Imperial Valley press., 1919-03-12
SPEED Up WORK
OF LEGISLATURE

Each house Is speeding up lcEiSla-
zion in an effort to adjourn along
about the first OF April, but if expert
ence is any criterion it will be nearer
along toward the first Of May be
fore final adjournment. 1t is true
they are disposing of numerous bills
in both houses but in the main they
are minor bills Of strictly local
character over which there is lettle
or nc contest. Wait until the NOM
ber5 reach some Of the more import
ant measures that contain the elc-
nents Of a real FIGHT.
There were stubborn contests in
committee this week over several
bills that have a statewide import
ance. One was tie Liil limiting tha
hours Of labor Of 9 domestic female
servant to ten hours. This L.N vas
reported out Of the Labor and CaYit9l
committee with recommendation
that it do pass" If il dooes and
the hired oirl gets q seven-oclock
breakfast her employer viii have to
get the siv-ocolck dinner herself, 90
with out or BE liable % fire IF
$50 and sixty days in jail if she per
mits the oirl 70 get it. Or if the hired
girl, although living in the home Is
REQUIRED to st up with the children
for while after dinner and permit
the head Of the family and the wife
to spend an evening out, the same
punishment hangs over them. The
bill rs now up for passage in the as
sembly.
Another bill is that prohibiting q
boy under sixteen from working in
MANY industries before s. o'clock
in the morning or after nine o'clock
in the evening. The most drastic
amendment is that prohibiting boys
under fourteen from street occupa-
tions such as bootlegging or selling
or delivering newspapers and period
icals. 1t is estimated that there are
about 10000 boys in the state selling
and delivering certain periodicals and
newspapers, whose earnings approx
innate $150,000 per month. A major
ity Of these little fellows use this
money for The purpose OF buying their
clothes and books and otherwise pay
for their schooling, while many 9TH
ers help support other members of
their families. Their income will
now be cut off.
The bill prohibiting the use of
machines in spraying paint and other
materials had an inning yesterday
afternoon before the joint committee
of 10th houses on Public Health and
Quarantine. This bill was introduced
at the behest of painters union
in San Francisco with the intent cf
returning to the cid hand brush days.
This bill is so broad in its terms
as to include the spraying of trees,
plants, vines, etc, and determined
was aroused all over the
state. When the committees met
yesterday afternoon there were dOz- |
ems Of opponents on hand to offer |
argument against the bill. These F.
all lines of industry in
which paint, or materials to remove
insects from orchards is used; from
gliding picture frames
and gas fixtures, painting cars, en-
auto bodies, to agricultural /
and horticultural spraying. When
TIE proponent of the bill saw the
alraw against him he offered an
eXempting trees, vines, |
ETC., but the opponents insisted that /
no amendments be accepted. 1t was
pointed out that it was offered as a
health measure and if that be true
the spraying Of poisonous chemicals |
to kill insects was much more harm !
ful than spraying lead and oil; husky
who had been spraying
for years testified that they never
felt any i'll effects and their appear
ance bore ou their statement. The
fate of the bill is still in doubt.
The amended Workmen's Compen-
sation act, which comes up for hear
ing next Monday will start some
hing. The bill as proposed will in
clude every employer in the state
and all employees, from the hired
girl to the farm and dairy hands. If
4 group 70 men contract with one
person for any purpose, gathering
'fuit, harvesting etc, the person for
whom they are doing the work is IL
able for any injury that may befall
one or all of them. If they fall from
5rees and ladders and are hurt or
killed, the employer must pay if the
men have not taken out insurance.
If an employee is fatally injured and