Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-03
FACTORY INSPECTOR
Fsassst
Annual Report Of Charles E.
Atwood for 1902.
Refers to Child Labor and Laws Coy
erning Schooling Of Children.
Children Employed in Factories Num-
Der ZIG, Reduction from 1901.

oI IdctOIles, WORKSHOPS. mines dnl
quarries. Mr.. Atwood says in part:
To begin with, | desire to correct
some mistaken notions which are be-
ing held as TO the scope and nature OF
the duties and esponsibilities placed
by the statutes upon the inspector OF
factories. workshops, mines and quar-
ries. Some well meaning people as
sumo to credit me with powers and
duties which the Legislature never dele
gated to the State factory inspector;
others hold that the breadth of re-
sponsibility resting upon me as factory
Inspector, i'll the matters of sanitary
Improvement and child labor es-
pecially, is cO-extensive with the bor-
der lines IF the State, with powers
we'll nigh supreme. The following
brief paragraphs comprise. in sub
stance. the legal duties OF the Maine
inspector of factories, workshops,
mines and quarries.
First-Chapter 292 of the laws OF
1895 requires the inspector. upon COM
plant. to inquire into and prosecute ali
violations of the law providing for
fortnishtly payments of wages hy
ever manufacturing. mining, quarry
ing, stone cutting, mercantile, horse
railroad. telegraph, telephone and
municipal corporation, and every in
corDorated express and water COM
pany, and any person or firm engaged
in any of the above specified kinds of
business, having in their employ more
than ten persons
Second-To examine into the sani-
tary condition of factories, workshops,
mines and quarries, and when their
condition. in his opinion, is such as 10
endanger the lives and health of the
employees. he shall notify the local
board of health. and it shall be the
duty of said board to investigate the
matter.
Third-Said inspector shall enforce
the law which requires swinging doors
ir all factories and workshops to open
outward.
Fourth-The inspector shall inquire
into and enforce the penalties of Chap
ter 139 of the Public Laws of 1887, en-
titled IAN Act to regulate the hours Of
labor. and the employment of women
and children in manufacturing ana
mechanical establishments. for which
purposes he may at all reasonable
times enter any manufacturing or
mechanical establishment in this
State.
As an instance of the variety of mis-
information and misunderstanding
which l encounter as l so over the
State. Prof. a, in town which shall
be nameless, complains and earnestly
claims that the factory inspector is
especially charged with the sanitary
condition of all the schoolhouses in
the State, that he should personally
inspect" said houses and their adj
juncts and promptly prosecute all Of
tenders. Complaints have actually
been made to me along this line by
town officials. Of course such prop
osition is an absurdity. To visit and
examine the five thousand schoolhouses
in this State would alone call for a
corps of ten State inspectors, at least.
The governor has seen fit to appoint
but one man to do all the work which
he believes to be required under the
law. If Prof. A. and others of his way
of thinking will devote a short time to
a study of the labor laws of Maine.
they will there find the duties of fac
tory inspector clearly set forth, and
that sanitary inspection of school
houses is not anywhere mentioned
among them. Our State lawmakers
have wisely provided IL tribunal to
which all complainants of this class
may go for relief. namely, the local
board of health, which, they declare.
shall be chosen in every city ana town
in this State" clothed with full power
to investigate, correct and prosecute.
For the letter of the law in ample form,
l beg to refer all Interested to the Pub
lie Laws of 1887 and 1893.
Another source of misunderstanding
as to my official responsibility has
arisen within the past two years by
reason of an apparent conflict law.
We have on statute books two codes
of laws in relation to children, with
two plans or systems, administered by
two separate sets of officials. namely,
the school truant laws and the labor
laws. In them the duties of each set
of officers are made clear and en-
phatic. At certain points they run
so nearly in the same groove that the
not over careful observer might take
them to9be identical, when in reality
they are in open conflict.
The labor law provides that mo
child under fifteen years of age shall
be employed in any manufacturing
or mechanical establishment in this
State unless he has for at least sixteen
weeks attended some public or private
school"
The school truant law provides that
Every child between the ages of seven
and fifteen inclusive shall attend some
public or day school during the time
such school is in session" or in an APP
proved private school for the same
period of time which in cities and
large towns might mean thirty-six
weeks yearly, while in sparse settle
lnents 1t might mean six weeks. Note
the inleilnitcness and the inequality.
TheSmischieyous effects of this con-
fiict Of law fare already manifest.
Within the past two or three years a
new class Of complainants against
child labor has taken the field, made
up chiefly of school committee men
and school supeintendents. The claim
made is tina. It is one of the duties OF
the factory inspector to enforce the
school truant law, or that portion At