Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/155

 NOTES AND ABSTRA CTS 1 4 1

healthy colonial life. For boys especially this is often most beneficial, provided proper precautions are insured. Such care is even more necessary in the case of girls. Some terrible accounts have from time to time been heard of the fate of young girls placed out in remote districts. Then again, the permanent and unchanging principles affect- ing the increase or decrease of pauperism cannot be safely disregarded. These princi- ples are far more likely to be kept in view by a body like the Local Government Board, specially conversant with Poor Law systems, than by another body appointed to deal with questions of education apart from their economic bearings. William Tiillock, Secretary of the Howard Association, in the London Times, May 26, 1896.

Labor Legislation in the United States. Strikes and the disorders accom- panying them have become the subject of legislation. Many states have laws preventing the intimidation of persons seeking to enter into or who desire to continue in employment, and some of these go so far as to restrain interference with or disturb- ance of the peaceable exercise of any lawful industry; that is to say, neither employe's nor employers may be intimidated. The importation of men for police duty (known as the Pinkerton men) is in a few states prohibited. In Pennsylvania and perhaps elsewhere strikes, if peaceably conducted, have by statute been declared lawful, or at least, not conspiracies. In a number of states and in federal legislation the principle of voluntary arbitration of labor disputes has been recognized, and in Massachusetts, New York, California, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Wisconsin permanent state boards of arbitration have been established for the purpose of amicably adjusting differences in labor disputes and preventing strikes.

The economic effect of the employment of convicts upon free labor in similar indus- tries has led to statutes intended to prevent injurious competition; bureaus of statistics of labor for the investigation of industrial problems have been established in thirty- three states and by the federal government, in a number of states a special holiday, or day of industrial rest, known as Labor Day, has been provided by law; and there are statutes intended to protect the laborer from interference in the exercise of the right of suffrage.

The subjects with which labor legislation deals are not as a rule within the prov- ince of federal control. There is, for example, no national law limiting hours of labor or relating to the schooling of children before their employment or providing for fac- tory inspection. Such laws usually originate in a single state, either through the efforts of organized labor, the pressure of public sentiment, or both, and are gradually extended to others. HORACE G. WADLIN, in The Chautauquan for June 1896.

Labor Unions in China. There are many peculiarities in the Chinese labor unions; perhaps the most striking is the minute division of labor. Take for illustra- tion, the silk-weavers' unions. All those who weave silk of a certain design form a union by themselves and those who weave silk of a different design form a different union. The mahogany cabinet makers have a union separate from the union of the rosewood cabinet makers. Men who draw landscapes on the Chinese fans have a union different from that of those who draw flowers and birds. In short, there is a union for each particular department of work. Thus, a single article may have passed through the hands of many unions before it omies into market.

In China there are several holidays in the year w)mh people of all stations and classes observe. These are the New Year, the fifth day of the fifth month, and the fifteenth day of the eighth month. The last of the three is for the worship or praise of the moon. After this day the busy season of the year for all tradesmen begin us time on until the New Year all * raftsmen are expected to work

later at night than during other seasons of the year and as a rule their wages are increased during this period. Besides these holidays each union has its own holidays; that is, the days of birth and death of the supposed originator of its particular occupa- tion. To celebrate the national holidays the employers always prepare a feast for their employe's. But when a union observes its own holidays, its members contribute some money and have a banquet in a restaurant or hotel.

An interesting peculiarity of these unions should be mentioned here, and that is