statutes have since been held unconstitutional.

In 1900, a year of great prosperity, there is almost no labor
legislation.

In 1901 we only find laws establishing free employment bureaus, except
that California provides a maximum time for women and children of nine
hours a day in both manufacturing and mercantile occupations, and a
minimum wage upon all public work of twenty cents an hour.

In 1902 Colorado overrules her Supreme Court by getting by
constitutional amendment an eight-hour day in mines. Massachusetts
passes a joint resolution of the Legislature asking for a Federal
constitutional amendment which shall permit Congress to fix uniform
hours of labor throughout the United States, and Kentucky and other
Southern States begin to legislate to control the hours of labor of
women and children.

In 1903 this movement continues and in the Northwestern States, Oregon
and Colorado, the length of hours of labor of women of all ages is
generally limited. Weekly payments and anti-truck laws are adopted.
Montana forbids company boarding-houses and Colorado makes the
striking attempt to do away with the so-called dead line; that is to
say, a statute forbidding any person to be discharged by reason of
age, between the years of eighteen and sixty. California follows
Maryland in abolishing the conspiracy law, both as applied to
employers and employees.[1] It does not seem that in either State this
statute has yet been tested as class legislation. Legislation against
the open shop continues in far Western States, while Minnesota makes
it a misdemeanor for an employer to exact as a condition of employment
that the employee shall not take part in a strike.

[Footnote 1: See the next chapter.]

In 1904 there is little legislation. Far Western States go on with the
protection of child labor, particularly in mines, and Alabama adopts a
general statute against picketing, boycotting, and blacklisting.

In 1905 we first find legislation against peonage or compulsory labor
in the Southern States, North Carolina and Alabama. The celebrated
constitutional amendment of New York is enacted, which gives the
Legislature full power to regulate wages, hours, and conditions in
public labor. (See above, p. 161.) Further regulation of factories
and mines goes on, with State employment agencies and reform of the
employers' liability laws. Colorado and Utah prohibit boycotts and
blacklisting, and in one or two States corporations are requi