jobs
not within the law. Teachers, clerks,
stenographers, professional and exec
utive employees, whose salary is some
times less than laborer's wages, are
compelled to pay ten times as much
for the service of labor broker. The
law should limit the fee for all kinds
of positions. If it were possible these
private employment agents should be
eliminated. There is no excuse for
them any longer. With the federal
and state free employment bureaus the
problem of bringing the employer and
employee together will be solved and
the grating private employment agen-
cies can be relegated to the archives
of forgotten past However, we find
that this is impossible. The United
States supreme court ruled in a Wash
ington- case that they could not be
absolutely prohibited, but the license
fee could be fixed high enough to
drive them out of business.
Labor Department.
cannot close this part of my re-
port without expressing to the dele
gates to this convention my sincere
thanks to the labor department for
the many favors received by this Fed
Grafton from that department, and for
their untiring efforts in behalf of the
wage earners of this state. They have
earnestly and conscientiously endea-
vored to enforce the laws enacted for
the protection of the workers of this
state, and make that department of
some real benefit to the people for
whom it was created. If the amend
ments to the labor laws as herein
recommended can be secured, and q
more liberal appropriation secured
from the next legislature, with greater
discretion given the commissioner in
expending the funds, the department
can be of even far greater benefit to
the wage earners of this state.
Women in Industry.
One of the most serious questions
with which organized labor has to
contend is the constant increase of