Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1921-09-07
new LABOR LAWS
Important Legislation in Interest
of Workers.. =
Statutes Enacted Since the Signing
Of the Arnistiee Are Matters
for coneratuIation. .

'oHbSttiltiUi lIOeEeSS HIS sDGtu Ujsl0e
since the signing OF the ar1nistlce
In erecting additional legal safe
guards for working men and women.
according TO the summary of labor
laws enacted made public by the
American Association for Labor Leg
islation. 's-~
The statutes passed by forty states
and ny congress We're examined in
compiling the SUMMARY, and the con-
cluSiOn is reached that the advance
In the field of social insurance Is par
ticulariy marked Four more states
adopted wOrkmen's compensation laws
last year. making total Of fsrty-fite
states and territories having such leg
islation in addition to the model act
of the federal government sor its
civilian employees and the soldiers
and sailors insurance act. -
"Matter Of Sound Economics"
! Besides this, almost every state
amended its compensation law, with
the trend says DIR. John B.. Andrews,
I secretary Of the association, "encour-
agipgly toward more liberal benefits,
shorter waiting periods and wider
scope. indicating, that protective laws
| fer labor are regarded by legislators
not as a matter of sentiment but Of
sound economics"
North Dakota, one OF the new
states to join the compensation group.
has now an "enlightened provision
for an exclusive state fund.-, Ten
states raised their scale, of IcOlnpen-
satiOn, and at present twenty-three
states in all require employers to pay
workers when injured from GO to &C
% per cent of their wages. Only
six states. all Of them in the South,
lack workmen's compensation acts.
Even more significant, DR.. Andrews
thinks. than the compensation illsur-
ance legislation is the impetus given
to the movement for compulsory
wOrkmen's shealth insurance to pro-
tect wage-earners and their families
| against the hazards of Sickness as
workinen's compensation now safe
guards them when accidentally in
jured" - --I'- H. -
Women Workers Benefited.
Progress was also made. the report
states. in obtaining legislation limit
ing the employment of women and
children. In half dozen states the
hours of women workers were re-
duce1, including an eight-lOur limit
In Massachusetts, won ''aftfr fall
half-century's struggle" North Da-
kOta passed minimum wage legisla
ton for women and children, bringing
the total of STATES having such laws
up to Il. in addition to the District
Of Columbia. Eight states improved
their child labor acts, while congress
re-enacted child labor regulations de-
clared unconstitutional by the Su-
preme court, using its taxing power
as the means of. enforcement ..
while congress continued to hold
back" says Doctor Andrews, "well
considered measures for q federal
state employment servicessas embodied
In the Kenyon Nolan bin, and voca-
7 tiOnal rehabilitation for industrial
. cripples, several states took action to
meet these urgent needs. Four states,
in addition to Massachusetts,, where
beginnings were made year ago. an
thorized aid in re-educatfng and find
ing employment for industrial Grip
pies. and the. Smith Bankhead bill, ex-
tending the present federal state sys-
TEN of vocational education to cover
the mairlled victims of Industrial nc
cidents, passed the United States sen.
ate" 49, 49,. s=E'ztgj{z..s,.5 < E.-5zf
Labor Unions lSoaiized.
Labor unions were expressly legal
zed In three states during the year,
while in two OF these the use OF. in
functions in labor disputes is strictly
limited. Oregon created ytate board
of cancellation for Industrial dsspstes.
such as New York has. while South
Carolina passed law establishing
penalties for violation Of ifs coDc:iia-
ton and arbitration act. SIX more
states passed criminal syndiealism and
sabotage laws.
California, Minnesota and Okla
hema Increased the powers Of their In
dlistrial commits siOns to facilitate en-
forcement Of. safety regulations and
other labor laws ~ sssss@ss