Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1902 — SOME POPULAR LAWS [ARTICLE]

SOME POPULAR LAWS

Passed During the State Legislative Session of 1901. SEVERAL IN INTERESTS OF LABOR Among Them the Minimum Wage Law, An Anti-Pluck-Me Store Bill, Mine Commission Act, Convict-Made Goods Act, and Foreign Investment Law. Among the laws passed by the last legislature was the act increasing the efficiency of the safety appliance law of 1899. This act increased the assistants in the office of the Department of Inspection. This department was created by the Republican legislature of 1899, and the act of 1901 afforded the chief of the department greater facilities for examining the safety appliances in factories, and providing fire escapes from factories and large buildings, and thus Increasing the comfort, safety and convenience of workmen and employes in factories, mills and mines, and also at the same time protecting the lives of occupants of tall buildings throughout the state. The organization of the department of inspection was a Republican measure, and has resulted in great saving of life and limb of employes in the mines, factories and mills of Indiana. Among other popular laws enacted by the last legislature were: The Minimum Wage Law.—This act fikes the price of unskilled labor upon all public work of the state, counties, cities and towns, at not less than 20 cents an hour.

The Act for the Protection cf Laborers and Material Men in Doing Work on Public Improvements.—This muchneeded law requires that all contractors for street, alley, sewer and other public improvements shall give bond payable to the state of Indiana, with two sureties, guaranteeing not only the performance of the work, but that the contractor shall pay for all labor done and material furnished on such contract, and that any laborer or material man having a claim against a contractor can have thirty days after the completion of the work to collect the money due him, with attorney’s fees. This law will prevent contractors getting the money on their contracts, leaving the workmen without remedy. The Anti-Pluck-Me Store Bill.—This bill was passed at the special request of the miners of Indiana. It provides that whenever any merchant or other person shall take from any employe in a coal mine an assignment of his wages, earned or unearned, and shall issue any check or order, other than a check on a solvent bank, or shall give him any token or ticket'of any kind, payable in goods, such check shall be at once due and payable in lawful money of the United States, for the full amount of the wages assigned, and the holder of the check shall have the right to collect me same with attorney’s fees at once, in any court. The Mine Commission Act—At the

request of the miners of Indiana the legislature created a commission to codify the mining laws, consisting of four persons, two of whom shall be practical, active mine operators, and two shall be practical miners, working at the business. They are authorized to employ a secretary to prepare and codify the mining laws for presentation io the coming legislature. This is now being done in an intelligent manner. Governor Durbin appointed the members of the commission according to the terms of the law, and has assisted in every way to carry out the law. Convict-Made Goods Act.—This statute makes it a misdemeanor to expose for sale any convict-made goods without first obtaining a license from the secretary of state to sell such goods, and requiring that they must be properly branded. The Foreign Investment Law.—This act requires every foreign investment company to file a statement with the auditor of state and submit to examination. Several hundred fraudulent and fake so-called Investment companies. home building leagues of various kinds, etc., have been driven out of Indiana by the state officers by virtue of the provisions' of this and the foreign building association act. These so-called investment companies can by this act be kept out of Indiana, and thus save to the people of the state hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. It in no way will interfere with any reliable and legitimate companies who comply with the law. Flag Desecration Act.—This law makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to use the American flag for advertising purposes, by placing any design, ensign, mark, symbol or color upon the flag for advertising purposes. This law is intended to keep sacred the emblem of our national life. Shiloh Battleground Monuments.— The legislature appropriated $25,000 for the erection of monuments to commemorate the glorious deeds and heroic valor of the men living and dead who fought on the bloody field of Shiloh. The monuments are erected and during this month of September will be dedicated.