Pennsylvania Act 1879-191 — LABORERS, COLLECTION OF WAGES

Act text

LABORERS, COLLECTION OF WAGES
                 Act of Jun. 12, 1879, P.L. 176, No. 191              Cl. 43
                                  AN ACT

     To enable laborers to secure and collect their pay for work done
        in and about the stocking of saw-logs.

        Section 1.  Priority of wages of laborers engaged in
     lumbering
        All moneys that may be due from any person or persons to any
     and every laborer, for work done in and about the cutting,
     peeling, skidding, hauling and driving of saw-logs, the hewing,
     making, skidding and hauling of square timber, and the peeling,
     skidding and hauling of bark for a period not exceeding six
     months prior to the death or assignment for the benefit of
     creditors of the employer or employers, or to a sale of said
     saw-logs, square timber or bark upon execution process against
     said employer or employers, shall be preferred and first paid
     out of the proceeds of any executor's, administrator's,
     assignee's, sheriff's or other officer's sale of saw-logs,
     square timber or bark as the property of the employer or
     employers: Provided, That when work as aforesaid shall have been
     done for a contractor or contractors and not for the owner or
     owners of said saw-logs, square timber or bark, all moneys due
     as aforesaid shall be preferred and paid to laborers as
     aforesaid, and any payment or payments so made shall be a good
     charge against the contractor or contractors in favor of the
     owner or owners in settlement of their account: And provided
     further, that not more than two hundred dollars to any one
     laborer shall be preferred under this act.  1879, June 12, P.L.
     176, Sec. 1; 1891, May 7, P.L. 44, Sec. 1.
        Section 2.  Notice of claim in lumbering operations, before
     sale
        It shall be the duty of every laborer claiming a preference
     under this act, by himself, his agent or attorney, to give
     notice in writing of the amount of his claim, before the sale,
     to the executors, administrators, assignee, sheriff or other
     officer whose duty it shall be to sell said saw-logs, otherwise
     his claim shall not be preferred under this act. 1879, June 12,
     P.L. 176, Sec. 2.
        Section 3.  Court to hear and determine disputes
        When there shall be any dispute concerning the right of any
     laborer to be preferred as aforesaid, or as to the amount he
     shall be entitled to receive, the court having jurisdiction of
     the accounts of the officer making the sale, or of the process
     under which the sale is made, shall have power, after reasonable
     notice, given either personally or by advertisement, to hear and
     determine the same according to law and equity.  1879, June 12,
     P.L. 176, Sec. 3.
        Section 4.  Owners may pay laborers employed by contractors
        When work as aforesaid shall have been done for a contractor
     or contractors, and not for the owner or owners of saw logs, it
     shall be lawful for the owner or owners to make payment of any
     moneys, due to any laborer or laborers for such work, directly
     to such laborer or laborers and any payment or payments so made,
     shall be a good charge against the contractor or contractors in
     favor of the owner or owners in the settlement of their
     accounts.  1879, June 12, P.L. 176, Sec. 4.