Mercantile establishments-Employment of children and women-Inspec tion and regulation.. .. 34-37 Fire prevention-Fire escapes-Regulation of explosives.. Early closing and weekly half holiday in shops.. Sunday street cars.. Non-payment of wages.. 68 68 69 69 69 69 70 Workmen's compensation.. Alberta Mechanics' liens.... 71 Co-operative associations.. 71 Inspection of boilers. . . . 71-72 Fire prevention-Fire escapes-Regulation of explosives.. GENERAL SUMMARY. In 1916 laws in the field of labour legislation were passed by the Federal Government and by the legislatures of all the provinces except Prince Edward Island. The outstanding feature was the enactment of workmen's compensation laws in the provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia, following the passage of compensation statutes in Ontario in 1914 and in Nova Scotia in 1915. In the autumn of 1915 the British Columbia government appointed a commission to investigate the subject of workmen's compensation, which reported favourably in time for the passage of the Act at the next session of the Legislature. The enactment of modern compensation laws by four provinces brings Canada fairly well in line with the rapid development of legislation of this kind throughout the world. Another measure of first importance is the Trades and Labour Branch Act of Ontario which establishes a new unit for the administration of all labour legislation other than the Workmen's Compensation Act. Progress of the movement for fair wages in government contracts is evidenced by the establishment of a permanent Fair Wage Board in Manitoba and by provision for the insertion of fair wage clauses in contracts given by the Board of Highway Commissioners and the Department of Public Works in Saskatchewan, and by the Shipping Credit Commission in British Columbia. As to other wages legislation amending acts were passed by different provinces dealing with mechanics' liens and the garnishment and non-payment of wages. The time of payment of wages of certain classes of employees received attention in Ontario and Nova Scotia. A number of laws were passed dealing with the examination and licensing of workmen, chiefly stationary engineers, and elevator operators in Manitoba, traction engineers in Saskatchewan, and coal miners in British Columbia. With regard to the regulation and inspection of factories the Federal Government postponed the enforcement of certain sections of the White Phosphorus Matches Act, and the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan passed almost identical fire prevention laws, dealing incidentally with the prevention of fires in industrial establishments. There were only two enactments bearing on the employment of women and children-an amendment to the Manitoba Shops Regulation Act regulating the hours for children, young persons and women in shops and directing employers to provide seats for female employees, and an amendment to the New Brunswick Factories Act which also provides seats for female employees. In British Columbia and Saskatchewan legislation as to holidays and rest days was somewhat to the fore. Vocational training was the subject of legislation in Ontario only, where a new Adolescent School Attendance Act was passed. LABOUR DEPARTMENTS AND BUREAUS. The most important enactment in this field is Chapter 13 of the Ontario Statutes establishing a Trades and Labour Branch which has been attached to the Department of Public Works. To the Branch was assigned the administration of the Bureau of Labour Act, the Stationary and Hoisting Engineers' Act, the Building Trades Protection Act, the Factory, Shop and Office Act, and the Steam Boilers Act. Among the duties imposed on the new administrative unit are the collection of statistical and other information respecting trades and industries, the investigation of sanitary con20712-1 ditions relating to the health of the industrial classes, and the establishment and maintenance of employment bureaus. Clause 3 of the Bureau of Labour Act of Manitoba was amended, inspectors being named as among those who may be appointed to the Bureau and provision being made for the payment of salaries and office expenses from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Province. A clause is added charging the Bureau with the administration of the Shops Regulation Act, the Bake Shops Act, the Public Buildings Act, the Manitoba Factories Act, and the Building Trades Protection Act. WAGES. Chapter 46 of the Statutes of Manitoba which amended Section 4 of the Garnishment Act, increased the amount of wages exempt from garnishment from $25 to $40. In the matter of non-payment of wages the Act Respecting Masters and Servants of Saskatchewan (R. S. 1909, Chapter 149) was amended. Formerly any justice in the province on complaint of the employee might summon the employer to appear before him; the amendment vesis this authority in any justice residing in the same municipality as the employer or in case there is no justice residing in the municipality then in any justice in the province. In Ontario a clause was inserted in the Mining Act providing that wages shall be paid to mine employees at intervals of not more than two weeks. Amendments were made in the Mechanics' and Wage Earners' Lien Act of Ontario (R. S. 1914, Chapter 140) as to the officers who may try actions to enforce liens, the powers of officers in trials of actions, the amount of fees payable to officers in actions brought to realize liens, informalities in the registration of liens, and the form of statements of claims. The Mechanics' Lien Act of Alberta was amended so that liens are deemed to have lapsed after the expiration of thirty days after service, instead of sixty days as formerly. The Nova Scotia Legislature amended the Coal Mines Regulation Act to the effect that wages of coal mine employees other than those whose wages are fixed at a monthly rate shall be paid at weekly intervals. In Nova Scotia, also, it was enacted that wages of railway employees shall be paid twice in each month at intervals as nearly as possible of half a month. At the session held late in 1916 the Quebec Legislature passed an amendment to the Civil Code dealing with claims of workmen, suppliers of materials, builders and architects for work done on buildings. FAIR WAGES IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. The Legislature of Manitoba enacted a Fair Wage Act (Chapter 121) which established a Fair Wage Board to make recommendations to the Minister of Public Works as to the minimum rates of wages per hour and the maximum number of hours per day for employees engaged on public works. The Board is to be governed by the principle that the rate of wages and hours shall not be less favourable to the employees affected than the wages and hours of labour commonly recognized by employers and trade societies as prevailing in the district during the then preceding twelve months. All future contracts to which the Minister is a party. and which involve the employment of workpeople must contain provisions setting forth the terms of any order of the Minister adopting the recommendations of the Board, and also a stipulation that no workman in the employ of the contractor shall be employed on any terms other than those set forth in such order. For the purpose of the necessary inquiries in connection with the work of the Board, the Bureau of Labour is empowered to examine the books and pay-rolls of employers and is directed to transmit to the Board all procurable data and statistics relating to wages and hours and conditions of labour. The Board is composed of not less than three members, one representing employers, one representing employees, and the third, an official of the Department of Public Works. In Saskatchewan fair wage clauses were inserted in the Public Highways Act (Chapter 8) which established a Board of Highway Commissioners to control the construction and maintenance of public improvements and public highways and in the Public Works Act (Chapter 9) which created a Department of Public Works to have charge of the construction and maintenance of all public works and to superintend asylums, prisons and other such institutions. The British Columbia Shipping Act which made provision for aid to the shipbuilding industry, constituted a "Shipping Credit Commission" for the administration of the Act. A fair wage rate fixed by the Commission for all work in the construction, manning and operation of the ship was made a condition of every loan or subsidy which may be granted by the Commission. HOLIDAYS AND REST DAYS. An amendment to the Railway Act of British Columbia empowered the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council to make regulations limiting the number of days in the week during which street railway employees may be required to work. An amendment to the Shops Regulation Act of the same province provided that no shop shall be kept open during any time when shops are required to be closed by municipal by-law. British Columbia also passed a Weekly Half-holiday Act which provided that shops with certain exceptions shall be closed in the afternoon of one week-day in every week. In the cities of Victoria, Vancouver and New Westminster the municipal council was required to submit to the vote of the municipal electors the question as to whether they favour the weekly Wednesday half-holiday or the weekly Saturday half-holiday. In all other municipalities the weekly half-holiday must be observed on the day set in any by-law passed under the Shops Regulation Act, and if there is none such and if there is no agreement for a weekly half-holiday then it is to be observed on a day agreed upon by the employer and employees. The Act required that at the municipal elections in January, 1917, the question whether the weekly half-holiday should be on Saturday or on some other day of the week, should be submitted to the electors. The province of Saskatchewan enacted legislation which authorized town councils to regulate by by-law the time at which any class of shops shall remain closed on each or any day between six o'clock in the evening and five o'clock in the morning or the hours during which they shall remain closed between one o'clock in the afternoon and five o'clock in the morning upon any one day of the week. The councils, however, were permitted to pass such by-laws only upon petition and the petition must be signed by not less than three-fourths of the occupiers of shops of the class affected. Saskatchewan also by statute authorized any town council to pass a referred by-law permitting the operation of street railways on Sunday, which had been forbidden under the Railway Act of the province except operations undertaken as work of necessity. REGULATION AND INSPECTION OF FACTORIES. The province of Alberta passed a Fire Prevention Act (Chapter 23). While this Act deals with the prevention of fires in general it is of industrial interest because of its relation to fires in factories. The Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council is empowered to appoint a Fire Commissioner, a Deputy Fire Commissioner, an inspector and other officers and employees. The Fire Commissioner is charged with the enforcement of all laws relating to the prevention of fires, the storage, sale and use of explosives, fire 20712-11 |