Assigned Blog #1
The Keating-Owen bill of 1916 was the first child labor bill. The 1900 census revealed that about 2 million children were working in mills, mines, fields, factories, stores, and on city streets. The act banned the sale of products from any factory, shop, or cannery that employed children under the age of 16, and from any facility that had children under the age of 16 works at night or for more than 8 hours a day. The act was passed by Congress and signed by President Woodrow Wilson but the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional because it violated the purpose of the government’s powers to regulate interstate commerce. Interstate commerce is the moving of goods, money, and other things across the states. The national government controlled the interstate commerce.
Even though the U.S. desperately wanted laws against child labor, the Supreme Court’s rulings left little room for federal legislation. Later, a constitutional amendment was proposed to five Congress the power to regulate child labor. The campaign for approval of the Child Labor Amendment was stopped in the 1920’s by an effective campaign to ruin the reputation of the campaign. Federal protection of children would not be obtained until passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which was also challenged before the Supreme Court. This time it was victorious. In February of 1941, the Supreme Court rethought its opinion in Hammer v. Dagenhart and, in U.S. v. Darby, it upheld the constitutionality of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is still in force today.
I think it shouldn’t have taken as long as it did to get this law passed. It makes sense that the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional because the government would be abusing their power but it shouldn’t have taken 25 years.
"Welcome to OurDocuments.gov." Welcome to OurDocuments.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=59>;.
The Adamson Act was the first U.S. federal legislation that made an eight-hour workday, with additional pay for overtime work, for interstate railroad workers. The Act was passed in 1916 to avoid a possible disaster of general strike by certain railroad employees. The terms that were in the act were decided by a committee of the four railroad labor groups of engineers, firemen, brakemen, and conductors. When the railroads refused to follow the law while their court challenge to its constitutionality was waiting for decision, the railway unions began to prepare to strike again. The unions’ success sparked other railway employees not covered by the Act to press the same demands.
The terms of the act included the eight-hour work day. It stated that 8 hours will be a full day’s work, and the standard number of work hours. There was a penalty for violating section 65. Anyone violating section 65 will be guilty of a misdemeanor and when caught will be fined not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, or imprisoned not to exceed on year, or both. The Adamson Act was repealed in 1996. It wasn’t really repealed but codified.
I personally think this Act is confusing. I think that the workers of the private companies were upset that their hours were being regulated and thought it was unconstitutional. I honestly think that an eight-hour work day is a good amount of time with then extra pay for extra hours.
"Adamson Act." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamson_Act>;.
"Adamson Act Law & Legal Definition." Adamson Act Law & Legal Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/adamson-act/>;.
Comments
Well done Shea! Be sure to explain your pictures though!