282 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



camps and flock to the cities, the centers of employment bureaus. In 

 years of business depression the unskilled worker is caught unexpect- 

 edly, as indeed is industry. In such times, large numbers of the un- 

 employed 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 ofificials and 

 through the collective effort of the aroused civic organizations. Unem- 

 ployment is a problem as difificult to solve as it is grave. The first step 

 in diminishing unemployment is to provide an adequate system of pub- 

 lic employment agencies. This will probably accomplish more in re- 

 ducing 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 clear- 

 ing 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 ap- 

 pointed 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. En- 

 forcement 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 re- 

 stricted ; this feature will be discussed in a later paragraph. The sub- 

 ject of old-age pensions has been little discussed. The present-day 

 worker tends to become unfit for the pace of modern industry at a com- 

 paratively 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. 



