The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-31
MANY LAWS ENACTED
DURING THE YEAR
TO PROTECT LIVES

matter no, of sentiment. but Of sound
economies,
Court decisions of the past year,
too. were generally favorable to pro-
tectivc legislation for labor.
The trend in the United States Is
~strikingly toward a comprehensive
application OF the principle of social
insurance, particularly compulsory
workmcn's compensation, according
TO q survey just made by the Ameri-
: a Association for Labor Legislation
of all labor laws enacted last ear by
Congress and by the AZ States and
territories that held regular and tire
20-odd hat held special Legislative
sessions.
This is indicated by the adoption Of
worknen's compensation In -four
more States-Missouri. Tennessee,
Alabama and North Dakota, the last
named State e~nacting an advanced
law which provides for administering
the compensation insurance in an ex-
elusive state fund, as in Ohio. There
arc now only six. n there non-in-
dustrial states, all in the south, re-
naming without this form Of accident
protection. This means that in the
short space Of eight years workmen's
compensation has been written into
the statutes Of i5 states and territor-
tes, in addition to the model act of
the federal government for Its mill
lion civilian employees.
More than 80 states amended their
compensation laws. generally along
the line of more liberal cash and med
ical benefits for injured workers.
shorter waiting periods before pay
rnents begin, and wider scope. Ter
states raised their scale OF ~compensa-
! fAnrS IN ghaf ihnrn nEN na.x, u O Aaea9
which provide compensation for in
1ured workers OF at least 60 TO Sc 20
per cent OF their wages.
Then there is also q general move
fnent to recognize the employers
hesitancy In employing II man already
partially disabled and IN make special
provision for copensating second
injuries. Legislation. as in Massa-
chusetts. provides for the creation of
a special fund out OF which is paid
a part Of the disability benefits of
partially handicapped persons, A
desire to 40 justice to returning sold
iers, AS well ms the fear that those
who were injured might have trouble
In finding suitable jobs, has led TO
these laws, which also are an aid
to the crippled victims of industry.
Another new development in work
mems compensation laws Is the re-
education and rehabilitation of Grip
pleas. A definite effort is now under
way to apply TO Industrial cripp1es the
methods That proved so successful
for war cripples,
Eight states-California, Illinois,
Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ore
gon. Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island
enacted laws authorizing such
work, And both houses of congress
! mn Gzni hfit. 3. rrn-ylIA falarnJ otl IN
those states which make provision
for the rehabilitation Of Industrial
cr~lpplca-the most fa%rrcacfing con-
gressional action of the year in the
field Of labor legislation. which, when
finally enacted after technical differ
enees between the two houses have
been adjusted, will open the way Ia
cooperative action by oil states.
Legislative progress during 1919
toward workmen's health insurance to
protect w-aee-earners against sickness
AS compensation now protects them
against accidents was marked by re-
ports from severtl additional state
investigating conn missions whose find
tnes are in general agreement as to
the crushing burden of Illness upor
workers and their families and the
i~nadequaey Of medical care available
under present conditions, which cal
for relief through n system of uni
versal health Insurance. In New
York q compulsory health insurance
bin passed the Senate.
In two observation-disclosures and
Ohio-official commissions made re.
ports looking toward old age pen.
sion laws for Industrial workers anC
u bill was favorably reported to botf
houses of Congress which when en-.
acted Will provide pensions for sup,
~erannuated federal civil service EN-.
pioyes. but it was only for certain
groups of public employees that actua
legislation wa secured during tn,
year-~ln California, Connecticut ant
Maine. In other states, as Massa
~ehusettS, New Jersey and New York
a tendency was shown to liberaliz,
existing pension systems.
Nonen's hours were reduced il
half q dozen states. including al
e~ight-hour law in Utah and a nine
hour limit in Massachusetts,, securet
after Il full hall century's struggle,
Minimum wage laws for women ant
children were enacted in two add
tional states, North Dakota and Texas
making fourteen nov in force, in ad
dition TO the District OF Columbia.
While congress continues to holt
back legislation 10 provide on an AIDE
uuate permanent OASIS q tederaf-Etat
employment service, several state.
took action to aid in meeting thi
need.
About a dozen more states, making
nearly twenty In all, enacted law!
against criminal syndicalism' ant
sabotage. Five states-Iowa. Nortl
Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wis
consin-expressly lcgalized trad.
unions m limited the use Of iniunc
lions in labor disputes. A score o
states provided by amendments 70,
more efficient administration of labol
laws.
Labor laws Jared well last year il
the courts. The United States su
preme court upheld the women
ei~ght-hour law and workmen's com
pensation law Of Arizona. The su
preme court OF North Dakota upheld
the new workmcn's compensation Law
In h a state. including the exclusiv.
state insurance fund, A federal tudg,
in North Carolina ruled against tn,
new national child labor law in a cot
ton mill case. but a final decision ha.
not yet been landed down by tn,
United States supreme court, ant
meanwhile the law. which applies tn,
taxing power, is sale to be enforce,
In all industries with the single ex
ception of the mill in question.
A United States district court up
held an ~ndm to the fedora