Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-02

said proprietor. foreman or owner shall
know the age OF the child 1t shall be his
or their duty to require the parent or
guardian to furnish a sworn statement OF
its age. and any swearing falsely to such
by the parent or guardian shall be perjury
and punishment such.
Provided that IL the parent or guardian
and the county judge of any county may
consent In writing for such employment,
then In that event such employment may
be made subject to the approval of the
county attorney of said county, In the
event of any complaint. and IL he thinks
after investigation of such complaint that
1t is against the best interests or moral
welfare of such infant child. he may SO
notify said employer and then this act ap-
plies as If no consent was given.
The remaining sections are:
Section 2. That any proprietor. foreman
Of owner employing a child less than four
teen years of age in conflict with the pro-
visions of this act, except where such pro-
prietor. foreman or owner has been fur
niShed with sworn statement of guardian
or parent that the child is more than four
teen years of age, shall be guilty of a mis-
demeanor. and upon conviction shall be
fined not less than $25 and not more than
$3.50.
Section B. That the grand jury shall have
inquisitorial powers to investigate viola
lions OF this act, and that judges of the
circuit courts of the state shall especially
charge the grand jury at the beginning of
each term Of the court to investigate the
| violations of this act
| Section 4. That this act shall take effect
| ninety days after the adjournment of this
| general assembly.
The legislature Of the state of Washing
| ton has passed laws affecting labor gener-
ally as follows:
First. An eight-hour law declaring that
| 1t Is the policy of the state of Washington
| that all work done by or for 1t, or for any
! of its political subdivisions, shall be in
work days of not more than eight hours in
| any calendar day. This law requires that
every contract for such work shall contain
| a clause providing for it's cancellation UNI
| less 1t is executed in accordance with the
policy of the state. and it further makes it
| the duty of any state officer connected with
| the supervision of such work to cancel any
| contract for work that Is being performed
In work days of more than eight hours
| each.
| Second. A law requiring the protection or
dangerous machinery
Third. A law which relates to the volun-
| tary arbitration of industrial disputes
| through board of arbitrator Jointly Sc
| lected by the parties to the dispute and
presided over by the labor commissioner OF
| the state. The law further provides that
II, ~. case tne parties to the dispute. one or
| both. refuse to arbtrate, that the labor
commissioner shall have authority to ask
1or sworn statement of the reasons WHY
arbitration is declined. and of the causes
| ieadlng up to the dispute. This statement
| Is Tor publication. This feature of the law
Will put the whole subject before the pub
nc as the court of last resort 1t will pre-
ven. .ne Misrepresentation of facts by
| newspapers and will prove a very powerful
instrument in the hands of organized work.
| lngmen VINO have good case. The law
cannot compel an employer with bad
| cause to lay 1t before the public but a re-
Iusal to either arbitrate or swear to the
1acts or the dispute would place such an
public 'Ao
Fourth. A law which requires the closing
OF barber shops on Sunday
| ruin; law requiring the inspection OF
oake shops and the maintaining of clean
ana healthy conditions in such shops
| Sixth. A law forbiddng the emnlovnent
OF females as messengers for the telegraph
| or similar service who are under the aee
| OF eighteen years. and prohibiting the en-
Pioyment or children of either sex who ara
under the age Of fourteen years in fac
| tories, mills. workshops or stores. excent
upon temporary permits issued by a Judge
~ tne superior court upon a showing that
| the lapor OF child is necessary for its own
| support or the support of an invalid parent
Secretary Harry W. Sherman, general
secretary of the Brotherhood of Electrical
| workers. returned to the city the early part
OF the week from Toronto, Canada. where
ne appeared before the executive council of
| the american Federation of Labor which
| was IN quarterly session in that city all
| last week, to enter a protest charging that
| the union gasfitters of Toronto recently in
1ringed upon the jurisdiction of his or
| X.
| In his charges Mr.. Sherman called at
tentlon to the fact that at the last conven-
tion OF the federation that body decided
that all conduit work came under the jurjs-
| Glctlon or the brotherhood and it was or
dered that the gasfitters should not engaee
| IN this class of work. To remedy the evil
| the council reaff1rmed the decision of the
| last convention and notified the filters or
| its action. VI
The annual convention of the Amalea-
| mated Sheet Metal Workers Interna tjonal
| Assoclation convened in Milwaukee, Wis
| MONDAY last. AT last reports the BODY was
| considering the question of Jurisdiction
According to the annual report of pres,-
| dent George w. Perkins of the Cigarmak
| ers' International Union, the receints Of his
organization during the past wear wer.
1881 .S339O while the expenditures amount
ed to S141. 246.94, leaving balance of sS;i :
| oll.29 in the treasury. The bulk of the er
pend1tures was used in conducting strikes
In Montreal. Canada, and New. OrIeans
and In paying death benefits
| The agreement reached some time ago
| AT conference between representatives or
! the printing trades will form, it is believed
| an interesting portion of the delibera tion
or the annual convention of the Interna-
| uonal Printing Pressmen's Union to he
| held at Cincinnati about the middle of the
| present month. The tripartfte agreement
VIII nave to be confirmed by the conyen-
tion before 1t will actually be operative.