Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 86.djvu/286

282 camps and flock to the cities, the centers of employment bureaus. In years of business depression the unskilled worker is caught unexpectedly, as indeed is industry. In such times, large numbers of the unemployed are utterly destitute. The winters of 1913 and 1914 were times of such experience. Some relief in shelter and food was provided by the cities; also a little work which was in the nature of relief was furnished. This was done through the city and county officials and through the collective effort of the aroused civic organizations. Unemployment is a problem as difficult to solve as it is grave. The first step in diminishing unemployment is to provide an adequate system of public employment agencies. This will probably accomplish more in reducing unemployment than is commonly supposed. Another proposal is to hold over city, county and state work until the unemployed season. In the northwest there is movement to employ the unemployed at clearing land. In this region there are large areas of stump-land. If the state would furnish cheap credit to the farmer both the rural situation and the unemployed would be benefited. California has recently appointed a commission to study the causes and effects of unemployment and to report.

A number of other labor conditions have received the attention of the legislators. In the three states, labor in mines is limited to eight hours and the hours of labor on railroads are carefully regulated. They also have the eight-hour day on public works as, indeed, have twenty-three other states. Oregon has a ten-hour law for men in mills and factories. California has an important law providing one day’s rest in seven. This has been on the statute books since 1893 but only recently has much attention been paid to its enforcement. The most important single general feature of labor laws is the enforcement provisions. Enforcement is being stressed more and more by the increasingly important labor bureaus of the three states, particularly in regard to the inspection of factories for unsanitary conditions and for unguarded machinery. California’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently been very active. The hours of labor permitted women in industry are definitely restricted; this feature will be discussed in a later paragraph. The subject of old-age pensions has been little discussed. The present-day worker tends to become unfit for the pace of modern industry at a comparatively early age, at a time of life when the professional man is only reaching maturity. This forces the issue of old-age pensions. California in 1913 appointed a commission of five to investigate and report on old-age pensions. Massachusetts and Wisconsin have similar commissions.

This summary of labor legislation shows that the Pacific coast states have advanced labor legislation to a degree quite comparable with that of their governmental reforms. This policy has not been wholly approved.