The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-09-02
new LABOR LAWS
Important Legislation in Interest
of Workers.
Statutes Enacted Since the Signing
OF the Armistiee Are Matters
for conaratulation.

Substantial progress has been made
since the signing of the armistice
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.
The statutes passed by forty states
and by congress were examined in
compiling the summary, and the con-
clusion Is reached that the advance
In the field of social insurance is par
ticularly marked. Four more states
adopted workmen's compensation laws
last year, making total of forty-flve
states and territories having such leg
islatlon In addition to the model act
of the federal government FOR it's
civilian employees and the soldiers
and sailors insurance act.
Matter of Sound Economies"
Besides this, almost every state
amended its compensation law, with
the trend" says DIR. John B. Andrews,
secretary Of the association, "encour-
agingly toward more liberal benefits,
shorter waiting periods and wider
scope, indicating that protective laws
for 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 compen-
sation, and at present twenty-three
states In all require employers to pay
workers when injured from 60 to 60
% per cent Of their wages. Only
six states, all Of them in the South.
lack workmen's compensation acts.
Even more significant, DIR. Andrews
thinks, than the compensation insur-
ance legislation is ''the impetus given
to the movement for compulsory
workmen's health insurance to pro.
tect wage-earners and their families
against the hazards Of sickness as
workmen's compensation now safe
guards them when accidentally I'M
jured."
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 no.
duced, including an eight-hour limit
In Massachusetts,, won "after a SuIl
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 IA, 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 a federal
state employment service, as embodied
In the Kenyon-Nolan bill, and voca-
tional rehabilitation for Industrial
cripples, several states took action to
meet these urgent needs. Four states.
In addition to Massachusetts,, where
beginnings were made a year ago, au-
thorized aid In re-educating and find
ing employment for Industrial Grin.
pies, and the th-Bankhead bin, ex-
tending the present federal state sys.
tenn Of vocational education to cover
the MANNED victims of Industrial ac-
cidents, passed the United States SEN
ate"
Labor Unions Leaaiixed.
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 a state board
OF conciliation for industrial disputes.
such as New York has, while South
carolina passed law establishing
penalties for violation Of its conciIIa.
lion and arbitration act. SIX more
states passed criminal syndicalism and
sabotage laws.
California, Minnesota and Okla
homa Increased the powers of their in.
dustrial commissions to facilitate on.
forcement Of safety regulations ana
other labor laws.