Chap. 389.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to secure
to operatives and laborers engaged in and about railroad shops, coal
mines, manufactories of iron and steel, and all other manufactories, and
railroad clerks the payment of wages at regular intervals, and in lawful
money of the United States, approved May 28rd, 1887, as amended and
re-enacted by an act approved March 11th, 1912. {H B 146]

Approved March 20, 1918.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That an
act entitled an act to secure to operatives and laborers engaged in
and about coal mines, manufactories, of iron and steel; and all other
manufactories, and railroad clerks the payment of wages at regu-
lar intervals and in lawful money of the United States, approved
May twenty-third, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, as amended
and re-enacted by an act approved March eleventh, nineteen hun-
dred and twelve, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 1. All persons, firms, companies, corporations or asso-
clations in this Commonwealth, engaged in operating railroad shops,
maintaining railroad and steamship offices, mining coal, ore, or other
minerals, or mining and manufacturing them, or either of them, or
manufacturing iron or steel, or both, or any other kind of manu-
facturing, shall pay their employees engaged in the employments
aforesaid as provided in this act.

All persons, firms, companies, corporations or associations, en-
gaged in any of the business aforesaid, shall regularly settle with
such employees at least twice in each month, and, at such times, pay
them the amounts due them for their work or services, in lawful
money of the United States, or by check, or by cash order, as de-
scribed and required in section three of this act; provided, that
nothing herein contained shall affect the right of any employee to
assign the whole or any part of his claim against his employer; pro-
vided, however, that the semi-monthly payment of wages require-
ment of this act shall not apply to excelsior mills or saw mills; but
the employers of Jabor engaged in such enterprises shall settle with
their employees at least once in each month.

Sec. 2. That it shall not be lawful for any person, firm, com-
pany, corporation or association, engaged in the business aforesaid,
their clerk, agent, officer or servant in this State to issue for pay-
ment of such labor at such times any order or other payment what-
ever, unless the same purports to be payable or redeemable for its
face value in lawful money of the United States, such order to be
made payable on demand and without condition to employees, or
bearer, bearing interest at legal rate, and redeemable by the person,
firm, company, corporation or association giving, making or issuing
the same. Any such person, firm, company, corporation or asso-
ciation, engaged in any of the business aforesaid, at other times
than at such regular settlements upon the faith and credit of labor
to be performed or performed but not to be paid for under the con-
tract of hiring untif a future date, may in payment or in part pay-
ment therefor, upon request of any employee, issue to such em-
ployees non transferable orders upon himself or itself, or upon
another, payable in merchandise only or non-transferable coupons
or tokens payable and redeemable in merchandise only; provided
that upon or in the face of each such order or upon or in the holder
or container to which such coupons or tokens are attached there is
legibly and plainly written or printed the binding promise of such
employer to pay such employee in lawful money of the United States
or by check the unused portion or part, if any, of such order in his
possession or the unused coupons or tokens, if any, in such holder
or container in his possession, upon demand and upon surrender
thereof by him, at such regular settlement date, not later than one
month from the date thereof. Any person, firm, company, corpora-
tion or association, engaged in the business aforesaid, their clerks,
agents, officers or servants, who shall issue for payment of labor
any paper or order, other than the ones herein specified, or who
shall, upon demand and surrender thereof by an employee refuse to
pay for or issue check to such employee for such unused part or por-
tion of such non-transferable order or unused non-transferable cou-
pon or token at such regular settlement date, in violation of this sec-
tion, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction,
shall be fined in any sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, in the
discretion of the court.

Sec. 3. That it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, company,
corporation or association engaged in operating railroad shops,
maintaining railroad and steamship offices or mining or manufac-
turing, or either of them, as aforesaid, and who shall likewise be
either engaged or interested directly or indirectly, in merchandising,
us owner or otherwise, 1n any money per centum profit or commis-
sion arising from the sale of any such merchandise, their clerks,
vervants, officers or agents to knowingly or wilfully sell, or cause to
be sold, to any such employees any goods, merchandise or supplies
whatever for a greater per centum of profit than merchandise and
supplies of like character, kind, quality and quantity are sold to
other customers, buying for cash and not employed by them; and
shall any person or member of any firm, company, corporation or
nssociation, his or their clerk, agent, or servant violate this act they
‘jiall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined
in any sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, in the discretion of
the court.