Show ANOTHER legislative ABSURDITY SOME time since a bill was intro deuced in the legislature which aimed adibe auba abolition of th the store estore and lodging house abuses practiced by many mining companies the proposed statute was loaded with wind ind consequently it was shelved as a legislative absurdity it proposed to prohibit mine owners and mining companies from euga engaging jing in mercantile business or from keeping lodging houses the genius who framed the measure did not appear to know that the constitutional right to engage in any lawful trade or calling extended to liping companies as well as other people all the merit there was in the proposed measure was its oct object the oure cure of abuses which ought to be corrected the specific for the disease was however much worse than the malady we observe that mr moran a liberal member of the council has distinguished himself by introducing a bill of a similar character to the one already referred to it Is a twin sister to the first one the features of each being distinguished for their absurdity as aa any intelligent reader can perceive by scanning them the first section provides that all ah per persano sono companies corporations e etc tc engaged in mining and certain other specified lines of business shall pay par their employed emp loyes as provided in the not act this is special legislation with a ven vei geande being totally at variance with the theory of american that all citizens are entitled to equal treatment under the law the classes of business men covered by the initial section are required by the one that follows to settle with their employed emp loyes for labor performed at 64 least once a month audit and it is specially 3 provided that payment must be made in legal U 8 tender or in cash orders which can be assigned signed vis by the persons persona in whose favor they are made to other parties it it will be observed that the second section if it were possible for it to be good law it is in not however would act as a prohibition against employer and employed entering into any arrangement ran gement that would be mutually agreeable for settlement of wages for labor performed to be made every thirty two days or any other time in excess of one month this is a direct infringement of the liberty of the ino in section three to is a 11 corker it provides that no order shall be made by people en engaged staged in the lines of business referred to in the act except for cash redeemable in thirty days payable to employed emp loye or bearer ay bearing legal ia interest the person firm rm corporation company or association etc who itaho shall issue for payment any other mapry or order shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subjected to a fine of or any other sum in the discretion of the court the fine to go to the benefit of the common school fund of the district wherein lrein them the crime shall have been committed IJ thus it will be observed that it is proposed to plant criminal prosecutions against firms corporations companies and associations and convict them of misdemeanor all of which is inaus featly absurd as such proceedings call odily be entered in any case against individuals section four to is intended to remedy the two price evil of which miners who obtain their supplies from the store of their employers specially complain but it to is impotent tor that purpose it provides that when companies or per sons sell goods to their workmen at a higher rate than to others buying for cash the debts of the purchaser so aa treated shall not be collectable this feature amounts to an amalgamation ot of judicial and legislative powers and ift wont do at all the and closing section is simply astounding we insert the greater portion of it ta that if any person firm company corporation or association shall re refuse use for or the space of twenty days to settle an and pay bay any part of their said employed emp loyes at the intervals of time as provided in section 2 of this act or shall neglect or refuse to redeem des any n cash orders herein provided for mi within akin the time specified if presented and suit should be brought for S the amount due and unpaid judgment abr the amount of said claim proven to be due and unpaid vs with ith a penalty of one per of such amount added thereto for each and every months delay shall be rendered in favor of the plaintiff in such action py the proposed act in one of its sections recognizes the existing rate of legal interest ten per cent and in its closing one pr provides oTides for the making and enforcement of a judgment which decrees in favor of a plaintiff another rite acone one per for each months month Is delays delay or twelve per cent per annum the framer of that law we hope it W was I 1 not mr moran either wanted to pose as a pronounced champion of the workingman or he to is exceedingly ignorant of consistent and constitutional legislation we pointed out the absurdity of the bill tor the purpose of preventing tenting mining companies from mercantile stores and lodging houses and did not anticipate the introduction ot of another measure covering a still broader ground of absurdity Ws we object to the assembly being made ridiculous ay by iy such exhibitions of want of 0 understanding impossible and im practicable bills ought to be nipped in the bud and not adt permitted to see the abi t of day |