An amendment (chapter 62) to the Ontario Railway Employees Voting Act requires that the council of any municipality on petition of twenty-five railway employees shall pass a by-law declaring the Act to apply to that municipality. The amending Act further permits advance polls to be held in connection with elections for the board of education or the board of public school trustees or in voting on by-laws.

The Manitoba Legislature added to the Elections Act (chapter 33) a section authorizing the holding of advance polls for employees.

Chapter 34, 1920, adds new sections to the City Act of Saskatchewan providing for the establishment of advance polls in municipal elections. Chapter 35, 1920, adds similar provisions to the Town Act.

The New Provincial Elections Act of British Columbia (chapter 27) contains the same provisions concerning voting by employees that were found in the statute which it replaces.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

The Federal Parliament repealed (chapter 20) that section of the Technical Education Act which forbade the taking into account of previous expenditure by any province on land, buildings and equipment when determining the grant payable to such province.

In Ontario new sections (chapter 102) were added to the Industrial Education Act and form Part II thereof. These authorize the establishment of schools for technical training, the cost to be paid out of funds appropriated by the Legislature or received from the Dominion Government under the provisions of the Federal Technical Education Act.

The Saskatchewan Legislature passed a new law (chapter 42, 1919-20) enabling boards of trustees in towns or high school districts to provide instruction in technical subjects. A vocational education committee on which the school board, employers of labour and employees are represented is to be appointed to assist in the establishment and management of any school or department organized under the Act.

The Quebec Legislature appointed (chapter 43) a Director of Technical Education.

An amendment (chapter 62) to the New Brunswick Act provides that local vocational committees shall submit to the authorities appointing them, at the commencement of each school year, an estimate of the amount of money required during that year. On approval of this budget the amount named therein is to be placed to the credit of the committee. Provision is also made for certain grants by the Province to local vocational committees.

IMMIGRATION

The only legislation under this head is an Order in Council (P. C. 2930) similar to that passed in 1919, requiring that all mechanics, artisans or labourers who wish to enter Canada shall possess at least $250 in addition to transportation to their destination. If an immigrant is accompanied by his family he must have transportation for them also, and, in addition, $125 for each member over eighteen years of age and $50 for each child between five and eighteen years. This regulation, which was made owing to the considerable amount of unemployment existing in Canada, was to remain in force from December 15, 1920, until March 31, 1921, but by P. C. 959, dated March 19, 1921, the period of its operation is extended indefinitely.

DIRECTOR OF COAL OPERATIONS

Chapter 42 of the Federal Statutes ratifies the various Orders in Council respecting the appointment, powers and duties of the Director of Coal Operations, and continues them in force until the next session of Parliament, unless repealed by the Governor General in Council; it also confirms the orders already issued by the Director.

SEAMEN

The Federal Parliament amended (chapter 38) those sections of the Canada Shipping Act which relate to the care of sick and distressed mariners. A minister of the Crown is to be appointed to administer this part of the Act and to him are transferred the powers and duties formerly vested in the Governor General in Council. He may also rent, equip and maintain hospitals and make regulations governing them. Another amendment to this Act (chapter 6) deals with steamboat inspection.

19564-2

KISTING

LABOUR LAWS OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA AS EXISTING DECEMBER 31st, 1920.

(In setting out the text of the federal and provincial statutes precedence is given to the legislation of the Dominion, that of the provinces following, the provinces being arranged in geographical order, proceeding from East to West.)

DOMINION OF CANADA.

STATUTES OF 1894.
Labour Day.

Chapter 55.-1. Paragraph (26) of section seven of the Interpretation Act [which defines the expression "holiday" as used in the Acts of the Parliament of Canada], is hereby amended by inserting after the words "Dominion Day" in the seventh line, the words "the first Monday of September, to be designated 'Labour Day'

2. Subsection two of section fourteen of the Bills of Exchange Act, 1890, [which gives a list of the days to be observed as legal holidays in matters relating to bills of exchange], is hereby amended, by adding to the days to be observed in the several provinces as legal holidays or non-juridical days, the first Monday in September to be designated "Labour Day".

REVISED STATUTES OF 1906.

Negligence of Employees on Government Canals.

Chapter 35.-26. Every one who is an officer or servant of, or a person employed by the Minister on any canal, and who wilfully or negligently violates any order or regulation of the Department, or any order in council, respecting the canal on which he is employed, and of which a copy has been delivered to him, or has been posted up or open to his inspection in some place where his work or duties, or any of them, are to be performed, if such violation causes injury to any property or to any person, or exposes any property or any person to the risk of injury, or renders such risk greater than it would have been but for such violation, although no actual injury occurs, is guilty of an indictable offence, and shall, according as the court before which the conviction is had considers the offence proved to be more or less grave, or the injury or risk of injury to person or property to be more or less great, be liable to a penalty not exceeding four hundred dollars, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to both penalty and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

27. If such violation does not cause injury to any property or person, or expose any, property or person to the risk of injury, or make such risk greater than it would have been but for such violation, the officer, servant or other person guilty thereof shall incur a penalty, not exceeding the amount of thirty days' pay and not less than fifteen days' pay of the offender from the Department, in the discretion of the justice of the peace before whom the conviction is had; and such penalty shall be recoverable, with costs, before any one justice of the peace having jurisdiction where the offence has been committed or where the offender is found.

Government Railways-Definition of Terms.

Chapter 36.-2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires :

(a) Minister' means the Minister of Railways and Canals;

(b) 'Deputy' means the Deputy of the Minister of Railways and Canals;

(c) Secretary' means the Secretary of the Department of Railways and Canals;

(d) Department' means the Department of Railways and Canals;

(e) Superintendent' means the superintendent of the Government railway or railways

of which he has, under the Minister, the charge and direction ;

(f) Engineer' means any engineer or person permanently or temporarily employed by

the Minister to perform such work as is ordinarily performed by a civil engineer;

the

(k) Highway' means any public road, street, lane or other public way or communication;

(1) Railway' means any railway, and all property and works connected therewith, under management and direction of the Department.

Government Railways-Application of Act.

Chapter 36.-4. This Act applies to all railways which are vested in His Majesty, and which are under the control and management of the Minister.

Government Railway Bridges, Tunnels, etc.

Chapter 36.-17. The span of the arch of any bridge erected for carrying the railway over or across any highway, shall be constructed and continually maintained at an open and clear breadth and space, under such arch, of not less than twenty feet, and of a height from the surface of such highway to the centre of such arch of not less than twelve feet; and the descent under any such bridge shall not exceed one foot in twenty feet.

19. Every bridge or other erection or structure or tunnel through or under which any railway to which this Act applies passes, shall, at all times be so maintained as to admit of an open and clear headway of at least seven feet between the top of the highest freight cars used on the railway and the bottom of the lower beams, members or portions of that part of such bridge, erection, structure or tunnel which is over the railway.

(2) The Minister, before using higher freight cars than those which admit of such open and clear headway of at least seven feet, shall, after having first obtained the consent of the municipality or of the owners of such bridge or other erection, structure or tunnel, raise every such bridge or other erection, structure or tunnel, and the approaches thereto, if necessary, so as to admit of such open and clear headway of at least seven feet: Provided that this section shall not apply to any bridge, erection, structure or tunnel existing before the first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven, which is exempted by the Governor in Council. 20. Whenever a highway bridge or any other erection, or structure, or tunnel, is constructed over or on the line of a railway, or whenever it becomes necessary to reconstruct any highway bridge or other erection, or structure, or tunnel already built over or on the line of railway, or to make large repairs to the same, the lower beams, members or portions of the superstructure of any such tunnel, highway or overhead bridge, or of any other erection or structure over any railway, and the approaches thereto, shall be constructed or reconstructed at the cost of the Crown or of the municipality or other owner of the bridge, erection, structure, or tunnel, as the case may be, and shall at all times, be maintained at a sufficient height from the surface of the rails of the railway, to admit of an open and clear headway of at least seven feet between the top of the highest freight cars then used on the railway and the lower beams, members or portions of such bridge or other erection, or tunnel.

(2) After any such construction, reconstruction or large repairs, the Minister, before using higher freight cars than those used on the railway at the time of such construction, reconstruction, or large repairs, shall, after having first obtained the consent of the municipality, or of the owners of such highway bridge, or other erection or structure, or tunnel, raise the said tunnel or bridge, or other erection or structure, and the approaches thereto, if necessary, so as to admit, as aforesaid, of an open and clear headway of at least seven feet over the top of the highest freight cars, then about to be used on the railway.

Safety Provisions-Liability of Engineer for Negligence.

Chapter 36.-30. There shall be provided and used in and upon trains run for the conveyance of passengers, such apparatus and arrangements as best and most securely place and fix the seats or chairs in the cars or carriages, and as best afford good and sufficient means—

(a) of immediate communication between the conductors and the engine drivers of such trains while the trains are in motion; and,

(b) of applying, by the power of the steam engine, or otherwise, at the will of the engine driver or other person appointed to such duty, the brakes to the wheels of the locomotive or tender, or both, or of all or any of the cars or carriages composing the trains; and,

(c) of disconnecting the locomotive, tender and cars or carriages from each other by any such power or means.

36. Every locomotive engine shall be furnished with a bell of at least thirty pounds weight, and with a steam whistle.

37 The bell shall be rung or the whistle sounded at the distance of at least eighty rods from every place where the railway crosses any highway, and shall be kept ringing or be sounded, at short intervals, until the engine has crossed such highway.

(2) His Majesty shall be liable for all damages sustained by any person by reason of any neglect to comply with this provision.

(3) One-half of such damages shall be chargeable to and be deducted from any salary due to the engineer having charge of such engine, and neglecting to sound the whistle or ring the bell as aforesaid, or shall be recoverable from such engineer.