Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-05-29
FARMERS LAWS
Benefit. LABOR
laboring Men for First Time
Given Fair Deal in LegisIa.
ton Passed by Farmers.

The charge that the Nonpartisan
League Is class organization and in.
terested only inslaWs which benefit the
farmers was completely refuted by the
action of the last legislature in passing
the labor Jaws asked for by the union
workers Of the state. The Nonpartisan
League legislators passed 18 laws en-.
dorsed by the organized workers and
as n consequence North Dakota has
more progressive labor laws than any
other state in the Union.
s. s. Mcdonald, president of the
North Dakota Federation Of Labor,
declared that 1t was the first time in
the history Of the United States that
any legislature passed suche an adj
vanced program without multiplying
most of the laws by ''joker'' amend
ments. Union labor all over the state
is delighted by the manner in which
the league farmers showed their in
terest in the welfare Of the city work
ers and the prediction is made on all
sides that the city workingmen will
prove their appreciation by rolling up
large majorities for the league laws ut
the coming referendum election.
The principal labor laws passed at
the last session are the workingmen's
compensation act, the mine inspection
act, the eight-hour day and minimum
wage laws for women, the union label
law, the hnti-injunction act, the full
crew law and tile act providing that
employers must furnish shelter for
railroad repair men working out of
doors.
All Workers Are Insured.
The workingmen's compensation act
is the most important of the labor
measures. This law provides that all
employers Of labor must pay into the
state compensation fund an amount
proportional to the total wages paid
to their employees, and that whenever
an employee is killed or injured he or
his relatives are entitled to adequate
compensation out of this fund without
being compelled to sue for damages.
The law puts an end to costly, slow
and uncertain law suits and injured
wOrkingmen or their relatives can col
lect compensation for injuries or
deaths without being compelled to pay
lawyers Il large part Of the amount
received. The law also prevents cor
porations or individuals from lodging
liability OH the ground that the injured
worker was negligent. In all cases Of
injury or death, insurance must be
paid. Injured workers also are en-
titled to free medical treatment and
hospital care. ss
The compensation law will build up
n better feeling between employer and
employee, and will absolutely protect
the worker and his family against be-
ing impoverished by accident. The
worker will get all the money paid out
for accidents and by preventing costly
litigation actually will save money for
employers. The only ones injured will
be the private casualty insurance COM
panies and certain Ambulance chasing
attorneys"
Protects Miners Life.
The mine inspection act is the best
measure of it's kind in the United
States. 1t provides protection for the
safety and health of mine workers,
establishes an eight-hour day and pre-
vents the employment of children UNI
der 16 years of age in underground
workings.
For Women and Children.
The minimum wage and eight-hour
day laws for women are in line with
enlightened industrial tendencies and
protect the health of women workers.
The law creates a public welfare COM
mission which has the right to hold
public hearings and fix minimum
wages for women. This prevents the
exploitation Of women and also will
make it impossible for employers to
crowd men out of work by hiring
women at low wages.
A child labor law prevents any child
under IA years of age from working
at regular employment between the
hours of p. m. to Z a. m.
For Railroad Men.
The laws asked by the Railroad
Brotherhoods provide that railroads
must furnish shelter sheds for car re-
pair men compelled to be out of doors
in stormy weather and that there
must be crews Of at least five men on
trains of 40 cars or less and crews of
six men on trains Of Al cars or more.
The anti-injunction law prohibits
courts from enJoining men from strik-
ing, picketing or doing anything else
laboring men have right to do, unless
it can be clearly shown there is i'm
mediate danger Of actual loss of life
or destruction ofsproperty.
Workers Have Chance to Vote.
Election laws in North Dakota also
have been changed to make it easter
for laborers to vote. The polls were
open from 8 a. III. to s p. M, but at
the request Of the union the law has
been amended SO that hereafter the
polls must be open from o q. m. until
8 p m.
Other laws were APPENDED to give
workingmen q squarer deal. Work.
ingmen's tools to the value of $500 and
homes to the value of $1,000 were ex-
empted from taxation and in case Of