and regulations supplementing, varying, modifying, adapting, or otherwise applying such laws to existing conditions."

Industry, State department of, establishing.

By Mr. PARSONS.-Adding new section to article 5, creating a State department of industry headed by an industrial board of five members appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate, for 10 years each, except that the first members shall be appointed for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years, respectively. Not more than three members at any time shall belong to the same political party. Their salary shall be $6,000 a year. They may be removed only by impeachment. They shall have jurisdiction of all matters now comprehended within the labor and workmen's compensation laws and of the administration and enforcement of all laws relating to cognate subjects. No bill shall be passed devolving such jurisdiction on any other authorities, but the legislature may enact laws for the organization and general direction of such board and confer powers and regulation thereon.

Labor and industries, department of.

*

*

*

*

By GOVERNOR AND OTHER STATE OFFICERS' COMMITTEE.-Repealing sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 of article 5 and adding a new article 5 reorganizing all the civil departments of the State government. There is to be a department of labor and industries administered by an industrial commission. * The attorney general and the comptroller are to be elected at the same time and for the same term as the governor. The heads of all other departments, except the department of education, are to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate. The legislature is to provide for the appropriate assignment of all the civil, administrative, and executive functions of the State government to the several departments provided for. No new department may be created by the legislature.

Labor disputes, armed forces.

By Mr. CURRAN.-Amending sections 4, 6, and adding new section, article 4, by providing that the governor shall be commander in chief of the military and naval forces of the State, and as such commander he alone shall have power to call out the whole or any portion of said forces or either of them in time of need. There shall never be a State constabulary or similar body. The employment of private armed forces for labor disputes shall be forever prohibited.

Labor not a commodity.

By Mr. WAGNER.-Amending section 6, article 1, by adding at the end thereof this new matter: "The labor of a human being shall not be deemed to be a commodity or article of commerce, and the legislature shall not enact a law, nor shall the courts construe a law, contrary to this declaration."

Labor unions, formation of.

By Mr. L. M. MARTIN.-Adding new section 15 to article 8, reading: "It shal be the privilege of persons employed by any other person, firm, corporation, or employing body to form a union of their own to deal with their employers as a unit in matters of mutual interest. But no such unions shall have the right to punish in any way a member for noncompliance with union rules, or for speaking his mind, or for acting individually in the case. Nor shall it be lawful to form a union that comprises employees of more than one employing body."

Manufacturing in dwellings, regulating.

By Mr. A. E. SMITH.-Adding new section to article 3, reading: "The legislature may prohibit in whole or in part the manufacturing of any article in structures used for dwelling purposes."

Manufacturing in dwellings.

By Mr. PARSONS.-Adding a new section to article 3, reading: "Nothing contained in this constitution shall limit the power of the legislature to enact laws prohibiting in whole or in part manufacturing of any kind in structures any portion of which is used for dwelling purposes."

Manufacturing, unreasonable laws.

By Mr. DUNMORE.-Adding new section to article 3, reading: "The legislature shall not pass any bill under the police power of the State nor shall any State board, commission, or officer adopt any rule or regulation thereunder, unless there is a reasonable necessity for the exercise of such power to protect the general interests of the community."

Minimum-wage laws.

By Mr. A. E. SMITH.-Adding new section to article 3, reading: "The legislature may directly or through any duly constituted administrative agency prescribe the living wages that shall be paid to women and children employees."

Minimum-wage laws, prohibiting.

By LEGISLATIVE POWERS COMMITTEE.-Amending article 3 by adding a new section prohibiting the legislature from passing any bill granting hereafter to any class of individuals any privilege or immunity not granted equally to all members of the State; providing for or authorizing the expenditure of any public money to be paid to any person except in pursuance of a judgment or for property or services rendered upon employment by the State or a civil division thereof or in recognition of such services; establishing a minimum wage for service to be paid to any employee by a private employer.

Minimum-wage laws, prohibiting.

By Mr. BARNES.-Adding new section to article 3, prohibiting the legislature from passing any bill granting to any class of individuals any privilege or immunity authorizing the expenditure of public money to be paid to any person except for services rendered upon employment by the State or a political division thereof, establishing a minimum wage,

Occupational diseases.

*

By INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS COMMITTEE.-Amending sections 18 and 19 of article 1, by including occupational diseases among the subjects of compensation to workmen. It authorizes the legislature to enact laws "for the protection of the lives, health, or safety of employees; or for the payment of compensation for injuries to or occupational diseases of employees or for death of employees resulting from such injuries or disease without regard to fault as a cause thereof; or for the adjustment, determination, and settlement, with or without trial by jury, of issues which may arise under such legislation; or providing that the right to such compensation and the remedy therefor shall be exclusive of all other rights and remedies for such injuries or diseases or death. But all moneys paid by an employer by reason of the enactment of any of the laws herein authorized shall be deemed a part of the cost of operating the business of the employer."

Pressure, steam, gas, etc., regulating.

By Mr. FOGARTY.-Adding a new section to article 3, reading: "The legislature shall, by general laws of uniform application throughout the State, provide for the licensing and inspection of steam boilers and of all vessels subject to gaseous pressure and prescribe standards for the manufacture thereof."

Products of prison labor, sale.

By Mr. TIERNEY.-Amending section 29, article 3, by providing that the provision prohibiting the sale of the products of prison labor shall not prevent the sale of electricity or water to the inhabitants of villages of the fourth class situated within 1 mile from any State prison.

Public work, labor on.

By CITIES COMMITTEE.-Amending article 12 generally by providing for home rule for cities. Every city is to have exclusive power to manage, regulate, and control its own property, business and local affairs subject to the constitution and general laws of the State applying to all the inhabitants or to all cities or counties of the State without classification or distinction. This power is to include among others (a) the power to organize and manage the departments, bureaus, or division of the city government and to regulate the number, powers, duties, terms, compensation, and mode of selection of all city officers and employees and all police and health officers and employees and nonjudicial officers and employees attached to courts not of record; and to regulate the compensation of employees of counties situated wholly within a city with certain exceptions; *

*

*

Stockholders' liability for.

By Mr. BAYES.--Adding a new section to article 8, reading: "The stockholders of all corporations shall be individually liable for all labor performed for such corporation, and no legislative enactment limiting the time within which an action may be begun for labor so performed, at a shorter period than applicable to contract actions generally, shall be valid."

Strikes, lockouts, regulating.

By Mr. ROSCH.-Amending section 9, article 1, by providing that "strikes, lockouts, and similar forms of industrial differences, affecting the relations between employers and employees in which the rights and interests of public utilities or industrial operations, or the welfare of the people of the State generally may suffer, are declared subject to regulation by statute, and the legislature may provide for the establishment of councils of conciliation and boards of arbitration for settlement of disputes between employers and employees."

Supervision, commerce and labor department.

*

By Mr. E. N. SMITH.-Amending section 2, article 5, by providing that the legis lature shall create by law a department * * of commerce and labor, to have supervision over labor, manufactures, agriculture, and public utilities, and in which there shall be a bureau of research; * * The heads of said divisions or bureaus in any department shall be named by the governor, with the consent of the senate. This section shall be in force January 1, 1917.

Unemployed, relief of.

*

By Mr. CURRAN.-Adding a new section to article 8, reading: "The State or any political division thereof may undertake such public works and engage in such industries as they deem necessary to the public welfare for the purpose of relieving distress from unemployment or other extraordinary emergencies; and nothing contained in this article shall impair such authority."

Workmen's compensation, labor department, separate.

By Mr. O'CONNOR.-Adding new section to article 5, by providing that the State department of labor and the workmen's compensation commission shall be separate bodies. The department of labor shall be in charge of a single commissioner, whose term shall be fixed by the legislature at not less than six years. There shall be five members of the workmen's compensation commission, whose term shall be fixed by the legislature so that the term of one shall expire on January 1 of each odd-numbered year after the commission is established.

Workmen's compensation laws.

By Mr. PARSONS.-Amending section 18, article 1, by providing that this section which prohibits the abrogation of the right of action to recover damages for injuries resulting in death shall not affect legislation providing compensation for injuries to or occupational diseases suffered by employees or for death resulting from such injuries or diseases.

Workmen's compensation laws, etc.

By Mr. CURRAN.-Amending section 19, article 1, and adding a new section thereto by providing that "Nothing contained in this constitution shall be construed to limit the power of the legislature to enact laws for the protection of the lives, health, safety, comfort or general welfare of employees."

Workmen's compensation, unemployed, laws.

By Mr. PARSONS.-Striking out section 19, article 1, and inserting in place thereof the following: "Nothing contained in this constitution shall limit the power of the legislature to enact laws for the payment or furnishing either by employers or by employers and employees or otherwise either directly or through a State or other system of insurance or otherwise, of compensation benefits, without regard to fault, for injuries, illness, invalidity, old age, unemployment, or death of employees, or for the adjustment, determination, or settlement with or without trial by jury of issues which may arise under such legislation."

Workmen's compensation, State insurance.

By Mr. CURRAN.-Adding a new section to article 3, reading: "The legislature may provide by law for insurance by the State of workers against accident, sickness, invalidity, old age, and unemployment."

By Mr. O'CONNOR.-Amending section 19, article 1, by providing for a State insurance fund as the exclusive method for securing the payment of workmen's compensation.

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES.

Reports to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of retail prices of 17 of the principal articles of food for July 15, 1915, covering 44 important industrial cities throughout the United States show a decrease of 1 per cent in the price of all articles combined from July, 1914, to July, 1915. According to previous reports to the bureau, retail prices had been gradually increasing from 91 per cent in July, 1911, to 100 per cent in July, 1914.

The price of all meats was lower in July, 1915, than in July, 1914. The price of lard, eggs, potatoes, and milk was also lower in July, 1915, than in July, 1914, while only flour, corn meal, butter, and sugar showed an increase in price. The increases in flour and sugar, however, were quite marked, being 26 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively.

A table showing the relative price of each of the 17 articles in July, 1911, to 1915, is given herewith. The relative prices of the 17 articles combined and weighted according to the average consumption in workingmen's families is also shown.

RELATIVE PRICES OF 17 ARTICLES OF FOOD IN JULY OF EACH YEAR, 1911 TO 1915. [Average price for 1914-100.}

The prices quoted in the tables below are in the case of meats from the Central Meat Market and those for other articles are from the public markets. They show the general advance of prices in Vienna between July 25, 1914, and July 24, 1915.

As a fair basis of comparison in calculating the per cent of increase in the prices of articles mentioned below, the lower prices for the respective dates have been used. All meats show a marked advance; beef, fore quarter, 248.6 per cent; beef, hind quarter, 250.6 per cent; steak, 247.1 per cent; veal, 248.6 per cent; pork, 132 per cent. Butter has advanced in price 82.8 per cent; eggs, 140.3 per cent; potatoes, round, 30 per cent; lentils, 221.1 per cent; peas, 129.2 per cent; sauerkraut, about 200 per cent. All fruits show a very sharp rise in prices. The increase in the prices of vegetables, while not so great as in meats, etc., is of considerable moment.

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN VIENNA MARKETS JULY 25, 1914, AND JULY 24, 1915. [Source: Neue Freie Presse, Vienna, July 26, 1914, and July 25, 1915.]