The New York Legislature abolished the industrial board and the workmen's compensation commission, and established an industrial commission to have in charge the various matters administered by these bodies; a new function of this commission is the giving of aid to employees in the prosecution of claims against their employers, and the protection of employees against frauds and extortion generally. The office of fire marshal was also abolished, and his duties as to the enforcement of labor laws were transferred to the commissioner of labor (now the industrial commission). The law forbidding the employment of aliens on public works in this State was amended so as to make such employment not unlawful, though citizens are to be preferred when available. The hours of labor of employees in grocery stores are limited to 70 per week for persons above the age of 16 years, 11 hours on 5 days and 15 on Saturdays. A law was enacted providing assistance for needy widows with children under 16 years of age, the amount being about $11 per month for each child. The workmen's compensation act was amended so as to allow direct settlements between employers and their injured workmen, such settlements to be approved by the industrial commission. Advance payments may also be made, the amounts to be deducted when final determinations of awards is made. The law relating to manufacture, use, and storage of explosives was also amended.

The Legislature of North Carolina enacted a law requiring railroads to pay their employees semimonthly, one limiting the hours of labor of women and minors in factories to 60 per week, and one providing for the organization of industrial cooperative societies.

A mothers' pension law was passed by the Legislature of North Dakota providing for children up to the age of 14 years, the maximum allowance being $15 per month for each child.

A compulsory compensation law applicable only in cases of nonfatal accidents was adopted in Oklahoma, the benefits amounting to 50 per cent of the weekly wages for not more than 500 weeks, with a $10 weekly maximum.

An Oregon statute fixes fees and provides for the licensing and regulation of private employment offices. Another law requires annual reports to the commissioner of labor statistics of all deductions of wages made by employers for hospital and relief funds. State products are to be preferred for use on public works of the State unless the cost is more than 5 per cent greater. A house joint resolution directs that operations on public works shall be so conducted as to furnish employment in seasons of unemployment. Other laws of this State relate to the inspection and regulation of bakeries and the like, and to the reporting of accidents by all employers of more than 3 persons.

2119°-15-2

The Pennsylvania Legislature passed an elective workmen's compensation act, benefits being 50 per cent of the wages, not more than $10 weekly, for not more than 400 weeks. A State administrative board is provided, and an amendment to the constitution providing for a compulsory statute is to be voted upon at the time of the November election. The law relating to the employment of certified foremen, etc., in mines was amended so as to make them the employees and agents of the operators, for whose negligence the operators are to be held liable. Free public employment offices in the department of labor and industry are provided for, while private employment offices are subjected to regulations to be enforced by the commissioner. A new child-labor law was passed in this State, involving a number of changes, one of the most interesting of which is the provision that for children's employment between the ages of 14 (the minimum age for employment) and 16 a 51-hour week is to be the maximum, and of this 8 hours must be devoted to vocational instruction in a day school where facilities exist. The sum of $1,000,000 was appropriated to provide suitable schools.

The legislature of the Philippine Islands proposes a tax of $500 for each Province on immigrant agents contracting or otherwise providing for the shipment of laborers. A supplement to the employers' liability act of the islands makes the negligence of the employer a presumption in cases of personal injury or death of an employee while at work. The examination and licensing of watch officers and engineers of vessels in coastwise trade on the high seas is provided for. Amendments to the Rhode Island compensation law provide for insurance for the security of payments, and for the reporting of accidents. A separate act requires reports of occupational diseases.

A South Carolina statute provides a penalty for failure to pay wages due employees at the time of their discharge. Another forbids the discounting of laborers' pay or trade checks. The segregation of races in textile factories is required by another statute; while a fourth prohibits tips.

Private employment offices are regulated by a Texas statute. Another act of the Texas legislature requires wash rooms to be provided for miners, while others relate to compulsory school attendance of children and to the hours of labor of their employment. A 54-hour week is established, with permission for extra work at double pay for time over 9 hours per day in cotton mills and in laundries.

A novel statute was enacted in Utah fixing 6 p. m. as the hour of closing for all commercial and mercantile houses except drug stores and purveyors of perishable articles of food. Another statute forbids. the employment of children under the age of 14 in or about places where tobacco is sold or in any pool room. A commission was created in this State to investigate and report on the subject of workmen's compensation.

The Vermont Legislature enacted an elective compensation law providing 50 per cent of the wages as benefits for 260 weeks, the maximum for disability being $4,000, and for death $3,500. Other laws provide for seats for female employees in all places of employment, for vocational education, and for the regulation of barber shops.

Amendments to the Washington compensation law look toward increased effectiveness of administration, while the mothers' pension law of the State was made the subject of amendments of a restrictive nature. An act was passed forbidding the use of banners, transparencies, or written or printed matter in calling attention to labor disputes, thus restricting picketing and similar activities.

The compensation law of West Virginia was amended by abolishing the administrative commission and substituting therefor a single commissioner. Self-insurance by financially responsible employers is authorized, and the expenses of administration are to be charged on the compensation fund instead of on the general funds of the State treasury. The number of mine inspectors in this State was increased, and the powers of the department enlarged.

The Wyoming constitution was amended in 1914 so as to authorize the enactment of a compulsory compensation statute. The resultant act provides for State insurance, and benefit payments of lump sums without regard to the earning capacity of the injured workmen. Dependent widows having children under 14 years of age are to receive assistance in an amount equal to $20 for one child, with $10 additional for others. The hours of labor of women is fixed at 10 per day, within 12 consecutive hours, with a maximum of 56 hours' service per week. Children under 18 years of age may not be employed in breweries, saloons, or concert halls, or under 14 as messengers to such places. Other provisions of this act establish a 9-hour day for children under 14 years of age, and require seats for females under 18. The incorporation of cooperative associations for manufacturing, mechanical, or industrial businesses is provided for.

The Federal Congress enacted a law regulating the conditions of the employment of seamen, abolishing arrest and imprisonment for desertion, and providing for safety. Appropriation bills contained measures prohibiting the use of stop watches or other time-measuring devices for the time study of jobs, or the giving of bonuses or cash awards in addition to regular wages except for suggestions as to improvements or economy in operations; these provisions are found in the bills providing for the naval service and for arsenals, etc., for the Army. In the fortifications appropriations bill a provision was incorporated directing a preference to be given to articles of domestic. manufacture in the manufacture of ordnance, etc.

STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1914.

The statistics of strikes and lockouts in the United States covering the period from 1881 to 1905, inclusive, have been the subject of four annual reports of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, published in 1887, 1894, 1901, and 1906. The data for these years were secured by the investigations of trained field agents, and with such a method it is probable that few strikes and lockouts were omitted from the enumeration. Because of the time and expense involved the bureau has not considered it possible to continue to attempt to secure complete records of strikes and lockouts by this method, although it is probably the only one likely to secure complete returns.

In 1914, for the first time, an attempt was made to compile a record of strikes and lockouts entirely from printed sources-newspapers, labor journals, trade-union periodicals, manufacturers, and trade papers, and other sources. The greater part of the information was obtained from trade-union periodicals.

By this method the bureau secured records of 1,080 strikes and lockouts that began or were pending in the calendar year 1914. Whether strikes and lockouts have increased in number in the United States since 1905, the last year covered by the bureau's investigation, it is not possible to say from these figures. It would be manifestly incorrect to compare the incomplete data collected in this manner with the more comprehensive reports secured by the investigations of trained field agents. In spite of the incompleteness of the data for 1914, however, the figures give considerable information of value in regard to the labor disturbances which occurred in that year.

The table in which strikes and lockouts are classified by occupations and by States shows that of the 1,080 strikes and lockouts, 275 were in the building trades, 129 in the metal trades, 78 in the clothing industry, and 54 in textile work. The number of strikes reported north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi was 742; south of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi, 90; west of the Mississippi, 248. Sixty-six per cent occurred in 10 States and 46 per cent in five States, the leading States being New York, 148; Pennsylvania, 104; Massachusetts, 90; Ohio, 80; and Illinois, 75.

Of the number of disturbances reported, 979 were strikes and 101 were lockouts. It was sometimes difficult to determine from the printed accounts whether the disturbance should be classed as a strike or lockout.

The record of establishments involved is incomplete; it could be determined, however, with approximate accuracy for 595 disturbances. For such the figures are as follows:

NUMBER OF STRIKES OR LOCKOUTS, BY NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS INVOLVED,

When several establishments were involved in a common disturbance, with a common cause, such disturbance has been counted as a single strike or lockout, even though the establishments became involved at different dates. The same ruling has obtained when different trades have been involved in one common disturbance. A purely sympathetic strike or lockout, however, has been counted as a separate disturbance. The number of such sympathetic strikes or lockouts identified as such was 25. Nearly all of the strikes and lockouts were by or against trades that are generally organized, as will be seen by examination of the general table.

The causes of strikes and lockouts were not always reported and when reported were sometimes stated in an indefinite way. The principal causes appear to be wages, hours of labor, working conditions, or recognition of the union, and often several causes were assigned. Lockouts occurred frequently to prevent organization or to force an open shop. The number of strikes and lockouts arising from the several causes, as nearly as could be determined from the data, was as follows: