Charlevoix county herald., 1905-08-05
Our States
Labor Laws.
nichigan's Provisions for Bettering
the Condition of Wage Farmers.
:. THE FREE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU.


- Itigi66 created and fostered under the
: -hbefaF policy of the state, is the de-
partment Of labor. 1t IL one that
@@ possibly does not attract such large
: public? attention as some, but it is
one of prevailing and increasing use
fuuess, especially to those classes that
often need the protecting oversight Of
the state. The course of legislation
for betterng the condition of workers
for wages has Deen steadily progress
i've and cumulative. In 1893 a law
~ was passed requiring employers OF
y female help in stores, shops, offices or
~ factories to provide seats for such en-
r.: plOyees when not actively occupied in
..@ their work, and providing penalties
for disregard Of that humane and ap
- vpropriate requirement. An act Of
-l:--aa' 1895, amended in 1901, provided for
.cOmpulSQry school attendance of child
- - iat,c tflA.appofntment of truant
officers. In 1897 law was enacted
for6ldding the employ ment of women
or girls as barkeeperS, or for dancing
or furnishing music in any place
ar where liquors are sold. esa&
'fe 3-keP The compiled laws of 1897 contained
-, 4 the provisions for organizing the
s;-..4fnreau OF labor and industrials statis-
= gsticS as it has since been constituted,
D. the appoint ment by the governor with
the approval Of the senate of a com
missioner Of labor, and the appoint
ment by him of deputy, and they
with the secretary Of state to consti-
tute the beaura OF statistics. for the
collection anr publication Of statisti
cal details relotlng 10 all departments
-, of Iabor in all its phases, hnanclcal
physical, mental and moral, sanitary
- social. racial and commercial.
,.. An act of 1899 directed the commits
q. - = Sionerto appoint an Inspector OF coal
mines, and made detailed require
nients for appliances and provisions
in the coal mines of this state "for
- protection of the health, lives and
"-, interests of the coal miners Of MIchi-
''..' gan.,Rs Another act Of the same ses-
sion required operators OF factories
where emory wheels or belts are used,
!: to provide fans or blowers, when so
directed by the labor commissioner, to
effectively carry away from the work
men the injurious dust that such
wheels and belts produce; and another
act OF the same session required the
1 attachment of low water alarms to
''' stationary boilers in this state when
j / SU-d directed Ivy he commissioner. An
b. effort to repeal this law was made at
the recent session, but it was not sue
cessful This was based upon the re-
presentation that the alarms cause
more explosions than they prevent.
by IulinGthe vigilance of the engin-
eers; but the statistics of the bureau
do not support that.
A very important and comprehen-
sive law enacted il 1901, provided for
the inspection Of factories, workshops
aud stores, requiring provision Of fire
escapes, elevator aud stairway and
machinery guards, ventilation, and
other appliances necessary for the
safety, comfort and convenience of
employees; prohibited employment of
children under fourteen years of age,
and limited TO sixty hours per week
.>~=4= the employment of others, under eigh.
teen years for males and under twenty
!, one years for females. Deputy factory
inspectors were authorized at least
one Of which must he woman; and
tenement house work, known as
''sweatshop," was forbidden except
under special permit and supervision
of insnGtors. BY an act of 1905 the
provisions of this law as to child labor
were extetted TO theaters. places OF
amusement where liquors are sold, OF
any mercantile institution, Office,
hotel, laundry, bowling alley, elevator,