The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-02

Vt" i oTk. september i.~~~ttbbSE~3
tive labor standards In the first year
after the arniStice have made sub |
stantial progress in new legislation
providing still further safeguards for
I workers and strengthening existing
statutes. particularly in the field of
social insurance. according to the
summary of labor laws enacted dur |
I ing fhi9 In more than 40 states and |
by congress. just issued by the Amer
lean Association for Labor Legisla !
lation
T. Especially important is the enact |
ment Of workmen's compensation laws
IN additional states, making a total Of !
I - states and territories now having !
this form Of social insurance. in ad- |
dition TO the model art Of the federal |
/ government for its million civilian
/ employees and the soldiers and sail |
/ ors insurance act" says the secre- |
! tary, Dr John r. Andrews Almost |
! 2ll %tatcs amended their compensation |
I laws. with the trend encouragingly to- !
4 ward more liberal benefits, shorter
/ waiting period and wider scope indi- |
/ eating that protective laws for labor /
are regarded by legislators not as
a matter Of sentiment but of sound
! economies North Dakota joins the
| list of compensation states with en-
/ lightened provision for an exclusive
state fund. Ten states raised their
scale of compensation so that there
are now 2aa states which require en-
ployers to pay workers when injured
at least 90 per cent to sc % per cent
OF their wages.
Even more significant la the i'm
petus given to the movement Ior com
puisory workers health insurance to
protect wage-earners and their fani-
lies against the hazards of sickness as
1 n nan inr Pc
| guards them when accidentally in
1ured. A health insurance bill passed
the New 7 ork senate, while in several
states official commissions, after in
designations, submitted comnrehen-
sive as preliminary aid to health
insurance legislation. the Ohio report
in particular strongly urging adoption
of laws along the lines of the health
insurance bill advanced in New FORK.
'Womes's hours were reduced in
half dozen states, including an eight
I hour limit in Massachusetts after a
full half century's struggle. Minimum
wage legislation for women and chill
dren was enacted in one additional
state, North Dakota, making IA In
all. in addition TO the District of CO.
iumbla. Congress re-enacted the
child labor regulations, which had
been declared unconstitutional by the
supreme court, using the taxing power
, AS the means Of enforcement, while
eight states improved their child labor
acts, While congress continues to
, hold back well-considered measures
for federal state employment SER
vice, as embodied in the Kenyon No
Ian bill and vocational rehabilitation
i tor industrial cripples. TO Massachu-
| aetts, whore beginnings were made
| year ago, authorized aid in re -educat-
! ing and finding employment for in
dustrial cripptes, and the smith
l3ankhead bill extending the present
; federal state system Of vocational edu-
! i.osSlosf se ses,ps.r t4te rynaisnea virsirs OF
industrial accidents has passed the
United states senate"
Social Insurance
With the workmens compensation
acts in Missouri, Tennessee. Alaba-
ma, and North Dakota the North Da-
kotn law including an exclusive state
| fund, there remains only six South
, ern states without this enlightened
form of accident protection. In prac-
tically every state in which the legis-
iature met, the workmen's compen-
sation law was amended. In general
benefits were made more liberal Some
states shortened the waiting period
and extended tho scope OF their laws
Administration has, in many cases.
been made more efficient. Four states
vocational education OF industrial
crfpples- California requires employ
crs to pay certain sums to the rehab-
, ilitation fund in cases where fatal
accidents occur and the deceased
leaves no dependents. Indiana Great
ed commission to investigate social
insurance and child welfare Min
nesota passed law requiring en-
ployers to obtain license before they
r. MI a
: OF benefit or insurance fund North
Carolina extended the employers liza
biiity act previously In force for rail-
roads to cover also employees on log
ging tram roads.
Safety and Health
Child labor was attacked In eight
states seven of which passed laws for
compulsory education In part time
schools even after the legal working
age has been reached. Enforcement
is provided either by reducing the le-
I gal working week during the school
| term, or by nenalizing employers who
refuse to allow employed children to
!. attend such schools. North Carolina
raised its legal age for day work to
, IA, and for night work or employment
in mines to 16. Delaware created a
child welfare commission. Seven
stat"s, improved their mine regulations
"
mines and enacted safety code for
mining operations, Four states In
; creased safety and sanitary regtla-
tons in factories or bakeries. and Min
oesota regulated foundries. Five
) states enacted further general safety
regulations affecting boiler machinery.
California regulated sanitary cond-
tons in labor camps
Hours and Wages
Several notable changes were made
in hour laws, particularly the enact
ment Of an s-hour law for women
in Massachusetts, and an 3 1-2-lrour
law for women IN North Dakota. Cal
ifornia extended it's womens S-hour
law to cover additional groups Ok
lahoma added to it's women's 9-hour
law the restriction OF n 54-hour week
Utah reduced it's 9-hour day for
women TO 5 hours and the 54~hour
week TO as and also widened the scope
OF the law. Minnesota and Wyoming
declared an S-hour day on state works
New Jersey limited the working day