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Tous las autras exemplairas originaux sont filmte en commengant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration at en terminant par la darniAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la darniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — »> signifie "A SUIVRE", la symbols V signifie "FIN ". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clicht, il est film« A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant la nombra d'imagas nAcessaira. Les diagrammas suivants illustrent la m6thode. ata »lure, it J 2X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 6 LAWS FOB WORKMEN. Recent Provincial Legislation to Secure to Labor the Reward Whicii it Earns. Wages and Homesteads Protected and Life Insurance Reserved for Families. Iteceut legislation in the interest and for the protection of the laboring classes may be profitably reviewed at this mo- ment, and while under this classiflrHition there might be included all classes of leg- islation having for its object the pro- motion of the social and industrial wel- fare of perhaps the great majority of the residents of the province, including the agricultural classes, what is here set forth will be restricted to those statutes having for their object, firstly, the defin- ing of the respective rights and liabili- ties of master and servant; secondly, the securing to mechanics and laborers the price of their labor by means of a right of lien upon the property benefited by such labor; and, thirdly, for the purpose of facilitating the settlement of labor disputes, the maintenance of amicable relati between employers and em- ploye nd the prevention of strikes and troubles. These statutes, having a direct and powerful inliuonce upon the rights and grivih'gCH of a large number of the in- tibitants of the province, are certainly of sulllcient imimrtance to call for the somewhat extended explanation con- tained in. and to justify the title which has been given to this article. MASTER AND SERVANT. In the sessidn of 1897, for the purpose of enacting in brief yet comprehensive form, the rules of inw a|>|>lyiiiK t( the rolntioMH between master and servant the Honorable the Attorney-Cienenil In- troduced an act intituled "The .blaster and Servant act, 1897," which was pass- ed by the legislative assembly, received the Royal assent on May 8th, 1897, and is now consolidated as Chapter 131 of the Revised Statutes, 1897. The act empowers justices of the peace upon complaint of any servant or labor- er aga'nst his master or employer for non-payment of wages to issue a sum- mons citing the employer or master to appear and answer the complaint, and upon proof of non-payment, to direct the payment of the amount of wages 3ue the complainant, not exceeding the sum of .$50. The justices may award and en- force their judgment by warrant of dis- tress. Justices are also by the act em- powered to decide any dispute which arises between a master and servant after the termination of engagement, provided proceedings be taken within one month after the engagement has ceased. With reference to contracts of service it Is provided that verbal agree- ments for service shall not exceed the term of one year; that no contract of service or Indentures shall be binding for a longer term than nine years; aqd that, subject to these limitations, all agreements and contracts, verbal or written, between master and journey- man, skilled laborers, servants or labor- ers for the performance of any work or service shall, whether the performance has been enterwl upon or not, be bind- ing upon eoch party thereto for the due fulfilment thereof. In concluding the reference to this act it is well that especial attention should be drawn to one of its most important provisions which renders valid agree- ments between employers and employees by means of which a definite share in the annual or other net profits or pro- ceeds of the trade or business may bf alloted and paid to the employees in lieu of or in addition to salary, wages or other remuneration. This provision opens the way for the practical adop- tion and working in this province of the principle of "profit-sharing" which is be- lieved to be greatly in the interests of both employer and employee, and, by es- tablishing common grounds of interest between these classes in regard to mu- tual interest, welfare and success, to tend towards an increased industrial and commercial development of the prov- ince. MECHANICS' LIENS. For the purpose of securing to mechan> ics, artisans and laborers the payment of the price of their labor by means of a lien upon the property improved by such labor, there was passed at the session of 1891 an act intituled "The Mechanics' Lien act, 1891," which is now consolidated as Chapter 132 of the Revised Statutes, 1897. This act in its operation has been found to afford an t'ttlcient safeguard to the laboring classes and has in very many instances been the medium for the recovering of wage claims, its merit, however, being, 'f any- thing, more preventive than operative, that is to say, it has more the eft'fct of causing property owners to take effectu- al steps to procure the payment of all abor i-mployed on their property by rontnutors and their sub-contractors, than of affording laborers the means of securing payment of arrears of wages by means of actually enforcing the lien. The right of lien is given for labor only, there being no lien in respei-t of any other claim against property. Un- less the workman has signed an express contract under which he agrees that he will not exercise the right of lion c^)n- ferred on him by the act, he has in re- spect of all work done upon construc- tion, erecti n, improvement or repair of or to any building, erection, wharf, bridge or other work or work in connec- tion with the clearing, excavating, drain- age, grading, or irrigating any land a lien or charge for the price of such work upon the property benetite<l and upon all materials brought upon the property and used for the work or used upon or built into the land and buildings. 'I'lii-i lien attaches to the interest in the land vested in the owner at the time I lie con- tract is made and to any greater interest which he may acquire during the pro- gress of the work. The lien is limited in amount to the sum actually owing to the person entitled to the lien and where the moneys are realized upon liens they are distributed in the following manner: First, to pay the costs of all lien hold- ers in obtaining registering and proving the liens; second, to pay six weeks wages (if due) to all workmen employed by the owner, the contractor and the sub-con- tractois; third, to the paym nt of tl e ..ub- contractors and persons other than actual workmen employed by the owner and by the contractor, and lastly, the balance (if any) to the contractor. The right of lien expires in thirty-one days after the completion of the work unless in the meantime the person claim- ing the lien file in the office of the gov- ernment agent or of the registrar of titles or of the district registrar of titles an affidavit in the form prescribed by the act, blank forms of which can be pro- cured at these offices. After registration the lien itself will expire unless within thirty days the claimant institutes an ac- tion in the County court of the county and files with his original lien a judge's f)r registrar's certificate of the commence- ment of his action. The County court is iriven jurisdiction to deal with all lien claims whatsoever and the procedure to be followed upon the trial of action brought to enforce lien and the mode of realising and disposing of moneys ad- judged due thereupon are set forth in the act. For the purpose of safeguarding the rights of workmen, the act contains <wo important provisions, one providing that where works of improvement upon any lands or premises are about to be un- dertaken of an estimated cost exceeding .$.''iOO. the contractor shall file in the office of the government agent or in 'ho land registry office a statement setting forth the particular of the intended work, and the names and addresses of all par- ties in interest: and the other imposing upon contractors the duty of posting up at the works a copy of the n'ceipted ;»ay roll and of delivering to the owner or his agent the original pay roll receipted in full by the various employees. No payment made by the owner or contrnc- vor without delivery of the receipted pay roll has the effect of diminishing the em- ployees' right of lien. In addition to the foregoing general right of lien the act provides a special right of sale under the ordinary mechan- ics' lien, whereby every mechanic or oth- er person who has bestowed money or skill Mild materials upon any chattel so as to increase its value shall while his lien exists have power to sell the chattel af- ter giving two weeks' public notice. f- UXDER ASSIGNMENT. Under the Creditors' Trust Deeds Act the assignee under any assignment for the general benefit of creditors is oblig- ed in priority to all other claims the wages or salary of all persons in the em- ployment of the assignor at the time of the assignment not exceeding three months' wages or salary, the employees being for any excess above such three months, entitled to rank as ordinary gen- eral creditors. COMPENSATION. By the Employers' Liability Act, 1891, an act passed to secure compensation to workmen for personal injuries caused to workmen by reason of any defect in the condition or arrangement of mav^hines, plants, buildings or premises used in the course o femployment, and for injuries arising by reason of the negligence of any person in the service of the employer to whose orders or directions the work- man at the time of injury was bound to conform. The compensation is limited either to three years' wages or to a sum not exceeding $2,000. It is also provided that no agreement entered into by a workman shall be a bar to his recovering under the act unless for the entering into of such agreement there was to the work- man some consideration other than that of his being given employment, and in the opinion of the court such considera- tion was adequate and the agreement was just and reasonable, the burden of proof in respect to these latter require- ments resting upon the employer. No- tice of injury must be given to the em- ployer within twelve weeks of the acci- dent, and if the action be for personal in- jury, the action must be commenced within six months. Should the workmnn be killed, his representatives have 32 months in which to bring action. EXEMPTIONS. Goods and chattels to the extent of $500 are exempt from forced seizure or sale by any process of law; but this ex- emption does not extend to the protection of the identical goods and chattels in respect of which the debt sued on was contracted, and does not permit a trader lo claim as exemption any of the goods and merchandise which form a part of the stock in trade of his business. By the Homestead act. which purports to be an act to exempt homesteads and other property from forced seizure and sale, provision is made: (a) As regards personal property for the securing to a debtor of an exemption of personal prop- erty from all processes of execution am- ounting in valne to $500, provided that no exemption can be claimed out <)f a stock in trade in a business, (b) As re- gards realty for the obtaining of an ex- emption of real property registered as a homestead under the act, up to a value not to exceed $2,500. Should such home- stead at the time of the issue of execu- tion be of a greater value than $2,500 the excess over such value is liable to seizure and sale. A special procedure and mode of registration is provided for the registration of real estate as home- stead property. APPRENTICES AND MINORS. The Apprentices' and Minors' act con- tains provision for the care of minors by guardians and relatives, and for the care by charitable associations of minors who might otherwise become a charge on the public; defines the powers of guar- dians and of such charitable associations in regard to the apprenticing of minors; codifies the law respecting the mutual rights of masters and apprentices; and contains procedure for the settlement of disputes, an appeal being given to the County court. INSURANCE. By the Families' Insurance act, an act passed for the securing to wives and children the benefits of life insurance provision is made for the insuring of life for the benefit of wife, or of wife and children, or of children only, at the option of the insured, with power to ap- portion the amount of insurance money on a policy. Insurance may also be ef- fected for the benefit of a future wife or a future wife and children. Where insurance is effected under this act, the insurance moneys are payable to the beneficiaries according to the terms of the policy free from the claims of credi- tors of the insured; provided, that if the policy was effected and premiums paid with intent to defraud creditors, the creditors are entitled to recover an amount equal to the premium paid, but without interest. WOODMEN'S WAGES. For the protection of the rights of workmen engaged in getting out logs and timber a special lien is provided by the Woodman's Lien for Wages act, 1805, consolidated as Chapter 194 of the Re- vised Statutes, 1897. This act provides that any person performing any labor or service in connection with any logs or timber in the province shall have a lien thereon for the amount due for such labor and such services, which shall be deemed a first lien and charge jn the logs and timber and shall have orece- dence over all other claims except for royalties and boom charges. As in the case of the Mechanics' Lion act, the act contains a complete precedure for (he entering and enforcement of the liens arising under its provisions, and f(»r the \l realization and distribution of moneys recovered thereon. I-ABOR, CONCILIATION AND ARBITRAITON. For the purpose of establishing a tri- bunal for the settlement of disputes be- tween employers and employees and for the providing of means leading to the cultivation and maintenance of better relations between employers and their employees, and also, for the providing of some efficient jethod for the prevention of strikes and other labor troubles there was passed as a government measure during the session of 1894 an act in- tituled The Labor Conciliation and Ar- bitration act, 1894, consolidated as Chap- ter 109 of the Revised Statutes, 1807. The act provides in the first place for the appointment of the provincial sec- retary as commissioner, and for the ap- pointment should occasion render it ne- cessary of a deputy commissioner. The functions of the commissioner and his deputy are to receive and record claims in respect of labor disputes, to convene councils of conciliation and to keep a complete record of proceedings had mder the act. Councils cf conciliation con- sist of four members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor upon the nomina- tion of the disputants and the procedure to be adopted by and before these coun- cils is set forth in the act. Should the councils of conciliation be unable to ef- fect a settlement of any matter brought before it, they report to that efifect to the commissioner, and the matter then goes before a council of arbiration of three members appointed by the Lieutenant- Governor in manner prescribed by the act. This council of arbitration conducts its proceedings as in open court but no party to any dispute before it is allowed to be represented by any counsel, attor- ney or paid agent. Within seven days after the completion of hearing the coun- cil renders its award, which is published in the British Columbia Gazette, and which is so far as the parties concerned have agreed to be bound thereby, may be made a rule of the Supreme court, having thereupon the force of a judg- ment of thp court binding upon and en- forceable against all persons afifected thereby.