The Arvada enterprise., 1921-08-25
new LABOR LAWS
important Legislation in Interest
Of Workers.
Statutes Enacted Since the Signing
Of the Armistiee Ar Matters
for coneratuIation.

for Coneratuiation.
Substantial progress has been made
since the signing Of the arnistice
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
islati0n.
The statutes passed by forty states
and by congress were examined In
compiling the summary, and the con-
clusion IL 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 forty-fiv
states and territories having such leg
islation in addition to the model act
Of the federal government Tor Its
civilian employees and the soldiers
and sailors insurance act.
Matter q Sound Geenomies."
Besides this, almost every state
amended Its compensation law. "with
the trend" says DR.. John B. Andrews.
secretary Of the association. "encOur-
agingiy toward more liberal benefits,
shorter waiting periods and wider
scope, indicating that protective laws
for labor are regarded BY legislators
not ~ q 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 compen.
sation. and at present twenty-three
states In all require employers to pay
workers when injured from 90 to O.
20 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 inaur-
ance legislation Is "the impetus given
to the movement for compulsory
workmen's health Insurance to pro-
tect wave-earners and their families
against the hazards Of sickness ~
wOFkmen's compensation now safe-
guards them when accidentally In
jured."
Women Workers Benefited.
Progress was also made. the report
states. In obtaining -kg'slation limit.
ing tive employment Of women and
children. In half . dozen states the
hours Of women workers were re-
duced, including an eisht.hOur limit
In Massachusetts. won "after 4 full
half-century's struggle" North la.
kota paused minimum wage legisla-
tion for women and children. bringing
the total Of states having such lsws
up to II. 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
a. the means Ut enforcement.
"While cOngress continued to hold
hack" says Doctor Andrews. well
cOnsidered measures for 4 federal
bt1te etuunOSM Vu petNNN. ~ ciuOuSbIcu
In the Kenyon. Nolan bill. and yoca.
tional rehabilitation for Industrial
cfipples. several states took action to
meet these urgent needs. Four states,
10 addition to Massachusetts,. where
ieginninsr were made year ago. au.
thorixed aid In re.educating and find.
Ing employment for industrial Grip.
plea. and the Smith Bankh~ad bill. ex.
tending the present federal state sys-
ten Of vocational education to cover
the MANNED victims Of industrial &C.
ridents. passed the United States sen.
ate"
Labor Voisns Ls0aiiss1.
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 n strictly
limited. Oregon created . state hoard
VI Cancellation for industrial disputes,
such a. New YoFk has. while South
Carolina passed = law establishing
penalties for violation Of its concilia.
lion and arbitration act. Six more
states passed criminal syndicalism and
sabotage laws.
California, Minnesota and Okla.
homa increased the powers Of their In.
duseYial commissions 70 facilitate en-.
foeesment Of safety regulations az
other labor laws