Evening star., 1923-12-02

paign conducted by the New York
State Federation of Labor. This
amendment legalized an eight-hour
and prevailing rate of wages law for all
public work done anywhere in the
state, and in 1906 the original law
was replaced on the statute books.
The experiences of injured and
killed wage earners and their de-
pendents in endeavoring to collect
damages from employers for negli-
gence under the old employers liabil-
ity law so absolutely proved the hope
lessness of recovery against cas-
ualty insurance company with whom
the employers were insured and who
compelled the employer to fight the
employe with every resource which
included contributory negligence. fell
low servant negligence and assump-
tion of risk by the act of going to
prove this law such a course was
abandoned and In 1910 a law was
sought and secured establishing the
principle of compulsory workmen 8
compensation for injuries and death
in certain clearly defined extra haz-
ardous occupations and optional COM
pensation in other occupations, the
wage Garner surrendering any right
Of negligence action for specified in
demnity payments while actually dis
abled or in event Of death Of his de-
pendents. The courts annulled this
law, and the wage earners had again
to go through the arduous task or
amending the constitution, which was
finally accomplished by referendum
in the elections of 1913. An extra
session of the legislature in Decem-
ber after the people had voted, passed
the present workmen'S compensation
law. This law was re-enacted by the
legislature of 1914. The benefits Of
the law have been increased and I'M
proved progressively
Golden Era Opens In 1911.
The golden era in remedial factory
legislation and expansion Of the state
labor departments powers Of en-
forcement of existing labor laws
opened in 1911, when the factory In
vestigating commission was created
state were contained in one 3x6-inch
booklet, built up word by word
against he most intense opposition.
and the state labor department into
which the three original bureaus had
been consolidated occupied a small
space in the capitol, the labor COM
by a ladder leading to a mezzanine
floor. his insufficient stan Of inspec-
tors working out from the floor below
amid the paraphernalia of records be-
ing handled by the clerks.
AS a first result of the investiga-
tions and work of this commission.
which reached into every work place
in the state in most thorough man.
ner, eight new labor laws were recon-
mended and enacted in 1912 extending
in the most comprehensive way the
states protection of men, women and
children engaged in industry as to
health, life and limb safeguards,
hours Of labor of women and minors.
and their actual conditions Of en-
ployment. Among these new laws
! were the nine-hour workday and 54-
hour week for. all women and minors
employed in factories with an eight
hour day for minors under sixteen
years. The inspection force of the
state labor department was doubled
and all other agencies for the en-
forcement Of the labor laws increased.
In 1913 another batch of labor laws
was recommended by the commission
and enacted, still more widely extend
| ing the scope of existing laws and
adding new sections to the labor laws,
all designed to protect workers in
employment, increase their comfort
and facilitate production on humane
basis. Dark age factory methods
were torn up by the roots Alto
gether forty-four new additions to
! the labor laws were enacted in 1913
as the result of the recommendations
of the commission. 1t completely re-
organized the state labor department
and the already increased annual ap-
preparation was more than doubled to
carry out its requirements. It be-
came the second largest department
in the state government. It was taken